Art gallery to close for year as part of town regeneration

A Tameside art gallery will close for a year while repairs and work to improve access take place.

The doors of the Astley Cheetham Art Gallery will shut from Saturday January 25 as part of a £20m regeneration of Stalybridge town centre, of which £1.8m is ringfenced for its heritage buildings. 

“As the Art Gallery is currently only accessible via stairs, extending this cultural offer to be more inclusive and accessible is extremely important,” said a spokesperson for Tameside Council. 

“We are looking to add an internal lift to facilitate this access and make improvements to the library access.  

“Due to the historical significance of the building and high value of the artwork, we have been ensuring the appropriate surveys, recommendations and processes have been undertaken to preserve the building. “ 

The entire art collection will be transferred to a safe storage facility while the renovation takes place, with digital versions of the gallery’s highlights shared online on the council’s website and Art UK. 

Cllr Leanne Feeley, Tameside Council’s head of Lifelong Learning and Culture said: “I know how much Astley Cheetham Gallery is valued in our community and we want to make sure it can be enjoyed for generations to come.  

“The works will address essential repairs and restoration works while also future proofing the historic building and improving access, lighting and the display areas. 

“This is a really exciting time for Stalybridge as we regenerate our historical assets and further develop the cultural quarter, which is becoming a real draw for residents and visitors.  

“The gallery works are a positive step in this journey and, while I realise people will miss being able to visit the gallery while it is temporary closed, I hope they take the opportunity to enjoy some of our collection online until we are in a position to safely reopen with our improved offer.” 

The gallery was a gift to Stalybridge in 1901 from local cotton mill owner, John Frederick Cheetham and his wife Beatrice Astley. It contains a group of paintings by Denton’s Harry Rutherford, a contemporary of LS Lowry who also studied under Adolphe Valette at Manchester School of Art and was a leading figure in the ‘Northern School’ movement. 

Elsewhere, ‘extensive’ work on the roof and installation of solar panels has already finished on Stalybridge Civic Hall, with plans for internal renovations and an increase in the building’s use in the pipeline.