Astley Hall in Chorley reopens after £400k restoration

A historic house in Lancashire has fully reopened following a £400,000 restoration.

Astley Hall, a Grade I-listed building in Chorley, welcomed visitors back into previously closed rooms after the final phase of a six-year restoration programme.

The work has allowed historic furniture and artwork to be back on display, while bedrooms have been furnished to reflect life at the hall more than 170 years ago.

Chorley MP Sir Lindsay Hoyle described Astley Hall as "one of Lancashire's best-kept secrets", admitting he was "totally biased".

The restoration focused on the West Wing, a section of the house built in about the 1570s for the local Charnock family.

The Stucco Bedroom and Cromwell Bedroom have been refreshed and furnished to reflect life in 1852, when Lady Susannah Hoghton lived at the hall, Chorley Council said.

Museum curator Amy Dearnaley said timber had begun to deteriorate before the restoration, with staff having to move furniture and other objects out of the way.

She also highlighted the Oak Bedroom, which contains an Elizabethan bed she described as one of the finest examples from its time.

She said the hall's kitchen display had previously been recreated using photographs from the early 1900s and historical inventories. Items had been sourced to match those pictured, down to a birdcage.

A Room of Reflection has also been newly arranged with artworks and objects from the Second World War.

Sir Lindsay said the hall, set within Astley Park near Chorley town centre, was an important part of the town's history and praised the council's continued investment in preserving it.

"It's a beautiful building, wonderful place, great for exhibitions, great for bringing people together, but it's the history of this as well," he said.

Chorley Council said the £400,000 project was funded by its own investment alongside £100,000 from the Wolfson Foundation, £34,000 from the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund and £5,000 from the Friends of Astley Hall.

The council's deputy leader, Peter Wilson, said preserving the building was only part of the aim: it also needed to be open for people to enjoy and learn about its history.

Upcoming events include The Longest Yarn exhibition in November and Christmas activities at the hall.

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