In July 2025, Bolton School embarked on an important restoration project focused on the South Wing of the Boys’ Division. This work is now two-thirds complete and on track to conclude later this summer.
A team of skilled craftsmen from have been working with painstaking care to clean, repair and replace the stonework of the historic South Wing. During the course of the Summer Term, the top layer of scaffolding will be removed, revealing the first level of completed works at the roofline and immediately below.
Work will continue throughout the Summer Term, moving down the elevation and working very early in the mornings to ensure examinations are not disrupted.
The stonework restoration is part of the Governors’ long-term project to preserve Bolton School’s iconic Grade II listed sandstone buildings for future generations of pupils, ensuring that they remain in good condition as they enter their second century of use. Phase one of the project began back in 2015 and, since then, restoration work has been completed on the Boys’ Division East Wing (facing the Dobson Road Quad), alongside other urgent masonry restoration across other parts of the Chorley New Road site.
The ongoing restoration of the Boys’ Division South Wing mark the second phase of the project. Specialist historic building consultants and architects were involved in the planning of the project, which received full Planning and Listed Building Consent, and in school arrangements were made to ensure where would be no disruption to teaching and pupil activities during term time.
The Boys’ Division South Wing restoration is on schedule to be completed as planned in August 2026. The principle contractors for the contract are Mather and Ellis, a specialist stone masonry firm.
The restoration works so far:
