Progress made on historic Hopwood Hall despite it being the centre of HUGE spat

The council and Hopwood DePree have been at odds over the future of the historic asset for months

Work has begun to restore the roof of Middleton’s historic Hopwood Hall.

Building conservation specialists will painstakingly repair and restore the council-owned building’s decaying roof over the next few months.

The £466,000 project, jointly funded by Rochdale Council and Historic England, will also see the leaded windows, downpipes and gutters restored - to ensure the historic asset is fully watertight.

Coun Danny Meredith, cabinet member for housing and regeneration at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Hopwood Hall is a really important historic asset for Middleton and the wider borough.

“Over £1.7m of public money has been invested into this asset in recent years and we are keen to build on this momentum, as we continue to forge a positive future for this Grade II-listed building.

“The roof works are a vital next step in helping to protect and enhance this building’s remarkable heritage, and I’m delighted that a Greater Manchester company has won this contract.

“As with all our major heritage schemes, there will be ample opportunities for members of the public to get involved and be part of Hopwood Hall’s journey and we will be letting people know about these opportunities in due course.”

A feasibility study is also continuing to determine possible future uses for the building.

Peter Barlow, from Historic England, added: “We're pleased to be supporting this next phase of roof repairs, which are essential for the survival of the hall.

“The heritage skills opportunities are also great news and will help develop the much-needed expertise needed for Hopwood Hall and other historic buildings we all value so much.”

This comes eight months on from a spat between the local authority and a Hollywood actor over the Grade-II listed building. Back in 2017, excitement was building as the council entered into an ‘exclusivity agreement’ with American Hopwood DePree - who vowed to restore the 1420s hall.

That exclusivity agreement came to an abrupt end on October 31 last year. The council said the US-born Middletonian had not made enough progress and wanted to speak to other investors, which the exclusivity agreement prevented.

Mr DePree is currently considering taking legal action against the council.