Hopwood DePree was working with the council to restore Hopwood House. A former Hollywood star’s ambitious £13m project to restore a Lancashire stately home tied to his family’s history for over 400 years lie in ruins after he was dumped from the project and locked out of the site.
![[Hopwood DePree moved his life from sunny LA to Middleton, Greater Manchester in 2017, when he entered into an agreement with the council to restore the Hopwood Hall, a Grade II listed 1420s building.]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/16/12/GettyImages-1245448059.jpg)
Hopwood DePree, the actor-turned-restorer, left the glitz of Tinseltown behind in 2017 to embark on an ambitious project: breathing new life into the historic Hopwood Hall in Rochdale. Over the years, he worked with local volunteers to restore the Grade II listed property, gaining planning permission for a bold transformation that included a 25-bedroom hotel, outdoor cinema, giftshop and heritage trail.
![[Rochdale council decided not to renew the agreement with the actor in October, claiming there had not been sufficient progress in the hall’s restoration.]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/16/12/GettyImages-846027614.jpg)
Yet, in a bitter twist, Rochdale Borough Council has refused to renew their agreement, citing a lack of progress, leaving DePree’s dream teetering on the brink. Born in Holland, Michigan in 1970, DePree moved to Los Angeles where he attended the University of Southern California and in 1995, he produced, directed, wrote and starred in his first role as an actor. He went on to work with stars including Jennifer Connelly and four time Academy Award nominee Ed Harris before he made the move across the pond.
![[Hopwood DePree claimed he had received “full support” when he had presented a business plan to the council in July 2022.]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/16/12/GettyImages-1245447717.jpg)
As a child, his grandfather would tell him stories bedtime stories about Hopwood Hall, but he had always dismissed the tales as fiction. However, decades later he discovered it to be a real place, and realised it was still standing just five miles north of Manchester.
![[Hopwood DePree]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/16/12/GettyImages-1245447656.jpg)
