Listed hall's interior revamp includes rooftop bar

The restoration of the inside of a Grade II listed historical hall includes plans for a restaurant, rooftop bar and art gallery.

The external renovation of Haigh Hall in Wigan was completed last year and work will now begin on the interior of the building after plans were approved.

Kate Brindley from Haigh Hall said: "We've got an amazing design team to bring back to life those spaces, whilst lovingly restoring some of the historical features of the building to include 21st century facilities."

She said there were "very detailed plaster ceilings and wooden doors" in the hall, so "restoring those back to their former glory will require careful workmanship".

Haigh Hall was built between 1827 and 1840 by the 24th Earl of Crawford before the estate was transferred to Wigan Corporation (now Wigan Council) in 1947.

Exterior works on the hall were completed in the summer of 2025, and included restoring the stonework and making the roof of the building watertight.

The gallery space will have a rolling series of touring exhibitions of work from a wide range of artists and collections across the country.

The rooftop bar will serve drinks and snacks, as well as offering "some of the best views across Greater Manchester", towards the centre of Wigan, Brindley said.

The restoration of Haigh Hall is being funded through £20m from the previous government's Levelling Up Fund, a £5.5m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Wigan Council is contributing over £25m to deliver the scheme.

Work is ongoing to restore the estate's outdoor features including the Bothy Yard, the walled kitchen garden, the ornamental pond and the Plantation Gates.

The restoration of the interior of Haigh Hall is expected to be completed in 2028.