AN HISTORIC building which was once the family home of Gentleman Jack Anne Lister’s lover has a new lease of life.

Langton Hall, parts of which date back to 1738, had stood derelict for eight years following the closure of Woodleigh School but has been restored as holiday cottages following a £3million investment.

The buildings had fallen into disrepair, with large leaks in the roofs, unsecure windows and rotting woodwork.

Leeds-based property developer C W Langton, which coincidentally shares the same name, last year invested about £3 million in the purchase and renovation of the property.

CW Langton Ltd undertake listed building refurbishments and new-build homes, mainly in West and North Yorkshire.

Renovation plans for the grade II listed Hall, on the edge of the village of Langton, were submitted to Ryedale District Council and approved in 2019.

The main Hall refurbishment was completed, as a private residence for C W Langton, early this year. Now the former row of staff quarters have been turned into three luxury holiday cottages.

Each cottage has access to a heated outdoor swimming pool, tennis court and grounds, while some also have hot tubs.

A new lake has been put in the grounds not far from a waterfall, while the gardeners have been restoring rose beds and installing a new terraced kitchen garden.

Langton Hall is associated with famous names, with the new cottages’ names reflecting those links; Mary Ellen Best, 18th Hussars and Isabella Cottages.

It was the family home of Isobella Norcliffe who had a relationship with Anne Lister, aka Gentleman Jack; and was also where Mary Ellen Best painted several of her works.

The property was also used by the guards armoured division during the war and was visited by Winston Churchill and Field Marshall Montgomery in the run-up to the D-Day landings. They travelled by train, alighting at Kirkham Abbey and travelling the final miles by tank to the Hall .

CW Langton has kept many original features during the renovation and also put in features, which were lost when it was converted into a school, such as coving and ceiling roses.

The Mary Ellen Best cottage was completely renovated through the Coronavirus lockdown, with strict social distancing on site and the challenge of sourcing products.

William Langton, director of C W Langton Ltd. said: “It is amazing what you can do during the lockdown period even with limited resources. The cottages are now renovated to our usual high standard and we are looking forward to giving guests a well-deserved break after the pressures of the lockdown.”