Gatekeeper's lodge on Yorkshire shooting estate owned by philanthropic Bradford mill baron is listed for the first time

Saintoft Lodge on the Elleron Lodge estate is now protected at Grade II. Built in 1888 for the Bradford industrialist and philanthropist Frederick Priestman, it has generously-sized rooms compared to other staff lodges of the period, a cottage garden and Arts and Crafts architecture.

Priestman owned the estate until 1908, having bought it in 1882 and extended the carriage drive. He commissioned a Bradford architect to design the lodge.

The estate is in Newton-on-Rawcliffe, near Pickering, not far from Thornton-le-Dale, where the Priestman family were originally from. They worked as leather tanners before finding work in Bradford’s mills and acquiring their own business interests.

The lodge, which was built with local materials, was so renowned for its craftsmanship that it appeared in The Architect journal in 1888.

Its design reflects Priestman’s generosity, altruism and interest in welfare; he served as mayor of Bradford, brought electric lighting to the city, set up charities for blind people and orphaned children and even paid for his workers to take day trips to Scarborough by train. He was interested in living conditions and education and was considered a model employer. He died at the age of 98 in 1934, leaving the business to a relative as he had no children. He and his wife had lived at Pierrepoint House in Bradford, and were Quakers.

Historic England listings team leader for the north Sarah Charlesworth said: “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.”

The shooting estate had changed ownership several times since Priestman sold the land. Although the carriage drive has been truncated, the gate lodge has remained relatively unaltered, with historic features such as the fireplaces and staircase preserved.