| Wells House | |
|---|---|
 Wells House from the south west | |
 | |
| Former names | Wells Hydro Ilkley College of Education |
| General information | |
| Type | Hydropathic establishment / hotel |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Town or city | Ilkley, West Yorkshire |
| Coordinates | 53°55′12″N 1°49′34″W / 53.9200°N 1.8262°W |
| Opened | 28 May 1856 |
| Renovated | 2001–03 |
| Cost | £30,000[1] |
| Renovation cost | £7.5 million[2] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Cuthbert Brodrick |
| Designations | |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Designated | 20 May 1976 |
| Reference no. | 1133469 |
Wells House is a large former hydropathic establishment and hotel in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, England, now used as private apartments. It was built in 1854–56 to a design by the architect Cuthbert Brodrick and is a Grade II listed building. It is located above the town on Wells Road at the edge of Ilkley Moor, giving it an unobstructed view across Wharfedale from its north front. It was originally set in grounds by the landscaper Joshua Major though these gardens have mostly been built on since.
Wells House possesses a monumental and sombre character, constructed in dark local stone using an Italianate style influenced by the work of John Vanbrugh and Charles Barry. Brodrick's biographer Derek Linstrum described it as a "miniature Blenheim Palace".[3] Its original health purpose was to offer cold baths and water treatments, which were popular in the 19th century when Ilkley was a fashionable and affluent spa resort. After closure of the hydropathic establishment in the 1880s, it was used as a hotel, as a further education college from 1952, and was converted into 24 luxury apartments in 2003.[4]
- ^ Linstrum 1999, p. 117.
- ^ "Traditional patent glazing – Wells House, Ilkley". Building Design Index. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ Linstrum 1978, p. 119.
- ^ Overton Architects (June 2016). Design, Access & Heritage Statement: Wells House (Report). City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council.