The Groucho Club, Yorkshire: Construction underway as Yorkshire prepares to welcome The Groucho Club

Bretton Hall College helped transform the estate in West Yorkshire where the Yorkshire Sculpture park now sits - developing a range of creative talent from writer Kay Mellor to playwright John Goldber.

It was Bretton Hall alumni-turned-college lecturer Peter Murray who came up with the idea of exhibiting sculpture in the grounds and opening it up to the public.

Today, Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s grounds have developed 500 acres of land with over 90 sculptures, being the largest sculpture park of its kind in Europe.

Now YSP is ready for its next venture as the Grade II-listed Bretton Hall property is being restored - along with the wider transformation of Bretton Hall estate - into a hotel by Yorkshire-based property investor Rushbond PLC, and Artfarm as operator-partner.

Since acquiring the grounds in 2020, Artfarm has since taken over Soho’s The Groucho Club.

Deputy director at Yorkshire Sculpture Park Kevin Rodd said while YSP don’t own Bretton Hall, they do own the surrounding grounds.

He said: “The Groucho Club are going to work very closely with us because they’re parked right in the heart of the Sculpture Park.

“I think it's going to lift the whole region with people coming in and wanting to stay in different parts.

“There’s a real opportunity here to make a weekend destination for people to come to The Groucho club, the Sculpture Park and cover the whole region.”

Kevin expects the three-year project will lead to a “groundswell” of improvement in the region, attracting people who don’t normally leave London.

He said: “There’s plans to be a hotel with 40 bedrooms as well as The Groucho Club.”

Kevin said the hotel and its restaurant will be part members only and partly open to the public.

“They chose here because of us,” said Kevin, who moved up from London last July to take on his role.

“The big country house is in the centre in the heart of YSP, we don't own it, we don't own responsibility for it. We’re very keen to improve it.”

He added YSP has only just started to engage with the developers after the news of The Groucho Club’s first permanent location outside of London was announced last month.

The developers had already started to restore the nearby Camellia House, which is on the site of the Sculpture Park and forms part of the Bretton Hall estate which is said to be a cultural hub.

Kevin said he’s keen that YSP will always be open and accessible for all, with their “art for all,” ethos strongly continuing which includes free parking for everyone and free entry for under 18s.

“Our heart is access for all, arts for all, we will certainly maintain that.”

Kevin added that YSP has a good relationship with Artfarm, which already supports a number of their exhibitions.

He said: “We’re always growing, always changing and it's a very exciting time.”