Deans Croft

Deans Croft is a 17th-century building with a rear extension of 1816, designed by the 2nd Lord Grantham of Newby Hall, who later became Earl de Grey and the first President of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Originally built as the House of Correction, its construction may date back to 1685 when the House of Correction was established. The building is rendered, but constructed of alternating courses of brick and stone, with a cobbles base; it has a stone slate roof. It is three storeys high with a basement at the east end. A band runs above the ground floor windows. There are six bays, each featuring two-light stone mullioned windows with recessed rectangular section mullions. The main entrance is an oak door studded with iron bolts.

The second floor is entirely brick, and a straight joint on the rear elevation suggests that the two eastern bays, along with the top floor, may have been added later. However, the style closely resembles the original, implying either a contemporaneous addition or a faithful replica from around 1800.

In 1815, the magistrates ordered an extension, which was likely the cell block constructed to the rear in 1816. The spine passage of the cell block aligns precisely with the cross passage within the main house, indicating a post-addition date for the eastern bays.

The two-storey cell block is built of brown brick and features wooden eaves brackets. It has four iron-barred windows set within plain stone surrounds on the first floor, and three large iron-barred windows on the ground floor. The interior is brick-vaulted throughout, with stone flagged floors. A wooden iron balustrade serves as the staircase, and there are very heavy iron doors with original massive locks.

A street gate in the adjacent garden wall has a blind fanlight and royal arms dateable to between 1801 and 1837, along with a festoon of chains.

The House of Correction closed in 1878, and the building subsequently served as a grain store. In 1887, it was taken over by the West Riding Constabulary to become a Police Station, before being converted into a private house in 1958. The front part of the building was restored in 1972.