Purcell-restored Haigh Woodland Park lodges taken off Heritage at Risk Register

Historic England has removed the Grade II* listed Plantation Gates and Lodges at Haigh Woodland Park in Wigan from its Heritage at Risk Register following a restoration led by Purcell, the practice announced on 13 November 2026.

Before the works, the lodge interiors were inaccessible, the roofs were close to collapse and much of the historic fabric needed urgent intervention, according to Purcell. The buildings have now been repaired and returned to community use.

Purcell said the works threw up several discoveries, including a deep basement beneath the North Lodge that had been hidden from view. The design team uncovered the space and reinstated the original stone steps that lead down to it.

Gemma Birchall, Associate Architect at Purcell, said the roofscape was her favourite element of the scheme. "We've created a pyramid-vaulted roof where visitors can experience the full volume of the space internally. We've also opened up the chimney aperture to introduce a skylight," she said.

The restoration

Alongside repair of the historic fabric, Purcell said the project introduced a contemporary architectural language intended to complement the original buildings and support their future use. The practice said the reworked roof spaces were designed to strengthen the connection between the lodges and the surrounding landscape and to give visitors arriving at the park a clearer first impression of the site's heritage.

Chris Ready, Councillor, Wigan Council, said the building had been saved from the at-risk register. "It's brilliant to see we are one of the four removals, across the whole country and the only one in the region," he said.

The wider estate

Purcell said the project forms part of a wider masterplan for the Haigh estate. The practice said Wigan Council appointed it in 2019 and that it went on to develop a masterplan for the estate.

John Piercy-Holroyd, Associate Partner at Purcell, said the scheme was the first project to realise the cultural ambition for Haigh and the wider woodland park, and reflected investment from both Wigan Council and The National Lottery Heritage Fund in the wider heritage restoration of the estate.

Grade II* listed Haigh Hall itself, which is set within 250 acres of public parkland and woodland, secured planning permission and Listed Building Consent in April 2026, Purcell announced at the time. The hall was also on Historic England's Heritage at Risk register when consent was granted.

The consented scheme for the hall includes a restaurant, café, gallery and education spaces, together with a new rooftop bar. Purcell's design team for the hall includes Atkins Realis, Witherford Watson Mann, Exterior Architecture, Cundall and IM2.

What happens next

Purcell said its ongoing work on the estate includes restoration of the historic Bothy Cottages, which is due to complete early in 2027.

Attention will then turn to Haigh Hall, with works set to start on site later in November 2026, according to the practice.