Plundered, Degraded, and Undervalued: Community Fights Against a Corrupt Council

Middelton, a community characterised by strong, dedicated, and remarkable individuals, has grown tired of how they and their town are being treated by Rochdale Borough Council.

Hopwood DePree

Middleton is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England, on the River Irk. It is 5 miles southwest of Rochdale and 5 miles northeast of Manchester. Middleton had a population of 42,972 at the 2011 Census. It is home to some of the best history, architecture, and people but that's not all it is significant for the quality of its architectural heritage with several outstanding buildings – a medieval 'hall' church, a Renaissance school, one of the first Palladian houses in England, a pioneering Victorian church and the first modern movement board school in England. What connection does an upset community and a corrupt council have to all of this? It all relates to a 600-year-old Grade-II* Listed building, hidden behind a college campus and woodlands, which was once the residence of the Hopwood Family around c.1426. This building and the family who owned it were crucial in shaping Middleton into what it is today. In the 1990s, Rochdale Council purchased the building, only to later acknowledge that they lacked the funds and resources necessary for its proper maintenance and upkeep. As a result, months turned into years, and years into decades, leaving the building abandoned, forgotten, and neglected. Eventually, the building was added to the Heritage at Risk register, often likened to death row for buildings. Once on this list, the building was estimated to have five to ten years left before deteriorating and becoming a part of forgotten history. Hopwood DePree, a distant descendant of the original Hopwood family, organised a volunteer group to restore the neglected rose garden to its former glory. They dedicated days, months, and years to transforming weeds, shrubs, and tree stumps back into a flourishing garden. Before long, the gardens began to look beautiful once again. Volunteers even had the opportunity to create original lead windows to repair the many broken ones that had succumbed to decay and vandalism. In November 2024, Rochdale Council expressed dissatisfaction with the development of the building and grounds, possibly because they weren't receiving recognition for the work. Consequently, they instructed Mark Preswich to visit the Hall, change all the locks on the gates, and post a notice stating that Hopwood and his volunteers were prohibited from accessing the hall and its grounds. After the shocking news about Rochdale Council's actions reached the Middleton community, it caused an uproar and sent shockwaves through the streets, with people demanding that the council hand over the building to Hopwood DePree.

On 20th November 2024, the community convened at Richard Bentley Smalley Memorial Hall for an urgent public meeting to discuss the outrageous and unlawful actions of Rochdale Borough Council.

The meeting had a remarkable turnout, surpassing the venue's capacity with more than 150 attendees. This group comprised community members, individuals associated with the Hall, and several local councilors. Nonetheless, despite receiving invitations, no representatives from Rochdale Council attended. The meeting was documented and has recently been added to Hopwood DePree's YouTube channel. You can view the complete video below. Please share it extensively so we can together #SaveHopwoodHall.

Don't forget to sign the online petition too. https://www.change.org/SaveHopwoodHall Follow Manchester Today on Facebook, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Newsdesk@ManchesterToday.org.uk