Explore the space
The Grand Staircase
You’re halfway up the Grand Staircase! This is a good place to have a breather and take in the view of the stained glass that’s all around you.
This space looks and feels more like a church or cathedral than a public building. However, instead of telling bible stories, the nine sets of stained glass windows celebrate Rochdale as a trading town, highlighting its commercial connections across the British Isles and the world.
On the way up to the Great Hall at the top, you’re following in the footsteps of all kinds of Town Hall visitors – from politicians and civic leaders, to royalty and ordinary Rochdalians.
Moving on up
What do Queen Elizabeth II, Gracie Fields, Emily Pankhurst, and Shirley Bassey have in common? They have all visited the Town Hall and probably climbed these stairs.
This is the principal staircase in the Town Hall. There are others in the building that lead to private rooms but this ostentatious and ornamental one makes a real statement, with its clusters of marble columns and heraldic symbols amongst its stone arches. These twenty-seven steps lead to the Great Hall, the focus for an astounding range of different events and activities during its lifetime.
It has welcomed many thousands of people to events and occasions of all types. The Great Hall has been a venue for political speeches, award ceremonies, dinners, dances, and commemorations. You can find out more once you get there.
The stained glass tells quite a story – of Rochdale, royalty, trade and commerce. Explore the guide to discover the towns, cities and countries that were Rochdale’s trading partners. And the technology and inventions that made worldwide trade possible.
A Bright future
You can see a bust of John Bright on this staircase. Before the Town Hall was built, John Bright spoke powerfully about Rochdale, its place in the world and its aspirations for future.
Listen to an actor reading an extract from John Bright's speech here:
“I believe the building itself, of its style, will be one of the finest erected in England during our time, and it will be a monument to future ages, to many ages, it may be, I hope it may be, of the liberality of the inhabitants of Rochdale in this year of 1866, and of the courage of your corporate authorities, of a proof of your faith in the future of your town, and of its great and growing industry.
I hope - we all hope, I speak but the sentiments of every heart here - we hope that as years and generations pass over it, may it more and more be an object, not of interest only, but of love and affection on the part of the population of this borough, and that they may regard it, and all who visit your town will regard it, as a proof that there has been some greatness in the population which I see assembled before me today.”
The stained glass makes this space feel like a cathedral.