Jack Brown House in Bolton to be transformed and restored

Alison Marsh and her husband Craig have taken over Jack Brown's House on St George's Road.

The building dates back to the 1800s and will be the new home for the couple's award-winning accountancy business.

Insight Business Solutions opened in 2016 on All Saints Street, Bolton.

But  Alison wanted to find a bigger space and have somewhere else that she owned and that reflected her and her business.

This is the second project to transform space.

Alison opened another office in Garstang and turned an old hairdressers into a New York style loft apartment.

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Alison's Garstang office has been completely transformed (Image: Newsquest)

She said: “I have always had a passion for interior design and love what I do, and I wanted to make it a more comfortable environment for clients and those working here.

“I wanted to change it from the standard office style, which is quite boring.

“There is also more space here and we will own it.

“We also want our business to be noticeable with an official sign.”

Co-owner Craig added: “The transformation in the Garstang office was amazing and it was only in a small space.

“The Garstang office was in quite a bad state, and we stripped it all back and rebuilt it from the inside.

“This is going to be even better.

“It was the natural next step to buy somewhere in Bolton rather than renting, because we are from Bolton and the majority of our clients are from the area too.”

In the basement where a client's space and bar will be created (Image: Newsquest)

The makeover still aims to keep the Georgian features internally, whilst including some modern additions and making it a professional space, but with a living room feel.

Craig said: “We will expose some of the Georgian features internally.

“At the moment it looks like a plain office with 1970s woodchip on the wall.

“We really like the Georgian features of it.

“We are going to do a lot of work and bring down some of the stud wall, as well as black framed glass to open up the rooms.”

Some of the walls will also be knocked down to enhance some of the old features and make more space, as well as the old spindle staircase being restored.

The outside will remain the same, but it will be repainted.

Alison’s clients and employees will also be able to enjoy a bar in the basement, complete with a coffee machine, and pool table.

Alison added: “We want our clients to feel comfortable and feel approachable.

“I want this office to be something that suits my business.”

The building was built in 1830 and used to be a GMB union, and Craig’s mother-in-law Norma Mills – who is the secretary for Ramsbottom Heritage Society – says that Jack Brown used to be a trade union, and it has always been a trade union office.

Craig added: “We will keep the name and put the name ‘Jack Brown House’ in the reception on the glass door.”

The renovation will be carried out by K Reynolds & Sons who will be starting work tomorrow (Wednesday (July 26), whilst Alison will look after the interior design, and Craig will help with where some things will go.

Work is expected to be completed by Christmas this year and will have a staggering £80k invested into it.

If you have a story and something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at jasmine.jackson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @JournoJasmine.