North Yorkshire Gatekeeper's Lodge Listed
A late 19th-century gatekeeper’s lodge in North Yorkshire has been listed at Grade II by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the advice of Historic England.
Saintoft Lodge is situated on a former shooting estate on the North York Moors, in Newton-on-Rawcliffe near Pickering. It was built in 1888 for Bradford industrialist and philanthropist Frederick Priestman.
The house is an early exemplar of the cottage-orné Arts and Crafts-style, characterised by its rustic appearance, use of local materials and high-quality craftmanship. It was designed by the Bradford architect WH Herbert Marten and achieved national recognition when it appeared in The Architect journal in 1888.
Saintoft Lodge is unusually large with generously sized and well-proportioned rooms, which could be viewed as a physical reflection of Frederick Priestman’s progressive attitudes towards his employees and the working classes. A prosperous mill owner and Mayor of Bradford from 1882 to 1883, Priestman used his wealth for philanthropic purposes, promoting universal education and improved living conditions. His own workers were considered to have some of the best working conditions and benefits in Bradford.
Saintoft Lodge is a beautifully designed house that wasn’t simply built to display the wealth of its owner but also to provide good quality and comfortable accommodation for the gatekeeper on the estate. The house is a testament to the fact that Priestman cared about the wellbeing of all his employees, not just those working in his mills.
