Arden Hall

Arden Hall is a country house with a complex history, incorporating elements from the 17th century, early 18th century, and 20th century. The north-west wing dates to the 17th century, while the south wing was built around 1700-1710, likely for the Tancred family, possibly commissioned by Charles Tancred (d.1711). Later additions include an early 20th-century north-east wing and an addition to the north-west wing, constructed for the Hon. J. H. Savile.

The house is constructed primarily of sandstone ashlar, with Welsh slate roofing to the south wing, stone slate roofing to the north-west wing, and Westmorland slate roofs to the 20th-century sections. The main facade features a central hallway entry flanked by cross wings to the rear. The three-story main facade has seven first-floor windows, with projecting quoins. A four-panel double door sits beneath a divided overlight within a moulded architrave, flanked by two tall narrow sashes and pairs of sashes with glazing bars, all beneath keyed stone lintels. A first-floor band incorporates a segmental pediment over the front door. The first-floor windows mirror those below, with a sash featuring glazing bars in the centre. A second-floor band is present, followed by a second floor with three sashes containing glazing bars. The roof has gable copings, shaped kneelers, and end and ridge stacks.

The interior entrance hall contains a staircase with three flights around an open well, featuring square newels, turned bulbous balusters and a massive handrail ramped up to the newels. The south-east room contains mid-18th century fittings salvaged from Methley Hall near Castleford, which has since been demolished. These include fielded panelling with raised moulded borders, an overdoor with a scroll motif in the panel and cornice, and a chimneypiece with an eared surround and enriched mouldings. The south-west room exhibits reset 17th-century panelling with a frieze featuring carved scrollwork, alongside an early 18th-century door with five bolection-moulded panels, with matching panels on the reveals toward the hall. An office, likely a former kitchen in the north-east wing, contains a large 17th-century fireplace with a chamfered voussoir basket arch. The dining room within the same wing showcases an outstanding late 16th – early 17th-century chimneypiece also from Methley Hall. The first-floor landing retains original early 18th-century features, including four doorways with bolection-moulded architraves leading to six-panel doors. A dado with a moulded chair rail and bolection-moulded panels is present, alongside a late 18th-century moulded dentilled cornice. A central room above the hall features reset 17th-century panelling with an inserted dado rail, an original early 18th-century door on early hinges, and a fireplace with a bolection-moulded surround and early 18th-century moulded cornice. The south-east room showcases mid-18th century fielded panelling, a six-panel door and a chimneypiece from Methley Hall, constructed of white marble with a red marble panel in the centre of the frieze, featuring low-relief carvings on the side panels and frieze. Finally, the south-west room displays reset early 17th-century panelling, an inserted 18th-century chair rail, and a fireplace with a bolection-moulded architrave.

Arden Hall occupies the site of St Andrew’s Priory, a Benedictine house founded around 1150 for nuns prior to its dissolution.