Hall’s stained glass window to be removed
THE impressive Cromwell window in the Great Hall of Rochdale Town Hall is due to be removed to allow the continuation of necessary restoration work.
Landmark Rochdale Town Hall is regarded as one of the finest examples of Victorian gothic architecture in the country.
The stained glass window which depicts Oliver Cromwell centrally between Charles I and Charles II, is to be conserved by York Glaziers Trust under the direction of Professor Sarah Brown.
The portraits date back to when the town hall was built in 1871.
They now need protective glazing to be added before it is returned to the town hall in September.
The windows were made by Heaton, Butler and Bayne of London and form part of a continuous depiction of the line of rule in the hall.
Members of York Glaziers Trust will be working on the extraction.
The magnificent Victorian gothic building is undergoing a circa £16m restoration with funding from Rochdale Borough Council, including £8.9m from The National Lottery Heritage fund.
Phase one of the development started in January 2021 and phase two will continue through to reopening in 2023 when the town hall will be returned to public use.
New spaces are being created for community events as part of a wider regeneration of the town centre, including a new public town hall square space.
Some of the stone work has already been brought back to life in the ground floor area known as the Exchange and stained glass windows have been cleaned and restored.
The town hall includes a Grand Hall that includes intricate wooden carvings and more than 300 ceiling panels, each with unique artwork.
A new community space that will be called the Bright Hall is being created.