Friends of Bank Hall

The group is affiliated to the Heritage Trust for the North West, which has assisted in raising awareness and will run a visitor centre at Bank Hall when the building is restored.

[1] After local interest, John Quirk, a Chorley Guardian journalist, created a "Save Bank Hall" campaign.

[2] John Quirk met Gordon Johnson from Bretherton and Carol Anne Strange from Leyland who were among the people who replied and suggested an 'Action Group' to save Bank Hall.

In 2011, the Bank Hall Action Group needed to achieve charity status to enable the restoration project to continue to the next level due to the campaign progression.

[3] The first meeting of the Bank Hall Action Group was held on 26 July 1995 at The De Trafford Arms public house in Croston.

The friends also have a non membership volunteer role, these are people who want to help, but on a less formal position as a member who attend meetings and assist with the group subcommittees.

The group cleared the walled garden and the perimeter of the hall where a security fence was erected enabling public access to be granted to the grounds and trees were cut down creating an area for events.

[5] The house deteriorated dramatically since the group was formed, however the gardens have developed with paths constructed to access areas that have been cleared and reveal the lost snowdrop carpets.

In 2002 the group was approached by the producers of a television program which would feature 30 buildings in need of restoration in ten regional heats.

Bank Hall was the first building to appear in the first season of Restoration in the North West of England but was knocked out by the eventual winner of the series, Victoria Baths, Manchester.

[15] Following the TV appearance, the group found a new developer, Urban Splash, to produce designs and an action plan for restoring Bank Hall and its 18 acres (7.3 ha) of leisure grounds.

The Friends of Bank Hall continue to work with the Heritage Trust North West to maintain the gardens and opened the visitor centre in the prospect tower in December 2022.

In September 2023, a walled garden team was created and began to clear back the weeds that had developed since the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic and have recreated some of the borders, with the view to them being planted up with perennials in Spring 2024.