History of the estate

The Scargill Estate was created in the 18th century, and then sold in 1900 to a wealthy Halifax mill owner for use as a shooting lodge and a place for entertaining. He never lived at Scargill, and after his death in 1920 his eldest son extensively remodelled and refurbished the house, again as a focal point for sporting weekends, but he did not come to live there until the death of his wife in 1933.

When he died in 1942, the estate was bequeathed to his three sons, two of whom died in World War II. When the surviving son came home from war, he returned to find a neglected estate. To cover the death duties, he sold Scargill to a textile company, which the family still controlled, and set about reviving the estate.

Extensive works were undertaken: the house was connected to the National Grid, central heating was installed, the gardens were restored, and the cottages were built. Scargill House became home to this surviving son and his family; however, it was put up for sale in 1957 because of losses incurred by the mill.

It was then bought by a group of Anglicans from Manchester, who were looking to open a 'lee Abbey of the North'. A Christian community was set up here, described as 'a centre for conferences and events, specialising in multi-faith, youth and environmental issues'. You can read more about the Scargill House's past as a Christian centre.

And the rest really is history!

If you’d like more detail, you can read a full history in the Craven Herald.