This evening at 6.30pm  the first of five episodes about the remarkable history of Hopwood Hall Estate – a Grade II* listed building based in Middleton outside Manchester, will air on Ancestry.com

Each new, weekly episode on the Ancestry YouTube Channel will give listeners a fascinating insight into this incredible building and those who have lived and visited. The host is Hopwood DePree.

For the past seven years, Hopwood had been restoring this once beautiful building to its former glory – it having fallen in to complete disrepair with Hopwood blaming Rochdale Council

But now the High Court legal case of Hopwood DePree v Rochdale Borough Council may mean that the building reverts back to a crumbling ruin.

new series on the Ancestry YouTube Channel hosted by Hopwood DePree, we see other descendants of those connected to Hopwood Hall returning to the estate, centuries later, after the original family died and the Hall became abandoned.
The 5-part series takes you into the heart of centuries-old family mysteries and roll out weekly, spotlighting descendants and others connected to Hopwood Hall’s legacy, weaving together genealogy, history, and hope.
DePree also shares the remarkable journey that led him from Hollywood to his historic ruins—as well as finding himself pulled into a modern day ‘battle for the castle’.
DePree’s journey, like Downtown Abbey is driven with jeopardy and a new dramatic development in the Hopwood Hall story: despite years of personal investment by DePree and huge local community support to save the Hall, Hopwood and his team are now pursuing a lawsuit to reclaim the Hall after they were recently locked-out of his ancestral home by the local Rochdale Council—a turn of events that echoes an 1855 dispute, when the Hopwood family became embroiled in a courtroom battle over the estate, known as ‘The Great Will Case’.

With Ancestry’s support, Hopwood DePree traced his lineage, unearthed forgotten relatives, and connected with the local communities who shared their stories and family ties to the estate. These narratives form the emotional core of the new YouTube series: how the past can inspire present-day action.

“Uncovering the challenges and resilience in my family history gave me the encouragement and strength to keep fighting for my dream of saving this incredible building and restoring it as a welcoming community gathering spot as it has been for centuries,” said DePree. “This is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s about honoring the people who came before us, and preserving their stories.”

Hopwood DePree adds:
“Though the future of Hopwood Hall is currently uncertain, I remain very hopeful we will triumph and resume our mission of rescuing Hopwood Hall to be enjoyed by all, for generations to come.”

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