Name: Ledston Hall
Locality: Hall Lane, Ledston, Leeds WF10 2BB
Built: 12th century
Owner: Private
Grade I
Website: Johansens
The first building on the site of the Hall was originally a Chapel built by the monks from Pontefract Priory, reputed to have been built in the 12 Century. The Hall as we know it today was built over a period of time in the 16th and 17th Century. The then landscaped gardens and terraces were added over a period of time but now these have been changed to make maintenance more viable. Not a lot is known of the actual history of Ledston Hall. It is known though, that in the 16th Century a maid at the Hall called Mary Pannell made a potion for the ill son of the house, she was later accused of witchcraft because the potion mixed to rub on the body was mistakenly given to the young boy to drink, by the boys Mother, this proved fatal to her son and Mary was sent to York on trial for witchcraft, she was found guilty and brought back the area where she was burned to death on a nearby hill still known today as Mary Pannell Hill where her ghost is reputed to have been seen in more recent times.
17th Century Mansion with some earlier work. This grand house is located in the village of Ledston, 10 miles east of Leeds. While the building appears at first sight to be in one style in reality it is an amalgam of a number of rebuilds. Site of the house was once a grange for the monks of Pontefract Priory and part of their early 13th century chapel still survives as part of the building the monks built the kitchen and the chapel. The east front with its projecting wings, Dutch-style gables and turrets capped by domes was probably built on behalf of Sir John Lewis, a rich East India merchant who bought the house in 1653. The Hall is now in private ownership, and tenanted apartments occupy one wing.
Whilst driving around the Castleford countryside looking for a nice location to walk our dog I spotted in the distance a forboding building looming out of the trees, I thought I had spotted this great pile before whilst on our travels, again it caught my eye.
"Ledston Hall" featured in the television show "Most Haunted Live!" on 27 October 2007 and was given the name "Wheler Priory" for security reasons at the time (Wheler being the surname of the last family owning the hall).
Ledston Hall
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