Wortley Hall and village

"In Memory of Vincent Albert Williams whose vision it was to transform this stately home from ruins and decay into the splendour of today". Wortley Hall is a co-operatively owned conference centre, holiday home and (it must be said) wedding factory in between Sheffield and Penistone. Once home to the Earls of Wharnecliffethey found it difficult to keep up after nationalisation of the mines upon which they depended for their income. The hall has beautiful gardens and at least one pleasant and up to date room (the one we stayed in) but reviews are mixed. Anyway I have no complaints about the place and good value it was too, although I was disappointed that the suppliers listed on the menu did not include the Co-operative Group or the Sheffield Co-operative Society.

There is an old walled garden near the old stable block that some volunteers are licking into shape with some success although I doubt they'll ever grow peaches there again.

There is also this mysterious door, rather grand but also very much locked. A peep through the keyhole revealed a pile of bricks so perhaps just an entrance to a builders yard, but what a grand one!

Wortley village has a pub, a post office (handy for co-op bnk customers), a tea shop also handy, a church and some houses, perhaps still the property of the Wharncliffs, perhaps the property of the Wortley Hall Co-operative. The church was locked when I called bt had a proper lych gate with a stone platform for a coffin

A very pleasant stay, heartily recommended.