CLIFFE Castle was built as Cliffe Hall at the height of Keighley’s industrial prowess by architect George Webster, for local lawyer Christopher Netherwood.

It was purchased by the Butterfield brothers in 1848 to serve as the family home and was used as a summer home by Henry Isaac Butterfield from 1878. He set about having it redesigned as a Gothic castle and at this point it was renamed Cliffe Castle. It then passed to Henry’s son, Frederick Butterfield, until his death in 1948.

It was then purchased by Keighley-born hotel entrepreneur and Lord Mayor of London Sir Bracewell Smith, on behalf of the people of Keighley, in 1950 and opened as a museum in 1959.

Images are provided by Keighley and District Local History Society.

Information is compiled by chairman Joyce Newton and archivist Tim Neal.

The society’s mission is to preserve and share the heritage of the town and surrounding area.

Visit keighleyhistory.org.uk or Facebook.