ITS history goes back to the times of Robin Hood.

And now a property with links to the times of Henry VIII is on the market.

The Old Estate House at Kirklees Hall, Clifton, Brighouse is listed for sale with offers at around £500,000 – and it has a history few properties can rival.

Dennis Whiteley and wife Linda are selling their family home and relocating after their retirement.

The couple have lived in the property for 12 years and said its history was “part of the charm” of the grand house when they bought it.

Mr Whiteley said: “We’d lived in the area and knew Kirklees Hall existed but had never seen it.

“It’s hidden away in ancient woodland behind the Three Nuns in Mirfield and when it became available we were interested.”

Set within 18 acres of superbly maintained mature landscaped grounds, the hall was formerly the family seat of Baronet Sir John Armytage and Lady Margaret Armytage.

It was renovated by Historic Restorations more than two decades ago and English Heritage, who had previously put it on the endangered list, provided a grant for its restoration due to its significant historical value.

“It’s a medieval hall that had been owned by the Armytage family,” Mr Whiteley explained.

“Sir John and Lady Armytage were its last owners and Lady Armytage sold it 25 years ago and that’s how it ended up in the hands of the restoration company.

“There are 15 individual houses within Kirklees Hall and each has its own period and history.”

The Old Estate House in the Georgian west wing of the Hall and the Whiteley’s three-storey Old Estate House is one of the most modern.

The two lower floors are Georgian and date back to the late 1700s.

Famous architect John Carr, who designed parts of Harewood House, designed its extension.

Mr Whiteley added: “The nursery wing is the most modern, that was built in 1908.

“Every room has period features, different fireplaces and it has a very grand feel, but it was a good home to us too.”

History reveals that the three nuns belonged to Kirklees Priory, which was sacked by Henry VIII and Kirklees Hall was built from the Priory.

And, of course, the legend of Robin Hood is what Kirklees Hall is most famous for.

According to folklore Robin Hood spent his last days there being nursed by his cousin The Prioress of the Kirklees Priory. It is alleged that in his final moments he fired an arrow through a window and requested to be buried where it landed – Kirklees Hall.

The hall is also mentioned in Emily Bronte’s famous classic, Shirley, and Ms Bronte was a visitor to Kirklees Hall.

Its garden was designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, the creativity behind 170 gardens surrounding the finest country houses and estates in Britain.

The five-bedroomed Old Estate House is listed for sale with Boultons on John William Street.