Historic North Yorkshire hotel set for multi-million pound transformation
A historic hall near Ripon is undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment.
The investment in Grantley Hall, which boasts the first Japanese Garden planted in Britain in 1910, will be unveiled in 2019 featuring a spa and gym facility, 47 bedrooms, four restaurants, new bars, and a private members cub.
The refurbishment will create 200 jobs and it is hoped the work propel the hall into the wedding venue market.
Andrew McPherson, general manager, says: “This is a truly unique offering in the luxury leisure market; a development that Yorkshire will be extremely proud of.”
Grantley Hall’s history stretches back to the mid-1700s. The Norton family built the house and owned the estate for over 200 years. Fletcher Norton, who was made a Baron and became the first Lord Grantley, was the first member of the family to be elected to Parliament. He was also elected Speaker of the House of Commons in 1770.
Sir Christopher Furness, an industrialist who made his fortune in the shipping industry, bought the estate in 1900 and made several improvements and additions to the house and gardens. It was Lady Jane Furness who commissioned the Japanese Garden in 1910.
The house passed to their son, Marmaduke, whose second wife, Thelma Morgan Converse, had an affair with Edward VIII and introduced him to Wallis Simpson.
In 1925, the estate was then bought by Sir William Aykroyd.
Queen Mary and the Princess Royal came for tea and a tour of the gardens in 1937 and then the house opened as a convalescent home from 1943 to 1946 and cared for over 6,500 soldiers, including those injured on D Day, 40 wounded Jamaican airmen and soldiers from a Canadian regiment. Dame Vera Lynn performed in the drawing room.
During the second half of the 20th century, the house was owned by the West Riding Council and the North Riding Council and used for continuing education and teacher training. It passed back into private hands in 2006, but was often left vacant.
In 2015, a local Yorkshire family purchased the property and is the driving force behind the complete restoration of the house.
