The original building which consisted of the cellars and the hall was re-built in 1588 and was to be re-modelled and extended on a number of occasions after that.
It is probable that the site was the place where the Saxons Cnut and Osulf lived and later developed by Robert Waterton in the reign of Henry IV in succession to the de Methley family who had again, probably lived there for three centuries.
It was a great pity that the mock towers and superficial crenellations were added to the frontage spoiling (in my view) what was from the outside an extremely attractive regency style building.
Despite the immense expenditure and programme of repair to buildings and park land instituted by their earlier famous tenant, Sir Titus Salt during the latter part of the nineteenth century. Neglect of the building since the turn of the century and an unsuccessful attempt to have it declared as a monument of historical interest along with the effect of opencast workings on the once attractive park led to the decision to demolish the 60 room Hall in the early 1960s.
In a Woodlands Report of 1799 – ‘Methley Park encloses some 100 acres and is stocked with about 70 fallow deer. There are some very old oaks within the park but most of it (the park) was planted about 60 years ago(1739)’. You don’t have to be an architect to sympathise with the view that the Salvin crenellated makeover changed a magnificent stylish building (Carr) into a heap of stones.