A horticultural hub with a glasshouse will be created in the next phase of work at Wigan's Haigh Woodland Park
More details have been revealed about the future of the Bothy Yard at Haigh Woodland Park, as work gets under way to transform it.
Construction company HH Smith is moving onto the site of the former Haigh Zoo in the next phase of the £50m regeneration of the historic Haigh Hall and its surrounding park.
The Bothy Yard and working buildings are going to be turned into a horticultural hub, complete with training facilities, an education space and event opportunities.
Visitors will be able to explore a new glasshouse in the kitchen garden.
The house will have a heated zone for tender plants, such as bananas and pineapples, and a cooler zone for hardier plants, such as grapes and peaches.
The area will offer space for schools and education providers to use, a small shop in the yard will stock selected Haigh produce, and it will supply produce to the café and restaurant in the hall.
The transformation of this previously unused space supports the delivery of the horticulture vision, led by Haigh’s head of horticulture Dr Sylvia Travers.
Coun Chris Ready, cabinet member for communities at Wigan Council, said: “It’s great to be at the point where we’re about to see work on the Bothy Yard beginning.
“There has been so much work going on at Haigh Hall, both visibly on site and behind the scenes, so it’s brilliant to see this momentum continuing.
“The next 18 months will be transformative for the Bothy area, and when work is complete there will be so much on offer to all visitors to Haigh.
“From events to picnic space, to educational areas, there really will be something for everyone to enjoy.”
Work on the Bothy Yard and working buildings is due to be complete by spring 2027, with funding being provided by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The work is part of a £50m project at Haigh, which is aiming to transform the hall and wider estate into a world-class cultural destination.
Exterior work on the hall was completed in the summer and a planning application for permission to renovate the interior was submitted earlier this month.