Karen Bradley MP Column 07.08.23

As regular readers of my column will be aware, each week I have beenfeaturing a Reason to Visit the Moorlands, and this week I am delighted to be focusing on a real hidden gem - Biddulph Old Hall.

Biddulph Old Hall is a place packed full of history and I always come awayfrom it with a renewed appreciation of our area’s heritage. Its origins can be traced back to as late as 1425-30 and it was home to the Biddulph family for much of the resulting period.

The building and grounds have so many stories to tell, from being the site of a siege by Parliamentarian forces in 1644 during the English Civil War - impacts from cannon balls fired from the ‘Roaring Meg’ are still evident on the front of the ruins - to being purchased by James Bateman in 1862, and even being used as a Buddhist retreat and training centre for a period during the 1960s.

In 2004, Biddulph Old Hall was bought by Nigel Daly and Brian Vowles alongside Nigel’s brother David, after the building had fallen into an extremelypoor state of repair. Together they set about beautifully restoring the Hall, developing the gardens, and allowing visitors to experience the historic site through a series of open days and charity events.

There is so much more that could be said about this fantastic piece of Moorlands history, and so I would encourage everyone to find out for themselves by going along to an open day and exploring the fascinating building and grounds.

I will be posting pictures of Biddulph Old Hall on my social media pages throughout the week and please do share your own experiences and photos of the Hall on my Year or Reasons Twitter page @VisitMoorlands.