Myddelton Lodge

The accommodation in Myddelton Lodge offers excellent flexibility for family living and entertaining and centres around the former chapel room, dating from around 1830, with its huge vaulted ceiling, stained glass window, and mezzanine. It is an extremely light room with large lancet windows allowing light to pour in, along its southern elevation. The other room of particular note is the former Great Chamber, now the drawing room, with its two grand fireplaces in adjacent corners of the room.

The further family accommodation within the main house includes a morning room, sitting room and family room, presently used as a gym. There is also an office/library, two cloakrooms, boot room and a cellar, accessed by steps from the everyday entrance hall.

On the first floor level there is a bedroom suite above the office/library, and the main staircase leads up through the house to the principal bedroom suite, which extends across the whole length of the house and also has impressive fireplaces, with a large en suite bathroom and dressing room, along with a separate bedroom.

The stairs rise to the second floor bedroom accommodation, with a family bathroom, two further bedrooms and two more bedrooms which share a Jack and Jill shower room, all off a large central landing.

The East Wing, which can be used as a self-contained house has its own separate entrance hall, a kitchen/breakfast room, sitting room and dining room on the ground floor. There are two guest bedroom suites on the first floor with en suite bathrooms, two further bedrooms, sitting room and family bathroom.

Myddelton Lodge sits in around 6.38 acres of lawned and formal gardens, with a paddock interspersed with recently planted trees and mature woodland. A former garage is now used as a fully fitted yoga studio with heating, a shower and WC. Within the grounds, to the south east, there is a Grade II listed gazebo, dated from the 16th or 17th century, square in shape and built with course squared stone, with internal plaster decorations and a pyramidical roof.

Myddelton Lodge originates from the 13th century. It was home to one of Ilkley's most famous families, the Middletons, for centuries. They sustained the Catholic faith in and around Ilkley, being recusants, meaning they held their faith in spite of hostile legislation and cruel repression. Often in danger of death and at great financial cost, the Middletons led and supported the Catholic community in Wharfedale during penal times.
Benedictine chaplains resided at Myddelton Lodge and a chapel and school
were provided. After Catholic Emancipation in 1829, the Middletons continued
to support local Catholics and in 1879 endowed the Church of the Sacred
Heart.

The Cross and Passion Fathers restored a Catholic presence at the Lodge in 1922 when it became St. Paul's Retreat. Until 1985 it was a seminary, a monastery and a retreat house. The Passionists also ministered to the parish of the English Martyrs in Addingham. The Sisters of the Cross and Passion had begun their ministry in Ilkley in 1899.

It was later sold to the Diocese of Leeds, who opened it as a pastoral centre.
Neglected in the late 1990s, it was later restored to its former glory by private owners, which won a conservation award from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. The current owners have sympathetically refurbished Myddelton Lodge since their ownership of the last 10 years.

Skipton 9 miles
Leeds 18 miles (Direct train service to London Kings Cross taking approximately 2 hours 10 minutes)
Bradford 16 miles
Leeds Bradford Airport 11 miles
Harrogate 18 miles

Myddelton Lodge commands a spectacular south facing position across the valley, overlooking Ilkley and Ilkley Moor. Surrounded by beautiful Wharfedale countryside, this prestigious house is on the southern edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. There is excellent walking and direct access to horseriding bridleways across the surrounding countryside.

The property is situated ab

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