Visitors to Astley Hall Soar in 2014
FIGURES revealed this week show that the numbe
r of visitors to Chorley’s Astley Hall and Coach House have soared in the past year.
Nearly 50,000 people visited Astley Hall and the Coach House between April and December 2014, which is over 6,000 more than the previous year and the most the Chorley Council-owned attraction has ever seen.
More activities and events all year round like Picnic in the Park, Astley Illuminated and the opportunity to meet Father Christmas as well as exhibitions including Brainstorm: The Art of Bryan Talbot and Astley Then and Now, have helped to pull in the crowds.
Additionally, the Chorley Remembers Experience in the Coach House attracted thousands of visitors in the year the country commemorated 100 years since the start of World War I.
Councillor Bev Murray who oversees the Astley complex is delighted that more people are taking up the opportunity to appreciate a wonderful historic attraction.
She said: “Astley Hall’s visitor numbers have been rising steadily for the past few years but 2014 has proven to be an absolutely bumper year for the ‘jewel in Chorley’s crown’.
“We know many of our visitors are local and we continue to attract school groups who incorporate the history of the Hall into their lessons. This past year we have also seen many visitors from outside the area discovering the hidden treasures of Astley Hall and returning again and we’d like to thank everyone who continues to support the attraction.
“November was the best month in the year with over 8,000 visitors to Astley Hall alone and it’s events like Astley Illuminated and Derian House’s Winter Sparkle that open it up to a whole new audience.
“Over the past year, we have also been building up the Astley complex’s online presence and this is certainly paying off.
“Astley Hall, Coach House and Park now has a Facebook page, meaning more people get to see behind the scenes and learn about the events and exhibitions that are taking place. Plus in June 2014, Astley Hall was awarded a certificate of excellence from Trip Advisor for consistently gaining top reviews from visitors.”
Astley Hall is now closed until March for conservation and restoration work to ensure the historic house remains for future generations to enjoy.
However, the newly restored Farmhouse gallery, the Coach House, Walled Garden and Astley Park are open as usual.
Additionally, there will also be further developments in Astley Park this year with a new destination play area due to open in the spring.
“Now that more people are visiting the Astley complex we want to build on this and are planning lots of exciting events and exhibitions again this year as well as attracting even more external event organisers who are keen to use Astley Park as a venue,” added Coun Murray.
To keep up-to-date with everything that is happening across Astley, like the Astley Hall, Coach House and Park visit www.chorley.gov.uk/astleyhall
For more information, contact: Campaigns and Engagement Manager (Events) Louise Finch on 01257 515062