HUDDERSFIELD home Longley Old Hall has been rated one of the greatest in the country.

It's featured in a new book, England's Thousand Best Houses by Times columnist Simon Jenkins - and owners Robin and Christine Gallagher are thrilled with the accolade.

The couple, who hold regular open days, bought their home five years ago.

The timber-framed, grade two-star listed property is 600 years old in parts, and is possibly haunted by more than one ghost.

It is structurally a mix of mediaeval, Tudor, Jacobean and Victorian.

Over the centuries, parts have been demolished and rebuilt. Today, it stands as an awe-inspiring eight-up, eight-down mansion - tucked away inconspicuously in ordinary Longley.

Robin, assistant managing director of an industrial property company, and Christine - who works as a consultant de-cluttering people's homes and lives - didn't even know about their inclusion in the book until Robin's daughter happened to pick up a copy.

All the houses in the guide are open to the public. Longley is the only Huddersfield house to be included but Oakwell Hall, Birstall, and Red House at Gomersal are both featured.

Rated at two stars, Longley scored higher marks for overall interest than the Brontë Parsonage, Cliffe Castle and Kirkstall Abbey, which were awarded only one star each by Mr Jenkins.

Christine says: "I heard the author being interviewed on Radio 4 and he said he preferred the houses that had real people living in them rather than museums.

"And he said that his guide to the thousand best would never change. Because all the houses on the list are protected, they'll be around forever."

The weighty reference book, published by Penguin, follows a similar guide to the country's best churches.

Mr Jenkins visited about 18 months ago, mentioning only that he was a writer from The Times.

More of the house's rich history has just come to light - in the shape of pottery fragments dug up from the garden.

Robin and Christine are currently building an Elizabethan-style garden featuring only plants and flowers that would have been around in Britain in 1600.

Two pieces of slipware plates were found in the soil.

The couple took them to Mirfield potter John Hudson, an expert who recreates 17th century table and cookware.

Robin explains: "He said they dated back to about 1645, and would have come from Renthorpe in Wakefield.

"We've found lots of 18th and 19th century pottery, too, but this was the oldest."

John used the fragments as a basis to recreate a large serving plate and a smaller eating plate as they would have been. The Gallaghers can now show the reproductions and dug-up pieces to their guests.

Robin continues: "In 1645 the house would have lost its status. It would have been tenanted during the Civil War when the Ramsdens were away fighting.

"Whenever a pot or plate was broken, it would have been thrown straight out of the door and left where it landed. They didn't have bins to put things in then, of course ..."

* To inquire about visiting, call 01484 430852. For more information go to www.longleyoldhall.co.uk