Bramall Hall re-opens next weekend (Saturday July 30 and Sunday July 31) following restoration, thanks to a £1.6 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The historic grade I listed building closed at the end of September 2014 to undergo major transformation.
In order to manage the expected high volume of visitors for this weekend, tickets to visit the Hall went on sale in March. All 1,400 tickets have sold out.
The first visitors to step inside the Hall will see the dramatic changes to the historic rooms and the Hall’s features and architecture. The ornate, plaster ceiling in the magnificent Withdrawing Room has been restored and hundreds of leaded windows have been repaired throughout the building.
Two additional rooms have been opened up to the public. These are a Victorian Butler’s Pantry and a Dining Room that has been furnished with period pieces, and whose decoration in a striking peacock blue, has been inspired by a fragment of wallpaper hidden behind a panel.
The dilapidated former stable block is now a contemporary space which houses a visitor centre and shop on the ground floor and classrooms on the first floor. The adjacent café, known as the Stables Kitchen, is a bright and airy space for customers to dine both inside and out, with views across the walled garden through glass sliding doors.
Visitor without tickets to go inside the Hall needn’t be disappointed. There will be a free Tudor celebration in the grounds of the Hall featuring strolling minstrels, colourful jesters, archery, campfire cookery, traditional crafts and a tented encampment. This will bring a festival atmosphere and provide the perfect setting for the Hall’s re-opening.
Bramall Hall will be open from Tuesday August 2 with its usual opening hours. This is Tuesday to Thursday and Sundays 1-5pm and on Fridays and Saturdays 1-4pm. Tickets to enter the Hall can be brought from the new visitor centre in the stable block on the day of the visit.
There is a packed and exciting programme of events at Bramall Hall over the summer for families and children as well as a Meet the Restorers Day, Heritage Open Days, a fresh Flower Festival and an Artisan Christmas Market.
Councillor Kate Butler, Stockport Council’s Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration said: “Bramall Hall’s re-opening is exciting news and we can’t wait for visitors to step inside this wonderful building once more. It is the jewel in the crown of Stockport’s heritage and loved by so many people. For those who have been unable to get a ticket to go inside the Hall, there will be plenty to entertain them with the Tudor Festival taking place outside.”
