Towneley Hall in Burnley is to close temporarily to allow essential renovation works on the historic building to be completed.
The Grade 1 Listed hall will close to the public from 17th June, with a phased re-opening planned from February 2025.
The hall shop, public toilets, the Museum of Local Crafts and Industries, and the surrounding park and cafes will all remain open as usual.
A programme of events will be held to attract visitors to Towneley while the hall is closed to ensure there will be plenty of things to do for people visiting the hall and its surrounding park.
Major repairs began on the hall in October 2022. The building has remained partially open to the public, with admission prices reduced to reflect the limited access.
However, because nearly every room in the hall is affected by the latest work, the decision has been taken to fully close the building to the public for a temporary period to allow the repair work to progress efficiently with minimum risk to its collections.
The overall restoration programme includes re-roofing each of the hall’s three wings, repairs to stone and timber work, restoring the ornate plaster ceiling in the Great Hall and repairing and repainting more than 130 windows.
Councillor Jack Launer, Burnley Council’s executive member for health, culture and wellbeing, said: “Towneley Hall holds a special place in many people’s hearts and I’m sure they will understand the importance of preserving this historic hall for generations to come.
“The repair work is an intricate and specialised job that takes time and a lot of skill by the professional contractors involved.
‘’Up until now we’ve been able to keep parts of the hall open to visitors, but we’ll reach a point in the summer when it’s far more effective and safer for the many delicate items housed in the hall to close the building to allow work to continue.
“Protecting Towneley Hall and its many and varied historic collections is the main priority. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused while these essential repairs are being carried out.”
Meanwhile the hall is moving out of its winter opening hours. It is open noon-5pm every day, apart from Friday when it is closed.
Further details on the repair programme is available at https://towneley.org.uk/about/towneley-hall-repairs/
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