Halifax's Piece Hall records 5m visitors since reopening

A renovated 18th Century cloth trading hall has recorded five million visitors in the two years since it reopened.

The Grade I-listed Piece Hall in the centre of Halifax was built in 1779. It was given a multi-million pound facelift and reopened in August 2017.

The units in the arcades, once used for storing and trading "pieces" of cloth, now house shops, cafes and offices around a refurbished courtyard.

Visitor figures had been forecast at 1.6m a year.

Nicky Chance-Thompson, the chief executive of the charitable trust that runs the attraction, said: "I'm delighted with year two, the figures are fantastic and the profile of Piece Hall has never been higher.

"It has really been the start of something quite incredible for Halifax."

The hall reflects the historic role played by the woollen trade in and around Halifax and had also been used as a wholesale marketplace. During the 1970s the building came close to being demolished.

Since its restoration, the Georgian building has featured as a backdrop to BBC One's Antiques Roadshow, the Tour de Yorkshire cycling race, and hosted concerts by Embrace and Elbow among others.

The trust recorded a higher than expected deficit in March of more than £850,000 in the first year after it reopened. The figures for the second year have not yet been released.

Ms Chance-Thompson said: "It wasn't designed as a cash cow and to make lots of money in its own right, the real reason for the regeneration was to create a multiplier that goes into the local economy.

"I am told we are achieving our purpose."

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