The hidden secret revealed during Royton Town Hall revamp

The transformation has included repairs to the historic clock tower, as well as a new-look library, community space and a new garden area.

The project aimed to bring the much-loved landmark back to its original glory, with the town hall's many Victorian features now having pride of place.

Works on Royton Town Hall began in early 2022 (Image: Oldham Council)

While the revamp took place, a major surprise awaited those carrying out the works. 

A hidden treasure

In 2022, a suspended ceiling was removed from one of the town hall's meeting rooms as part of the the restoration work, which revealed a rare wall covering, hidden for decades, and thought to be the some of the oldest known surviving examples.

Lincrusta Walton was the ingenious invention of Frederick Walton, who pioneered the development of linoleum flooring.

The Lincrusta above the suspended ceiling (Image: Frank Holmes Fine Decor)

Heralded as the first washable wall covering, Lincrusta was an instant success following its launch in 1877, replacing painstaking artisan plasterwork and appealing to Victorian England’s tastes because of its sanitary properties as well as its beauty, practicality and durability.

A natural product, made from Linseed oil, Lincrusta is still manufactured by craftsmen in Lancashire, using the original recipe and process and to the same exacting standards.

Frank and Amanda Holmes, of Frank Holmes Fine Decor, specialise in heritage decorating and restoration and together, they have brought Royton's historic Lincrusta back to life.

Amanda and Frank Holmes (Image: Frank Holmes Fine Decor)

Frank said: "The wall was divided into three sections - an oak panelled-style Lincrusta design from the 1950s on the main part. Above that - where the false ceiling was - we discovered a floral design, and above that was a circular pattern.

"These top two wall coverings had been hidden away for many years, and while they were clearly old, we had no idea just how old or how important they were until we began researching.

Frank had carefully removed some water-damaged sections to dry them out ahead of restoration and discovered even more exciting information.

The original Lincrusta, which originates from the 1890s (Image: Oldham Council)

Amanda added: "Both patterns were positively identified as Lincrusta thanks to a surviving trade catalogue from the 1890s. 

"On the back of the floral paper we were then astonished to find fragments stamped with the Lincrusta Walton trademark and what we believe is the production date, November 2, 1891.

"This is the first time we have ever witnessed this - it's an incredibly rare find. We believe the Lincrusta installation at Royton Town Hall took place around this time - late 1891 to early 1892."

The cleaning of the Lincrusta (Image: Frank Holmes Fine Decor)

Frank cleaned and stabilised the original pieces of Lincrusta and then used them to produce moulds of each heritage design.

From these, he handmade 75 replica panels to make the repairs and reinstate the Lincrusta wallpaper around the entire room at the town hall.

The room is now known as the Lincrusta Room and will be used for council and community meetings.

The Lincrusta Room (Image: Oldham Council)

Frank said: "It was a really special discovery and one which we won't forget. It's been a pleasure working on Royton Town Hall and we're delighted to have uncovered this history for future generations."

"This is what the project is all about"

The town hall and library has had many visitors since reopening last month, with the council saying that reaction from residents has been positive.

The restoration included repairs to the historic clock tower and copper roof, the demolition of external extensions which were not in keeping with the original design, and a full interior refurbishment, including accessibility improvements such as a new lift and Changing Places Toilet.

The town hall reopened in September (Image: Oldham Council)

Cllr Arooj Shah, leader of Oldham Council, said: "I'm delighted residents are enjoying their newly restored town hall and library - this is what the project is all about.

"Many hours of skill and care has gone into bringing the building back to life and my thanks goes to all the teams who worked on the restoration.

The new library (Image: Oldham Council)

"We know these buildings matter to our communities, and we're proud to invest in them, so they can continue to be at the heart of our towns for another 100 years and more."

Royton Town Hall was opened as a dedicated municipal building in September 1880, by James Ashworth, the first Chairman of Royton Local Board of Health while the adjacent Carnegie library opened in 1907.