The famous White Wells Spa Cottage is set to re-open in April following the appointment of Ilkley's very own 'iceman' as one of its new tenants, it was revealed today.

Meanwhile, the possibility of setting up a Friends of White Wells organisation to raise money for future improvements is also being considered.

The popular tourist attraction, whose facilities include a cafe, has been shut for several months following the departure of previous tenants Derek and Christine Arnold last October.

But now the cottage's owner, Bradford Council, has given the tenancy to Joanne Everall and her boyfriend Mark Hunnebell, who holds the endurance record for the longest time spent in its moorland spa pool's bracing waters, where the temperature rarely varies from six degrees Centigrade.

Over recent years, the Arnolds have run regular dips and other events for charity at White Wells, including some on January 1 to provide dozens of hardy revellers with an invigorating start to the New Year.

Mr Hunnebell, 36, who with Joanne Everall has previously helped run the venue for the Arnolds when they were on holiday - holds the 75-minute record for the longest time spent in the pool at any time of the year, as well as the 31-mintue New Year's Day record.

He said: "If I'm going to live there I should really be the record holder although the endurance thing isn't something we really want to promote or encourage.

"I'm from Ilkley and have grown up knowing about White Wells all my life - it's a beautiful place to live and we feel really honoured and very excited to be offered the tenancy.

"Derek and Christine will be a very hard act to follow but we'll still run it along similar lines to them and want to continue with the events, the main ones being Yorkshire Day in August and the New Year's Day plunging.''

The Bradford Building Preservation Trust had hoped to take on responsibility for White Wells' management but the Council has decided that it will remain with its Countryside Service.

Councillor Phil Thornton, the Council's deputy executive member for transportation and planning, said: "We decided in this instance, with a property as unique as White Wells, that it would be better if the Countryside Service retained management responsibility while exploring other options for additional funding and local involvement.

"One such option might be a Friends of White Wells approach and we'll be discussing this with local representatives.''

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