A basement conversion which came with a lot of history, Rockcliffe House which is situated at Wesley Place in Bacup was originally home to the Maden family. It was built in 1866 by John Maden; he was a cotton spinner and manufacturer.

At the tender age of twenty he married Miss Alice Ackroyd, on doing so his current home couldn’t support the two families and so he changed jobs. It became one of the stories of his life; he became passionate about telling the story about saving his first £5.00.

He went into partnership in 1937 and built many mills, buying looms for around £1.00 each. His business boomed and many more mills were opened. Unfortunately John Maden died on January 7th 1869 after losing his battle with a long and lingering illness. His son carried on the business and in 1878 married his house keeper Martha Darlington.


They never had any legitimate children who survived it through infancy but Henry did have an illegitimate son, John Henry Kay whose name was later changed to John Henry Maden. He entered the family business on the death of Henry.

It is Rockcliffe House, home of the Maden family which is now being converted into a private home. This will include full basement renovations which will include cinema rooms, offices and other much needed spaces which can be utilised.

Basement Living visited the site to assess the situation, the basement waterproofing plan was devised and our damp proof membranes applied to the walls. This is an extremely prestigious basement conversion; the utter respect which the community of Bacup had for the Maden Family was truly outstanding.

After basement finishing has occurred this absolutely stunning house will benefit from basement space which private home owner can really appreciate.

Home cinema's and offices are a common request for many who choose to have a basement conversion. In addition home gyms and even swimming pools and sauna rooms are a common request.

If you are thinking about basement conversion then ensure you contact the professionals. Basement conversion is no laughing matter; ensure your basement contractor is working in line with BS 8102:2009 and that his work comes with an insurance backed guarantee to cover yourself should the worst happen.

For more information contact Basement Living on 0845 4006666 or

email: info@basement-living.co.uk

www.basement-living.co.uk