THE chairman of Blackburn's Civic Society has called for one of East Lancashire's most famous buildings to be restored to its former glory.

Doug Chadwick visited Woodford Hall with fellow members of the society as part of a Heritage Open Day, which gives people the chance to visit sites no longer open to the public.

The hall, off Further Lane, Mellor, has not been lived in for more than 50 years and has fallen into a state of disrepair.

A plan to turn the venue into a multi-million pound golf club were scrapped last year, although a new plan has been submitted for the site.

Ribble Valley Borough Council's planning officers have yet to receive official notice and could not comment.

Mr Chadwick, who was joined the day-out by members of the public, said: "It's a great shame to see the hall in such a state. It is an important part of our early architectural history and it really should be enjoyed by people."

The hall was built by Henry Sudell, a prosperous merchant and Blackburn's largest employer of hand-loom weavers.

In 1877 the hall was bought by Daniel Thwaites and it was later inherited by his daughter, Elma.

Her son, Lord Alvingham, took over the hall after her death, but in 1949 its treasures were sold off and the hall slowly degenerated into a ruin and began to succumb to dry rot.

Following the visit to the hall, the group went to the Pleasington Priory.