A MUCH-LOVED landmark has been returned to its original glory after undergoing a complete restoration.
Royton Town Hall has recently reopened its doors with a new-look library, community space and a new garden area.
The town hall was opened as a dedicated municipal building in September 1880 by James Ashworth, the first Chairman of Royton Local Board of Health while the adjacent Carnegie library opened in 1907.
Many of the Victorian features now have pride of place – including a rare wall covering, hidden for decades, which was revealed when a suspended ceiling was removed in 2022 from one of the meeting rooms as part of the restoration work.
Lincrusta Walton was invented by Frederick Walton, who had pioneered the development of linoleum flooring.
Heralded as the first washable wall covering, Lincrusta launched in 1877 to replace artisan plasterwork and the natural product made from Linseed oil is still manufactured by craftsmen in Lancashire.
Frank and Amanda Holmes, of Frank Holmes Fine Decor, specialise in heritage decorating and restoration. Together, they have brought Royton’s historic Lincrusta back to life.
Frank cleaned and stabilised the original pieces of Lincrusta, before using them to produce moulds of each heritage design.
From these, he handmade 75 replica panels in total to make the repairs and reinstate the Lincrusta wallpaper around the entire room at the town hall.
The room is now known as the Lincrusta Room and will be used for council and community meetings.
“It was a really special discovery and one which we won’t forget,” said Frank. “It’s been a pleasure working on Royton Town Hall and we’re delighted to have uncovered this history for future generations.”
The restoration included repairs to the historic clock tower and copper roof, demolition of external extensions which were not in keeping with the town hall’s original design, and a full interior refurb including a new lift and Changing Places Toilet.
Oldham Council’s leader says ensuring residents can enjoy their newly-restored town hall and library was what the project was all about.
“Many hours of skill and care has gone into bringing the building back to life and my thanks goes to all the teams who worked on the restoration,” said Councillor Arooj Shah.
“We know these buildings matter to our communities, and we’re proud to invest in them, so they can continue to be at the heart of our towns for another 100 years and more.”