Restored manor reopens with veterans at the helm
A 19th-century house that has stood empty in Denehurst Park, Rochdale, for years has been brought back into use and will reopen this weekend as a small community café run entirely by local former armed forces personnel and their families.
The ground floor of Denehurst House will be operated by Community Interest Company Get Together After Serving (GTAS), a group set up by local veterans to provide wellbeing programmes, events and peer support. The organisation will manage the day-to-day running of the café, serving hot and cold sandwiches, cakes, breakfasts, tea and coffee, and aiming to welcome park visitors and the wider community.
- Site: Denehurst House, Denehurst Park, Rochdale
- Operator: Get Together After Serving (GTAS)
- Staffing: local veterans and family members
- Offer: sandwiches, cakes, breakfasts, tea, coffee, Friday specials
The building, which dates from the 1890s and was originally built for Alderman Robert Turner of Turner Brothers Asbestos, was donated to the town in 1932 and had fallen into disuse in recent years. Rochdale Borough Council commissioned local contractors H Bell and Sons for the renovation, and interior designers were brought in to retain and restore key period features including ornate coving and bay windows.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Construction era | 1890s |
| Donated to town | 1932 |
| Operator | GTAS (Get Together After Serving) |
| Opening | Saturday (this weekend) |
The council says the project has been important in rescuing a derelict building and giving it a new, community-focused use. It has also launched a public consultation about using the remainder of the house as accommodation for veterans, a move that would create a closer link between support services and housing for former service personnel in the borough.
“This has been a really important project for us and it’s great to see it coming to fruition,”
said Councillor Danny Meredith, cabinet member for housing and regeneration. He added that the scheme not only restored a neglected property but will be run by local veterans and their loved ones.
GTAS was established by Rochdale residents Adam Trennery, Wayne Traynor and Wayne Simms. Trennery, a director of the company and a local veteran, said the café’s location is personal to him: he lives close by and has long believed the park would benefit from a café in the house. He described the organisation as “made up to have the opportunity to open a café in this brilliant space” and said they will use the venue as a base to expand support for veterans while welcoming the wider community.
The GTAS team also plans to collaborate with other local businesses to offer special menus on Fridays, promoting a networked approach that could help small suppliers and the town centre economy. Staffing the café with veterans and family members is intended to provide meaningful roles and practical experience for people transitioning from military to civilian life.
For Rochdale residents the reopening adds a new leisure option within a public park and demonstrates the council’s willingness to invest in heritage assets that can be put to community use. If the proposals to convert part of the house into veteran accommodation proceed, the site could become a small hub of support services as well as a community meeting place.
Work on the building has focused on preserving character features while making the space fit for modern use. The approach reflects an ambition to balance conservation with practical community benefit — a live example of a historic property given a second life that residents can access without leaving the borough.
Opening day arrangements for the public will be announced locally by GTAS and the council; the group say they are looking forward to welcoming visitors and using the new base to grow their programmes for veterans in Rochdale.
