Myddelton Grange, which is being marketed by the Leeds office of Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), is owned by the Diocese of Leeds and was previously a popular destination with visiting groups of Catholic school children.

The site opened as a religious retreat in 1923 and was redeveloped in 2002. The current 15,000 sq. ft building operated as a 24-bedroom retreat until June 2016. A separate 2,500 sq. ft staff house contains a further six bedrooms. There is parking for up to 16 cars.

The three-storey stone property offers a unique opportunity for redevelopment and is suitable for a range of different uses, from conversion into a conference centre or care facility to a premium residential development.

Kevin Anderson, Property Administrator at the Diocese of Leeds, said: “The spectacular rural location of Myddelton Grange made it popular with Catholic Schools across North and West Yorkshire. Visiting children learned about the Catholic faith while enjoying games, countryside walks and team-building activities.  Rather than providing these one-off retreats, the intention is now for the Diocese to develop and extend its Youth Services programme directly into schools, offering equal opportunities to all children.”

Myddelton Grange is located just off Langbar Road, one mile north of Ilkley town centre, and is set within 3.87 acres of picturesque grounds, overlooking protected parkland and the Wharfedale Valley to Ilkley Moor. The site neighbours the mid-16th century, Grade I-listed Myddelton Lodge, along with a small number of other private dwellings.

Richard Corby, Director at LSH, said: “Ilkley is a highly sought after area and development opportunities such as this, within the Green Belt just outside the town, are very rare.

“Myddleton Grange offers a superb opportunity for a potential purchaser to create a truly unique development in a stunning location within the Yorkshire countryside, for which there are two clear options. The buildings could be converted, for example into a care facility, training or conference centre, subject to formal planning consent being obtained.   Alternatively, there is the chance to redevelop the premises into a stunning home or small residential development.”