Parts of Chorley's historic Astley Hall in a "poor condition" - set for raft of repairs and alterations

Chorley's historic Astley Hall is set for a raft and repairs in the new year.

The timber-framed late l6th century West Range, which was heavily restored in the mid 20th century, is described as "presently in a poor condition externally."

This is how Astley Hall became the jewel in Chorley's crown

Chorley Council, who own and run the Grade I-listed building have now applied for listed building consent for repairs and alterations to the western elevations of the West Range.

The proposed works

The proposed repair works primarily relate to conservation-led repairs to the external timber-framing and infill panels, which have decayed through excessive wetting. Proposed alterations include reinstating a lost roof slope extension over walls 49 and 50, and replacement and upgrading of the rainwater goods to improve water management in order to preserve and sustain the site's historic fabric.

Chorley Council says the proposed works "have been carefully considered to ensure there is minimal impact to the heritage asset." They say the proposed works "largely involve like-for-like conservation repairs, and represent a scheme of cyclical repairs and maintenance to ensure the structural integrity of the l6th century range".

There is no proposed change of use and access to and from the property is not affected.

Previous work

In 2020, Astley Hall was closed for two years while £1.1m renovation work was carried out.

Click here to see the changes

Within the four walls of the Grade I-listed building, changes were made to the route that people take around the hall, with greater access also offered to some of its rooms in order to improve the visitor experience.

The most visible change is to the exterior of the iconic attraction, which has had render removed to reveal 17th-century brickwork, unseen for 200 years.