Chance to tour town hall refurb

A CONSTRUCTION contractor specialising in historical refurbishments and heritage work is hosting scaffold tours at Rochdale Town Hall.

HH Smith & Sons Co Ltd will be offering this opportunity on the last Friday of every month until the end of the project in Summer 2023.

It is a great chance for people to see the extensive restoration work in progress in the Victorian Gothic building bringing historical decorative elements back to their former glory.

Visitors will be able to see different works taking place in the building and gain an understanding of how much work has already been done to date since the restoration project, funded by Rochdale Borough Council and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, which started in January 2021.

The hour-long tour will involve a short safety induction, followed by a look at some of the most historic ground floor rooms before going up to the Great Hall where sightseers will be escorted up the birdcage scaffold staircase to view high level historical decorative features.

Groups, limited to 10, will be escorted by one of the site managers who can answer any questions about the works going on, and a member of the safety team to ensure safety.

One of the highlights will be seeing the carvings in the Great Hall which can be reached by going up extensive scaffolding in the hall; guests will get the chance to look closely at the striking angel carvings that run around the upper part of the hall.

The exploration involves a lot of walking, including climbing up and down a number of flights of scaffold stairs up to 20 metres high, and some of the walking routes will also be slightly uneven. Full handrail edge protection is on the scaffold.

It is a requirement to wear a hard hat and a high visibility vest which will be provided and participants must be 18 or over to take part.

Suitable footwear must be worn to walk on the scaffold staircase and platforms safely.

Footwear must be closed toe and feature a rubber sole with a good tread.

High heels, leather sole shoes, sandals or flip flops, as well as eating and drinking, and smoking or vaping are not permitted.

The meeting point is the Community Cabin located in the hoardings at the front of the Town Hall along The Esplanade and opposite the Medicine Tap.

Arrive five minutes before the start time as tours will have to begin promptly and guides will not be able to wait for latecomers.

The first walking tour on Friday, May 27 2022 has sold out online but tickets are released every month for people to have an opportunity to join the next group.

Visit Eventbrite to book tickets for Rochdale Town Hall Scaffold Tour.