Spring 2024Multi-million-pound revamp of Rochdale Town Hall

Rochdale Town Hall is one of the North West’s finest historic buildings. Built in 1871, the iconic Grade I Listed building closed in 2020 to allow for extensive restoration.

The project, which was supported by a £8.9m grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, has restored many of the building’s historic features and created brand new community spaces in rooms which were previously out of bounds to the public.

Some of the most dramatic changes have taken place in the Great Hall, where specialists used a variety of equipment to painstakingly restore the 350 panels which cover the room’s ceiling.

Decades of grime has been removed, unveiling hundreds of intricate red and gold designs, featuring imagery, including the English lions and Scottish thistle.

In the Exchange, the main entrance to the building, Minton floor tiles, which depict a hanging fleece and other insignia of Rochdale, have been repaired. The elaborate vaulted ceiling and sweeping staircase in granite and marble have been cleaned and restored.

Stained glass windows, painted surfaces and wood panelling and furniture throughout the building have also been brought back to their former glory.

On the first floor, a room which was previously used as office space has had years of unsympathetic additions – including partition walls and a mezzanine floor – removed to reveal a double-height ceiling, angels along the walls and a previously hidden window with views directly down into the Great Hall.

This room, named the ‘Bright Hall’ after the late Rochdale-born MP and social reformer, John Bright, will be used by community groups and for events.

A former council meeting room on the ground floor has been transformed into a permanent exhibition space, known as the Welcome Gallery, which tells the story of Rochdale, its people and its past, through objects, interactives and imagery.

In addition to experts, over 500 volunteers got on board with the project, with Rochdale residents from the ages of 15 to 82, supporting with everything from historical research to cleaning and conservation.

In addition to the aesthetic changes, crucial additions, including more lifts and entrances, will make the building fully accessible for the first time.

Other major changes have included the repair of the roof and the installation of newer, more efficient heating systems.

A brand-new restaurant, The Martlet Kitchen, will be opening later in the year, in the space which was formerly occupied by the Clock Tower dining room.

Outside, the Town Hall Square has also been revamped, with new seating, decorative paving and landscaped areas framing the building and creating a new events space in the town centre.

Restoration work will continue in 2024 with work to restore the west wing of the building, which includes the council chamber and public gallery.

Council leader Neil Emmott said the building looks “incredible” and that he has been “blown away by the quality of the work and how good everything looks.”

Eilish McGuinness, chief executive of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “The town hall has been part of Rochdale’s story for over 150 years, and is already a treasured building, so I am delighted that National Lottery funding has helped restore and protect its spectacular heritage, made the building fully accessible for the first time, and created new community spaces, ensuring that Rochdale Town Hall continues to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future.”

Councillor Janet Emsley, cabinet member for Equity, Safety and Reform at Rochdale Borough Council, added that the transformation was about more than how it looks: “It’s about opening it up and making it more relevant to the public than ever before, with guided tours, increased opening hours, and new exhibition and community spaces, so everybody knows this place is for them.”

The town hall reopened to the public on Sunday 3 March 2024.

For more information, including booking weddings and events, go to: rochdaletownhall.co.uk