The owner of a medieval manor house in Manchester has promised to find new uses for the Grade-I listed building while “preserving its essence”.
Baguley Hall in Wythenshawe, which was built in the 14th Century, has been sold by Historic England to a charity called Heritage Trust North West.
Michael Guy, the Chief Executive of Heritage Trust North West, said: “We want to keep what’s special about Baguley Hall but also to adapt the building to sustain it through future centuries for people to enjoy”.
“The main thing we find is that these buildings need food, drink and toilets so when those facilities are put in, it opens up many more possibilities”.
The manor was built by a medieval knight called Sir William de Baggiley (also spelt Baguley), who lived during the reign of King Edward II, and the structure later became a farmhouse.
It was used a council workshop for around 40 years before a decision was taken by the Manchester City Corporation in 1967 to demolish the building, which triggered a public petition that included over 6,000 signatures.
Later that year, the Wythenshawe MP Alf Morris spoke in Parliament against the planned demolition of Baguley Hall, urging that: “Everything possible should be done to preserve this historic building for posterity”.
Since 1968, the building has been owned by the government and for more than 50 years the structure was maintained by English Heritage.
Baguley Hall includes one of the oldest surviving medieval timber-framed halls in England and some of the wooden beams are more than 50cm (20in) thick.
A central hearth once provided cooking and heating for the medieval household.
Catherine Dewar, the North West Regional Director at Historic England, said: “What’s really special about Baguley Hall is that it’s open to the roof, rather than a lot of medieval halls, which have been sub-divided and have another room above”.
“It means your eyes just go upwards because you can see right up to the ceiling”.
The building was added to during the Tudor, Georgian and Victorian periods.
Mike Kane, the Labour MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East, said: “Hopefully we can get it open to the public, either permanently – or on open days, and that would be better than anything we’ve had for a hundred years”.
“It will really attract attention and will be a real cultural asset for the community”.
Manchester City Council has said: “It’s great that there are specialist heritage organisations working hard to make sure these buildings can be saved, restored and celebrated for future generations”.
The Heritage Trust North West said it hoped to stage open events in the grounds of Baguley Hall during the spring and summer of 2026.