HOLLYWOOD legend Charlie Chaplin stayed in one of York's most historic and interesting buildings - along with other stars of the stage.

The movie icon stayed in part of what is now Middletons hotel in Skeldergate. The elegant townhouse, where guests can rent rooms today, is aptly named Chaplin House. It had been owned by Hans Hess, director of York City Art Gallery.

Hess hosted many famous names during his residency, often during the triennial York Festival. Besides Chaplin, the house welcomed composer Benjamin Britten and jazz singer Cleo Laine.

Today it has three floors and nine bedrooms and contributes to the unique quality of Middletons, which boasts six listed buildings among its hotel site.

The hotel is in the news this week because it is seeking planning permission for a refurbishment.

But perhaps we shouldn't be surprised - the hotel's history is one of near constant change, not least from its early use as a hospital and almshouse, a form of charitable, social housing.

The earliest building dates from the 1700s and one of the premises on site is a former organ manufacturers, T Hopkins and Sons who provided organs to churches throughout England. York had been associated with organ building in medieval times and witnessed a revival in the 19th century.

Today, the hotel is owned by the Daniel Thwaites group.

Previous to that is was run for more than 40 years by the Clark family, who bought the site from the council in 1973.

Currently, the hotel has 56 individual rooms spread across six different buildings - Lady Anne House, Cromwell House, Chaplin House, Sir Joseph Terry Cottages, No 56 Skeldergate and its event space, The Organ Factory - all of which are historic Grade II or Grade II* listed buildings.

Under the scheme before planners (ref:22/01851/LBC), the owners are seeking permission to make internal and external alterations to include the installation of air conditioning; the replacement of internal doors and secondary glazing; the refurbishment of bedrooms and en-suites, and the re-surfacing of footpaths, including ramped access.

Owners also want to repaint the railings of the hotel to their original colour - white.

The earliest building on the hotel site is 56 Skeldergate, which dates from late 18th century.

Lady Anne House takes its name from from Ann Middleton, who was the wife of the Sheriff of York in 1659, Peter Middleton, and funded the hospital with an endowment. You can still see a statue to Lady Ann in the walls of the hotel, viewed from Skeldergate.

Cromwell House dates back to the industrial revolution and used to be a sawmill.

The Joseph Terry Cottages on site were originally built with public subscriptions in memory of the great chocolatier as a pair of almhouses.

The hospital closed in 1970 and the cottages a decade later.