1. The History
Quite a bit of history on this place. Dalton Grange is a former mid-Victorian county house in the Dalton area of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Construction started in 1870 along the lines of the designs drawn-up by Yorkshire architect, John Kirk (1817-1886) and completed a year later, it was built in the “Baronial Gothic” style. It was Grade II listed in July 2015 due to its distinguished asymmetrical composition and its detailed carvings. The centre-piece of its interior features was an imposing Baronial-style entrance/stair hall.
For fifty years it was a residence of local industrialist and Mayor of Huddersfield, Henry Brooke (1825-1883). Brooke, who also held office as the Huddersfield Improvement Commissioner, Constable of Huddersfield and Alderman spent 12 years at Dalton until his death. Just prior to his death, he handed over the property's deeds to the West Riding Union Bank. After his passing, the bank required his two sons to take out a mortgage that was never paid off. The bank failed in 1902 and the liquidators sold Dalton Grange to a local builder, W H Jessop for £1,000. Jessop lived in the house until 1916. He then sold the property to British Dyes Limited (later to become Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), Zeneca, and now known as Syngenta) for £2700. They had constructed a chemical plant in the valley below and Dalton Grange became a gentleman's club for the company’s research chemists and chemical engineers after some extensive renovations, opening its doors on 22nd May, 2017. An impressive billiards room with a barrel-vaulted ceiling was added, along with some Diocletian windows and pilaster decoration. A requirement of membership was a university degree and latterly membership was opened up to other professionals at the works. Finally, in 1977, lady members were admitted. The booklet “Dalton Grange Club 1916-1992: A History” compiled by Dr W R H Hurtley, K Baxter and Dr J M Connolly gives an extensive and fascinating insight into the building’s use as a club over the years. It tells the tale of Miss Skelton who became manageress in September, 1939 who was “too generous with the portions” making the club treasurer an unhappy man as members enjoyed “double helpings at lunch and fresh cream on occasion.” Shortly afterwards she resigned claiming the post was “too onerous” for her.
From around 2004, Mike and Kim Dean took over the building as tenants of Syngenta, running it as a party and wedding venue. The club itself wound up in 2012 after a decline in membership but the Deans were allowed to continue running their business while Syngenta continued to pay all the bills including business rates, heating, lighting, water and insurance. However, in 2013, a long-running legal battle to shut down the venue down and evict the Deans commenced. The building was spared demolition in 2015 when it was listed in response to owners Syngenta’s demolition order and plans to turn the site into allotments and a car park for the nearby John Smith stadium.
Some pictures from circa 2010 when it was still being run as a club/venue. The main lounge:
The main staircase:
And the landing:
A spokesperson for the company stated, “What began many years ago as the company subsidising a social club in good faith, turned into Syngenta underpinning significant running costs for a private business against its will.” The Dean’s were eventually evicted in August 2017. Since then the building has been boarded up, broken into, vandalised and a one point, partially set on fire. It remains abandoned with its future looking uncertain
2. The Explore
This place has come up on here for a while on here. Had this on my radar for a while so glad to finally get it ticked off. Access was relatively straightforward so we could witness the complete trashing and decimation of its once-fine interior. On one level, it is all very photogenic but, on another level, very sad when you see pictures from barely 5 years ago with the interior in good shape and all of its lovely architecture features intact.
Clearly the metal faeries have had the lead off the roof and the resulting water ingress has decimated its ceilings and painted crests. Its centre-piece, the beautiful main staircase has suffered the worst damage, it’s wooden banisters and balustrades kicked away and the whole staircase on the brink of completely keeling over. The billiard table upstairs remains, but the baize is all ripped, exposing its section Welsh-slate bed. One feature that does remain is the lovely wrought-iron spiral staircase that takes you to the different floors in the crenelated tower. The external stonework helps remind us of what a grand pile this once was went it was newly built for local industrialist Henry back in 1871.
3. The Pictures
The fenced-off drive:
After a wander along the drive our quarry comes into view:
Full frontal:
Just look at that tower:
Datestone with the date '1871' and the initials 'HB' in relief, along with the Brooke family coat of arms and motto 'SINCERA FIDE AGERE' ('to act with sincere faith'):
And we’re in. First up, some of the former function rooms:
You can compare this to the first archive picture:
A smashed chandelier:
And one almost perfectly intact:
Part of the detached staircase:
The bar:
Don’t think we’ll use the facilities:
The kitchens:
What’s left of the electrics:
That has got a bit of a lean of it:
Quite a bit of history on this place. Dalton Grange is a former mid-Victorian county house in the Dalton area of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Construction started in 1870 along the lines of the designs drawn-up by Yorkshire architect, John Kirk (1817-1886) and completed a year later, it was built in the “Baronial Gothic” style. It was Grade II listed in July 2015 due to its distinguished asymmetrical composition and its detailed carvings. The centre-piece of its interior features was an imposing Baronial-style entrance/stair hall.
