Manchester Town Hall’s ‘painstaking’ restoration project to be featured in TV documentary

The “painstaking” restoration and repair of Manchester Town Hall is being featured in a new TV documentary that’s airing later this month.

You may have caught a glimpse of the iconic Grade I-listed building – which is often considered a Victorian neo-gothic masterpiece – in the heart of Manchester city centre on screen before in numerous films and TV dramas, where it’s often seen acting as a ‘double’ for the Houses of Parliament.

But this time round, it will star in its own right as the subject of an episode of the series Great British Landmark Fixers.

Manchester Town Hall is 144 years old and, according to Manchester City Council, is in need of careful repairs to “preserve its heritage from the ravages of time” and ensure that it remains at the centre of civic life for many decades to come. 

The documentary will look behind the scenes at all the work taking place to restore the building.

It will meet and tell the stories of some of the people dedicating years of their working lives to the project – which will be completed in 2024 – and learn how its legacy will not just be in “protecting and enhancing” the building itself, but also in helping a new generation of Mancunians learn heritage and construction skills.

“Manchester Town Hall is a building with a long and fascinating history,” explained Bev Craig – Leader of Manchester City Council, and lead member for the ‘Our Town Hall’ project.

“The work which is taking place now to safeguard it, while sympathetically bringing it up to modern access and safety standards, is the latest chapter in that story [and] this documentary really gets across the scope of the project, the level of care and attention that is being put into the smallest detail, and the pride and passion of those who are working on it for the city. 

“It showcases the beauty of the building and the fact that its treasures, including some artefacts we are finding through the works, will be more accessible to the public once it reopens.”

Great British Landmark Fixers is airing Yesterday at 8pm on Monday 20 December.

Other national landmarks also being featured in the series include Canterbury Cathedral, and the Royal Albert Hall in London. 

Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons