Aston Hall
A hall had existed on the site since the Middle Ages but was detroyed by fire in the 18th Century. To replace it Aston Hall was built about 1772 for the Earl of Holderness, by the architect John Carr. The Earl never lived there and the house and estate were sold shortly afterwards to Harry Verelst who had been Governor of Bengal (a nice lucrative appointment in those days if you lived long enough to enjoy it). Verelst returned to England with a large fortune. He married Ann Wordsworth, daughter and co-heiress of Josiah Wordsworth of Wadworth, a prosperous London merchant who doubtless had a bob or two of her own. Their decendants married into many of the local families.
The Verelst family remained at Aston Hall until the estate was sold in 1928. The Hall was then bought by Sheffield steel magnate Ronald Matthews. In the 1940s West Riding County Council purchased the hall for use as a mental home, changing the name to Aughton Court. Following the closure of Aughton Court in 1984, Aston Hall was converted into a luxury hotel.