For fifty years it was a residence of local industrialist and Mayor of Huddersfield, Henry Brooke (1825-1883). Brooke, who also held office as the Huddersfield Improvement Commissioner, Constable of Huddersfield and Alderman spent 12 years at Dalton until his death. Just prior to his death, he handed over the property's deeds to the West Riding Union Bank. After his passing, the bank required his two sons to take out a mortgage that was never paid off. The bank failed in 1902 and the liquidators sold Dalton Grange to a local builder, W H Jessop for £1,000. Jessop lived in the house until 1916. He then sold the property to British Dyes Limited (later to become Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), Zeneca, and now known as Syngenta) for £2700. They had constructed a chemical plant in the valley below and Dalton Grange became a gentleman's club for the company’s research chemists and chemical engineers after some extensive renovations, opening its doors on 22nd May, 2017. An impressive billiards room with a barrel-vaulted ceiling was added, along with some Diocletian windows and pilaster decoration. A requirement of membership was a university degree and latterly membership was opened up to other professionals at the works. Finally, in 1977, lady members were admitted. The booklet “Dalton Grange Club 1916-1992: A History” compiled by Dr W R H Hurtley, K Baxter and Dr J M Connolly gives an extensive and fascinating insight into the building’s use as a club over the years. It tells the tale of Miss Skelton who became manageress in September, 1939 who was “too generous with the portions” making the club treasurer an unhappy man as members enjoyed “double helpings at lunch and fresh cream on occasion.” Shortly afterwards she resigned claiming the post was “too onerous” for her.
From around 2004, Mike and Kim Dean took over the building as tenants of Syngenta, running it as a party and wedding venue. The club itself wound up in 2012 after a decline in membership but the Deans were allowed to continue running their business while Syngenta continued to pay all the bills including business rates, heating, lighting, water and insurance. However, in 2013, a long-running legal battle to shut down the venue down and evict the Deans commenced. The building was spared demolition in 2015 when it was listed in response to owners Syngenta’s demolition order and plans to turn the site into allotments and a car park for the nearby John Smith stadium.
Some pictures from circa 2010 when it was still being run as a club/venue. The main lounge:
The main staircase:
And the landing:
A spokesperson for the company stated, “What began many years ago as the company subsidising a social club in good faith, turned into Syngenta underpinning significant running costs for a private business against its will.” The Dean’s were eventually evicted in August 2017. Since then the building has been boarded up, broken into, vandalised and a one point, partially set on fire. It remains abandoned with its future looking uncertain
2. The Explore
This place has come up on here for a while on here. Had this on my radar for a while so glad to finally get it ticked off. Access was relatively straightforward so we could witness the complete trashing and decimation of its once-fine interior. On one level, it is all very photogenic but, on another level, very sad when you see pictures from barely 5 years ago with the interior in good shape and all of its lovely architecture features intact.
Clearly the metal faeries have had the lead off the roof and the resulting water ingress has decimated its ceilings and painted crests. Its centre-piece, the beautiful main staircase has suffered the worst damage, it’s wooden banisters and balustrades kicked away and the whole staircase on the brink of completely keeling over. The billiard table upstairs remains, but the baize is all ripped, exposing its section Welsh-slate bed. One feature that does remain is the lovely wrought-iron spiral staircase that takes you to the different floors in the crenelated tower. The external stonework helps remind us of what a grand pile this once was went it was newly built for local industrialist Henry back in 1871.
3. The Pictures
The fenced-off drive:
After a wander along the drive our quarry comes into view:
Full frontal:
Just look at that tower:
Datestone with the date '1871' and the initials 'HB' in relief, along with the Brooke family coat of arms and motto 'SINCERA FIDE AGERE' ('to act with sincere faith'):
And we’re in. First up, some of the former function rooms:
You can compare this to the first archive picture:
A smashed chandelier:
And one almost perfectly intact:
Part of the detached staircase:
The bar:
Don’t think we’ll use the facilities:
The kitchens:
What’s left of the electrics:
That has got a bit of a lean of it:
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Still some nice features though!
