Restoring the glory

Capital carving

Over time, the carved capitals, corbels, and door surrounds in here got damaged, just by everyday wear and tear. Some were chipped and others looked unsightly after poor repair work in the past. Conservators from Hirst Conservation have worked on the stone heads to make them look as good as new.

TLC for tiles

The Town Hall floor tiles were made by renowned company Minton & Company in Stoke on Trent. This firm also produced tiles for the Houses of Parliament and The Capitol building in Washington, USA. Some of the tiles at Rochdale Town Hall have seen better days and have worn out over time.

Due to the wear on them, some of the tiles in The Exchange have been replaced. We have the old tiles in storage, there are a few on display in the new Welcome Gallery too. These were carefully cleaned by Town Hall volunteers, who took part in a Conservation Skills Course run by Lancashire Conservation Studio.