Emergency works are set to be carried out at Hopwood Hall in Middleton as the council continues to forge a new path forward for the historic Grade II-listed building.
The move follows a structural survey that identified the need for urgent work to be carried out. It was commissioned by the council following the controversial ending of an exclusivity agreement with the Hopwood Foundation.
The Hollywood actor moved from California to Middleton a decade ago in a bid to restore the ancestral home for which he’s named
Under the terms of the agreement, which began in 2017, the council-owned historic hall would have been sold for a nominal sum on receipt of a viable business plan with secured planning permissions.
The council opted not to renew the agreement after 7 years, during which time the agreement had been extended 4 times.
It is hoped that the emergency works will allow volunteers to return to Hopwood Hall, which dates from the 12th century, in the near future and continue their vital work.
In addition, a council-funded feasibility study, to determine possible future uses for the building, is now under way. A team of national experts with extensive experience in restoring prominent historic buildings are working on the Hopwood Hall project. The team is already at work and is expected to report its findings later in 2025.
Vital roof repairs, funded by the council and Historic England, are also moving forward, with a contractor set to be appointed by the end of February. The repairs will start in April, once bat roosting season is over, and are expected to complete in the autumn.
A unique restoration training opportunity will also take place while the roof is being repaired, giving ten residents the opportunity to undertake training in leaded window repair, under the guidance of heritage glass experts. This is one of a number of training and volunteering opportunities the council is hoping to develop as part of the ongoing restoration of Hopwood Hall.
