Rock Hall

Rock Hall was built in 1807 for the Crompton family, who were pioneers in the paper-making industry. The Hall was located next to the family’s paper mills, which have since been demolished, and is a reminder of the area’s 250 years of paper-making heritage. Following the demise of the industry, the estate was developed into a Country Park providing much-needed green space for the residents of Bolton. The Hall was used by the Council for its Park Rangers Service until 2014, when the team was disbanded due to funding cuts. Following this, the building stood empty whilst the Council tried to find alternative uses and owners.

In early 2020, Banana Enterprise Network, a local Charity which works across Bolton and Salford Boroughs, decided to attempt to save and acquire the Hall on behalf of the community. They began working with the Council on acquiring the lease by Community Asset Transfer and came to the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) for grant support. In October 2020, through the AHF’s HACO programme, Banana Enterprise Network were awarded a Project Viability Grant of £7,500 to enable them to undertake a feasibility study of their proposals for acquiring Rock Hall.

The feasibility study is now complete and has enabled the charity to explore options for the renovation and re-use of the Hall and further consult with the community. The grant-funded professional support included the preparation of architectural drawings and outline plans, enabling them to engage with the Council’s Heritage Planning team. In addition, it allowed Banana Enterprise to prepare a 5-year business plan. The proposed vision is to renovate and expand the building as a small-scale community facility and destination attraction, focusing on heritage, community training, outdoor leisure and a hub for volunteers and local community groups.

This work forms a key part of the proposed sustainability plan for the Hall and will help towards an application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) for £3,000,000 capital costs.  Following feedback from NLHF, Banana Enterprise Network wanted to update their business plan. In 2022, the AHF awarded them a Project Development Grant of £2,050 to cover associated consultant costs.

Jayne Allman, CEO of Banana Enterprise, said:

"We are extremely grateful to the AHF for awarding us a grant. Without such help, the project would not be where it is today! The support we received from the AHF, has since enabled us to make further progress and we have just been invited to submit a bid for the next phase of our project by the National Lottery Heritage Fund."

About Banana Enterprise

Banana Enterprise was set up in 2014 with the main purpose of helping unemployed people to explore the idea of starting their own business. They work at grass root level supporting unemployed adults, single parents, people with disabilities and low-income families. They provide free training and support, as well as equip people with the skills to make an informed choice about self-employment. They also provide personal development training around confidence, stress and mindfulness. Their programmes help people to progress towards volunteering, further training or into self-employment/employment.

AHF Funding

Project Viability Grant - £7,500 (2020)

Project Development Grant - £2,050 (2022)

These grants were made possible by funding from Historic England.

External funding

National Lottery Heritage Fund - £99,600 (2021)

May 2022