Hall-i'th-Wood Museum

The house was never used as a traditional gentry residence; instead, it was divided into several dwellings occupied by families working in local industry. Four distinct living units can still be identified today—each with its own entrance and staircase. During the 18th century, one section was rented by Samuel Crompton, who designed and built the first spinning mule on the premises. By around 1779, he had developed the mule-jenny, a machine capable of spinning yarn fine enough for muslin production. This invention became known as the “muslin wheel,” or the “Hall i' th' Wood wheel,” taking its name directly from the house. In 1899, Hall i' th' Wood was purchased by William Lever (later Lord Leverhulme), who oversaw its restoration with the help of Jonathan Simpson and Edward Ould. Lever gifted the property to the Bolton Corporation the following year. The hall later gained a touch of modern notoriety when an episode of the television series Most Haunted was filmed there in 2008.