Bolton affirms £6m Rock Hall revival

The grade two-listed building in Moses Gate Country Park is to be brought back into use as a visitor centre run by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust following planning approval last week.

Working with landlord Bolton Council, the trust lodged plans for the restoration and extension of Rock Hall in March. £4.5m has been secured from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which will pay for 76% of the total £6m restoration bill.

Rock Hall was constructed for the Crompton family in the early 1800s and has sat vacant at the heart of the 750-acre public park for more than a decade.

The building is also one of the last remaining elements of the former Farnworth Paper Mill complex and was most recently used as a hub for the park’s rangers.

The project to bring the hall back into use has been designed by Buttress Architects.

Plans include the creation of an exhibition space on the ground floor as well as flexible meeting and event spaces. A cafe would be located within the planned two-storey extension, while a rooftop terrace is also proposed.

To learn more, search for reference number 00395/26 on Bolton Council’s planning portal. Urban Green is delivering landscape, ecology, arboriculture, and BNG services.