Former army drill hall, Castlebergh Hall

This former army drill hall, now a Scout hall, was built in 1864 for the West Riding Rifle Volunteers, with sponsorship from Walter Morrison of Malham Tarn. It is constructed of local stone rubble with part-dressed quoins and window surrounds. The building has an ashlar door surround and plinth course, and a stone slate roof.

The hall is built into a steeply rising hillside, with its main level parallel to Castlebergh Lane. Access is from the north gable end via an external flight of steps. A viewing gallery occupies the south end of the hall, with a heated room located below it. A former armoury is believed to have been the chamber at the north end on the ground floor or basement level.

The building is two storeys high and five bays wide. Windows are located on the west side of the first floor, featuring 2-centre-arched heads with timber cross mullions. A gable end stack is visible on the south side. The ground floor appears as a tall plinth with an ashlar top course; a doorway to the ground floor room has been inserted. The hall’s entrance has an ashlar surround with a simple chamfer. Scarring on the gable end suggests the external stair was formerly covered, a porch was added to the main entrance, and an inserted doorway to the side, now blocked, provided access to an external toilet. A small cast iron door previously suggested as a collection box is in fact an access door to the base of a disused flue. A bracket attached to the corner of the building above the steps is thought to have held a gas street lamp. The south gable is blind.

The viewing gallery occupies the south bay, accessed by a narrow stair on the east side. The west side of the gallery is partitioned off to form a separate room. The space below the gallery is also partitioned, containing toilets on the west side and a larger room in the centre, which retains a fireplace. These partitions are considered to be 20th century additions. The remainder of the hall is undivided and partially open to the roof structure, which has a ceiling set just above the collars to the roof trusses. A beam supporting the gallery front displays a small brass war memorial plaque, commemorating six men who died in the Second World War. According to planning legislation, the partitions and ceiling are not considered to be elements of special architectural or historic interest.