Recclesia began stained glass conservation work at Manchester Town Hall as part of the UK's largest historic building conservation project in June 2021, having been commissioned to undertake work to the Great Hall and Staircases the jewels in the crown of the magnificent town hall building. Designated as the most highly significant part of the building, the great hall is full to the brim with heritage details, from the tremendous windows to a spectacular organ, carved stonework and a breath-taking decorative ceiling, and magical wall paintings by Ford Madox Brown.
After completing extensive survey work to report on condition and create an asset catalogue, removal of the enormous windows began in July 2021. Both of the Recclesia Stained Glass studios in North Wales and Manchester worked on this project through 2021 and 2022. The teams meticulously conserved every single section of glass, piece by tiny piece, applying their extensive glass conservation expertise to these outstanding windows, a key part of Manchester's built heritage.
A major part of the project was committing to provide a number of employment and training benefits as part of the social value aims. This included our recruiting for three traineeship positions at various levels of qualification and skillset, including Carlotta Cammelli, a recent MA graduate from York, who has since gone on to become the studio lead of our Manchester studio.