Stockport’s Bramall Hall has been awarded the 2017 Regional Institute of Historic Building Conservation Award for the restoration work that has seen the Hall returned to its full glory.
Awarded to project and teams the judges consider to have gone above and beyond when putting conservation at the heart of their restoration, the award is a great honour for all involved in the project. Bramall Hall was one of only four North West projects shortlisted for the Institute of Historic Building Conservation Regional Conservation Award.
Bramall Hall’s re-opened in July 2016 following a £2.2 million project funded by the Heritage Lottery and Stockport Council. The work saw transformation to the historic Grade I listed building and the adjacent Grade II listed stables.
Work in the Hall included sympathetic restoration of the Withdrawing Room’s decorative ceiling by specialist plaster conservators and repairs to hundreds of panes of beautiful, historic glass windows in the listed building. The re-instatement of a Butler’s Pantry and a small dining room meaning that the two rooms have been opened to visitors for the first time.
Major building work also successfully converted the adjacent Grade II listed stables into a modern facility with visitor centre, gift shop, learning suite and new café.
Judges praised all aspects of the Bramall Hall conservation work highlighting that what made the project stand out was the team behind it. Their commitment to working as a whole meant that every aspect of the project from interpretation and education to the visitor centre and activities had restoration and telling Bramall Hall’s story at its heart.
Councillor Kate Butler, Stockport Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy & Regeneration at Stockport Council said “Congratulations to all of the team involved in the Bramall Hall restoration project on this award. Your hard work means that visitors can both learn more about and experience our local heritage in a unique and much loved part of Stockport for countless years to come.”
The Project architect Mark Pearce from Manchester based Lloyd Evans Prichard added “It’s been a pleasure to work on such a project which has included conservation work to the highest level of execution as well as creative additions and alterations to the historic structures. This project was only possible due to the vision and determination of the client team at Stockport Council. This award is a testament to their efforts.”
