Val d’Or, the Childhood Home of Gabby Logan, Set to be Reborn as Luxury Apartments
In the affluent north Leeds suburb of Shadwell, a sprawling art deco mansion known as Val d’Or is being demolished to make way for nine luxurious two and three-bedroom apartments. The property, where radio and TV presenter Gabby Logan grew up, has been transformed into a hole so deep that her mother, Christine Yorath, jokes that she “could run helicopter flights across it, like they do over the Grand Canyon”.
The garden, where a weeping willow tree stands ringed with protective fencing, holds sentimental value for the family. The tree was planted in memory of Gabby’s brother, Daniel, who died of an undiagnosed heart condition while playing football in the garden with his father on May 25, 1992, at the age of 15. Christine Yorath, a property developer and interior designer, has kept several mementos from the house, including Daniel’s christening cake, which she found in a box while moving out. “I thought, I can’t move house with christening cake,” she says.
Christine Yorath, 74, has over 30 years of experience in property development. She started developing local terraced houses in the late 1980s and established Flats in Leeds, a rental and management firm, which was sold to Countrywide in 2013. The decision to redevelop Val d’Or was not taken lightly, but Christine says it was necessary due to the increasing costs of maintaining the large property. “It was getting more and more expensive to run, a grand a month [for the heating],” she explains.
The new development, designed to reflect the original art deco style of the house, will feature spacious apartments with luxurious finishes, including hand-built kitchens, en-suite bedrooms, and large balconies or terraces with rural and garden views. Two of the apartments have already been sold, and Christine has secured the 4,192 sq ft penthouse for an undisclosed sum. The remaining six apartments are priced from £995,000 to £1.4 million and are expected to be completed by 2026.
Gabby Logan, now 52, recalls her childhood at Val d’Or as a time of great joy and sadness. “There were so many big moments [at Val d’Or] … parties, my mum’s 40th and her 50th,” she says. “And sadly it was the house we all came back to after my brother’s funeral, where we had his wake, and the house [where] he died, the garden in which he died.” The house has been a significant part of her life, and she is now coming to terms with its transformation.
Val d’Or was built in 1936 by the artist and sculptor Mica Sidi, wife of a successful West Yorkshire textile company owner. The house stayed in the Sidi family until 1983, when the Yoraths bought it for £79,500. Christine has kept some of the original art deco features, including intricate mosaic flooring, and plans to incorporate them into the new development.
The redevelopment of Val d’Or is a significant project for Christine Yorath, who has bounced back from bankruptcy in 2013. With the support of her family, including her son Jordan, who is marketing the development, Christine is confident that the new apartments will be a success. “We’re looking at the delivery of something that’s never been done in Yorkshire before, the pinnacle of apartments in the county,” Jordan says.
As the demolition of Val d’Or continues, Christine Yorath is focused on the future. “This happens a lot with people with big houses — they get stuck in a big old house,” she says. “I am really conscious that people should move when they can, not when they have to.” The transformation of Val d’Or into a luxurious apartment complex marks a new chapter in the property’s history, one that Christine hopes will be just as remarkable as its past.
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