THE Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton have officially reopened Hall i' th' Wood after its £450,000 refurbishment.

Cllr Eric Johnson and his wife Ida joined fellow councillors at the Grade I listed hall yesterday.

A ribbon was cut to mark the occasion and guests were invited to tour the building where Samuel Crompton made his home and which features a replica of his Spinning Mule.

Cllr Johnson said: "Hall i' th' Wood is one of the most historic buildings in Bolton and the place where Samuel Crompton invented the Spinning Mule which revolutionised Lancashire's textile industry."

Hall i' th' Wood dates from about 1483 and Crompton put the finishing touches to the Mule in one of the upper rooms in 1779.

Cllr Don Eastwood, Bolton's education and arts chairman, said: "I am delighted that Hall i' th' Wood has been restored. The building is a landmark worth seeing.

"I am grateful to Bolton Council, English Heritage and the North West Museums Service in Blackburn for providing money to pay for the work.

"Hall i' th' Wood is part of Lancashire's heritage and I hope that many people, both from the local area and all places in the country, will come and see what it is like.

"The cotton trade made Bolton prosperous and people have the opportunity to visit the place where it all started."

The 15th century building has been extensively refurbished over the past 12 months.

Furniture and paintings have been restored and the roof structure was completely removed while repair work was carried out.

In addition a large amount of painting and cleaning was needed to bring the ancient building back to its former glory.

A previous restoration of the building was carried out at the end of the 19th century when the first Lord Leverhulme saved it from dereliction.

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