ONE of Ilkley's most historic buildings is set to become a family home for the first time in almost a century.

Myddelton Lodge, which went up for sale a year ago priced at £750,000, has been bought by Mark and Janet Sayer, who will move in on April 20 with their two young sons.

The couple intend to completely renovate the Grade I listed building, home for centuries to the Middelton family, including converting part of the lodge into self-catering apartments and offices for their two businesses - a commercial and project management consultancy and a property development company.

"It's a huge project. Really we are putting it back to what it was," said 36-year-old Mr Sayer. "The lodge itself will be fully renovated in period style. It would be nice to see it put back as best we can, to perhaps what it used to be like or something similar, and to secure the building for the future."

"The lodge has damp and dry rot. If it was left in its present state it would eventually have to be pulled down," he added.

He said they hoped to reinstate the formal gardens and turn part of the lodge into a viable business, with apartments accommodating 16 to 18 people.

"They will be let out as discreet and exclusive self-catering accommodation. We are doing business plans at the moment. We want to generate money to ensure that the whole of the site can be maintained into the future."

Bradford Council is expected to give the Sayers Listed Building Consent for the work later this month. English Heritage also needs to give approval, which could take up to a year.

"If English Heritage give us a substantial grant then there's a likelihood that we'd have to open it to the public for a certain number of days each year," said Mr Sayer, a chartered quantity surveyor.

But he was keen to stress that the lodge and its grounds were private property.

"It's off limits to the public. If someone asked us then fine, but whether we'd want to invite that I don't know. If groups wanted to visit by prior arrangement this may be possible. It would have to be at a convenient time. It's not public property. A lot of people do think it is."

He said a fence was currently being constructed to prevent people walking through the grounds.

The lodge was bought by the Passionist Fathers in 1922 and developed as a religious retreat centre. In 1985, it was bought by the Catholic Diocese of Leeds.

On an adjoining site, the Diocese is about to start a £2m project for a new retreat house. The new facility will replace the building built by the Passionist Fathers in the early 1960s and will provide retreat facilities for both youth and adult groups.

The director of the retreat, Father Jim Callaghan, said the majority of activity would be aimed at young people, but there would be periods, mainly during the school holidays, when adult groups would be welcome.

Ilkley based contractor QSP Construction Ltd will undertake the building work within the next few weeks and is expected to complete it before Easter 2002.

David Damant, property administrator for the Diocese said the old building could not be converted to their needs.

"From the conservation viewpoint it is far better that they have passed to someone who will be able to use them and restore them properly."