THE historic Myddelton Lodge near Ilkley has come on to the property market with a guide price of £4.95m.

The Lodge is an outstanding Grade I Listed house with a south facing position with views of Ilkley Moor.

Dating back to 1260, it was home for centuries to one of Ilkley’s most famous families, the Middletons.

It was bought as a spiritual retreat by the Passionist Fathers in 1922 and later sold to the Diocese of Leeds who put the property on the market in 2000 with a guide price of £750,000.

Neglected in the late 1990s, it was later restored to its former glory by private owners which won a conservation award from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

The present custodians have further refurbished the house during their tenure and it features tasteful, modern interiors which harmonise with the property's historical and religious roots.

Toby Cockcroft of York-based Croft Residential and Edward Welton of Knight Frank’s Country Department are joint agents in the latest sale. They quote a guide price of £4.95m for the imposing stone-built house, which dates from the 13th century and was long the home of the devoutly Catholic Middleton family before becoming a seminary, a monastery and a retreat house.

The house stands in just over 6¼ acres of landscaped gardens and woodland, with direct access to the surrounding Wharfedale countryside, yet is less than a mile from Ilkley town centre.

The property features a total of 11 bedrooms, eight reception rooms, leisure facilities, eight bathrooms and garaging.

The house has two outbuildings. One is a garage with space for two cars, the second is a former garage which is now used as a fully fitted yoga studio with heating, a shower and WC.

Within the grounds, to the south east, there is a Grade II listed gazebo, dated from the 16th or 17th century.