LAST week’s mystery building was the The Richard Tottie Memorial Hall, Coniston Cold, and was correctly guessed by James Wellock.

It was also correctly guessed by Malcolm Beresford, who added:”As a past member of Coniston Cold Young Farmers Club I remember many great evenings there attending the weekly meetings.”

The memorial hall was built in 1849, and is believed to have originally been called Coniston Cold Parish Hall. It is thought to have been renamed  the ‘Richard Tottie Memorial Hall’ after the death of Richard Tottie around the late 1960’s.

Richard Tottie was the estate landlord of all the farms, forests, houses and other buildings in Coniston Cold and Bell Busk and lived alone at Coniston Hall for the 20 or so years in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

After his death in 1968 the estate was sold as a whole to Michael Bannister where he still lives at Coniston Hall, following Michael Bannister’s purchase of the estate and Coniston Hall. The hall was completely demolished due to dry rot and rebuilt in it’s current position overlooking the lake.

The estate is now home to the Coniston Hotel, estate and spa.

The Richard Tottie Memorial Hall, almost opposite St Peter’s Church, is used by in addition to young farmers, by the church, the parish council, and other groups.

In 2000, the village hall committee, fed up with repeated thefts of slate roof tiles, replaced all the remaining slates with man-made tiles.

In 2006, the committee was able to carry out a £20,000 refurbishment of the hall, bringing it up to modern standards. Work included facilites for disabled visitors and a new heating system

Money was forthcoming from Coniston Cold Parish Council and from the community, but with the majority, £19,231 from Yorventure, backed by waste management company Yorwaste which manages the landfill site at Skibeden, Skipton.

What about this week’s building, pictured by Ron Allen. Suggestions by 8am on Monday to news@cravenherald.co.uk