One of Kirklees’ finest historical buildings is opening more often this summer.
Despite a recent £190,000 revamp, Oakwell Hall at Birstall has been closed during the weekdays due to cuts to Kirklees Council’s museum’s budgets.
In March the council closed the 16th century built house, operating as a museum, for months of re-wiring and structural work.
But following the refurbishment it announced it would only be open at weekends.
At the time the council also closed the Countryside Centre at Oakwell as it could not afford to staff it.
With six weeks of school summer holidays now underway, museum staff have resumed opening on Tuesdays and Thursdays from noon to 4pm.
Oakwell Hall is furnished as a family home in the 1690s and offers visitors a real insight into a post-English Civil War household.
Clr Graham Turner, cabinet member responsible, said: “The new opening times in our museums and galleries have been designed to more efficiently meet the needs of the many visitors we welcome each year.
“By only opening at times when most people want to visit, we can concentrate our resources on delivering a service for the future and finding new ways to share our culture and history with local people and visitors.”
