Historic England has selected the Heritage Trust North West to take on the ownership of Grade I-listed Baguley Hall in Wythenshawe, South Manchester.
The Trust will now seek to work with local communities to develop its proposals for the future use of the Hall, including plans for public access.
The medieval timber-framed hall, dating back to the late 13th century and regarded as one of the oldest and finest surviving examples in the North-West, has been vacant since 1965. The Trust’s selection follows a comprehensive bidding process that began when Historic England put the property on the market in May 2024.
The Heritage Trust North West impressed Historic England’s evaluation panel with its commitment to working closely with local communities and its plans to ensure public access is provided to as wide a range of people as possible. The Trust’s proposals will be sympathetic to the character of the historic building.
Demonstrating proven expertise in restoring historic buildings and involving local people, the Trust’s track record shows they have the specialist knowledge needed to bring the building back to life whilst retaining what is so special about the historic building and site.
The 2.1 acre site on Hall Road features an impressive timber-framed great hall, a magnificent open room with soaring timber beams reaching up to exposed rafters. At its heart sits a central hearth that once provided both cooking and heating for the medieval household. It is described as one of the finest surviving medieval great halls in England. In 2023, Historic England completed significant repair works to assist future occupiers.
We are delighted to announce Heritage Trust North West as our preferred future owner for Baguley Hall. The Trust’s proposals show a detailed understanding of the building’s history and why it’s so important. They offer an exciting vision for bringing this South Manchester historic gem back to life for the benefit of local communities. We are incredibly grateful to the local Friends groups who’ve been so constructive in working with us throughout this process and will remain involved in Baguley Hall’s exciting future.
We are honoured and excited to be given the opportunity to take over from Historic England as the custodians of this wonderful heritage asset and help write the next chapter in its long and interesting story. Central to this will be engagement with the Friends groups and local people, opening it up once more with them to create new and exciting uses, for the benefit of the wider community.
