WEDDING ceremonies have now been moved from the historic Mere Hall into Bolton Town Hall.

It was announced in October, 2016 that Bolton Council’s registration service would be moving to the Albert Halls section of the town hall, which recently underwent a £6.5 million refurbishment.

Two rooms will be available on the ground floor for marriage and civil partnership ceremonies: the Queen Elizabeth II room, which can accommodate around 50 people, or the Prince Wales room, which caters for a private ceremony for two.

The decision to move the registrars from the Victorian listed building just outside the town centre so that weddings can be hosted in their entirety in the town hall venue.

It was initially expected that the move would take place in early 2017, but has not been completed until this week.

No jobs have been affected by the changes and the council is looking at other potential new uses for Mere Hall.

Deputy council leader, Cllr Ebrahim Adia, said: “We are pleased to be able to offer a full service to register marriages and civil partnerships and provide an amazing venue to hold them in, in a central location.

“It will give people the chance to have their special ceremony inside our iconic town hall, in the beautifully refurbished Albert Halls.”

Mere Hall was bequeathed to the town of Bolton in 1890 by its then owner JP Thomasson and was turned into a popular museum and library.

Th Grade II listed mansion, surrounded by landscape gardens, was built in 1836 by Benjamin Dobson.

In 1996, it underwent a £1 million refurbishment after years of neglect, and Bolton Registrar Office moved there from Paderborn House in the centre of town.