Veterans open Denehurst Park café in restored Rochdale manor 2026

Key Points

• Denehurst House, which is a manor dating back to the 19th century located in Denehurst Park in Rochdale, has been renovated and transformed into a café run by veterans.
• The café is being run by Get Together After Serving (GTAS), which is a Community Interest Company established locally by three veterans, Adam Trennery, Wayne Traynor, and Wayne Simms.
• All the employees are from the military and their family members, with the top floors reserved for housing only veterans.
• There are hot and cold sandwiches, pastries, breakfast meals, cakes, tea and coffee drinks on the menu, and there are specials every Friday which will be prepared in conjunction with businesses in the surrounding areas.
• The opening times are daily from 9am until 6pm in the summer months (May to October) and 9am until 4pm during winter months (November to April).
• The renovation project has been carried out by the Rochdale Council, with all the period features being preserved such as coving and bay windows. The building had been vacant for several years.

Rochdale ( Manchester Mirror) September 5, 2026 — Denehurst Park café has begun serving customers from the ground floor of Denehurst House, a long-vacant Victorian manor at the heart of the park, with a formal opening scheduled for Saturday, September 5. Early patrons have been enjoying “freshly made cuppas and homemade treats” ahead of the official launch, with local reporting noting that visitors “can’t wait to come back”.

The venue is operated by Get Together After Serving (GTAS), a Rochdale-based Community Interest Company set up to support veterans through wellbeing programmes, events and social gatherings. As reported by David Murphy of Roch Valley Radio, the café will be staffed entirely by ex-armed forces personnel and their families, positioning the site as both a hospitality outlet and a community base for veterans.

Who is running the new Denehurst House café?

GTAS was founded by Rochdale residents Adam Trennery, Wayne Traynor and Wayne Simms, all with ties to the armed forces, and has focused on peer support and community activities for former service members. In comments cited by Manchester Evening News, Adam Trennery, a director at GTAS and a local veteran, said:

“We are thrilled to have the chance to open a café in this wonderful location. Personally, it means a lot to me since I live nearby and have always envisioned a café in that beautiful park.”

Trennery added:

“The food and drink aspect was always lacking, so when we learned that the council was seeking café operators, we submitted a proposal. We are eager to use this space to enhance our support for veterans while also inviting the broader community.”

He said the team was “excited to get started and hope to see many local residents come by to discover what we have to offer”.

What will the café serve and when is it open?

The menu centres on café classics, including hot and cold sandwiches, pastries, breakfast items, cakes, tea and coffee. According to reporting by Manchester Evening News, the café team also aims to collaborate with nearby businesses to offer special Friday menu items, with dishes such as curry, pizza and pies under consideration.

Opening hours are set to be “generous”, with daily service from 9am to 6pm between May and October, and 9am to 4pm from November to April, as outlined by Rochdale Council and repeated across local coverage. Councillor Danny Meredith, cabinet member for housing and regeneration at Rochdale Council, said visitors could anticipate “fair” pricing alongside the extended seasonal timetable.

How was Denehurst House restored and what is its history?

Denehurst House was built in the 1890s for Alderman Robert Turner, founder of Turner Brothers Asbestos, and later donated to the town by his son Samuel Turner. The property and grounds were given to Rochdale in 1932 and the building subsequently served as council offices before falling into long-term vacancy.

Rochdale Borough Council commissioned local builders H Bell and Sons, alongside interior design specialists, to renovate the structure while retaining period features including ornate coving and bay windows, as reported by Roch Valley Radio. The council has also completed five veterans-only flats on the upper floors, with the ground floor designated for the café and community hub, according to Rochdale Council’s own announcement.

Councillor Danny Meredith told Manchester Evening News: “This project has been incredibly significant for us, and it’s fantastic to witness it coming to life. Quality cafés and facilities are always appreciated in our communities, but this one holds a special place.” He added: “Not only has this previously neglected building been beautifully restored, but it will also be managed by local veterans and their families.”

What have early visitors said about the café?

Local reporting by the Rochdale Times notes that visitors have been enjoying freshly made drinks and homemade treats ahead of the formal opening, with early feedback described as “glowing reviews”. The same outlet adds that patrons “can’t wait to come back”, indicating strong initial demand and positive word of mouth in the community.

Background to the Denehurst Park café development

The Denehurst House project follows years of delay after restoration works were completed and flood repairs carried out, with legal issues holding up the handover of the café lease, as previously reported by the Rochdale Times. In August 2026, GTAS announced it would take on the lease for the café and community hub, with directors stating: “We are so pleased, so humbled, and so proud to announce that Get Together After Serving CIC will be officially moving into the café and community hub at Denehurst House!”

The council’s plan to create veterans-only accommodation alongside a public-facing café was designed to help former military personnel adapt to civilian life while providing a sustainable community asset in Denehurst Park. With the lease signed and keys transferred, the site moved from a long-planned regeneration scheme to an operational venue in early September 2026.

Predictions: how could this development affect local residents and veterans?

The opening of a veterans-run café in a restored historic building is likely to increase footfall in Denehurst Park and provide a regular social hub for local families, park users and the veteran community. For veterans, the site offers a visible base for GTAS activities, potentially improving access to peer support, events and informal meet-ups in a familiar, non-clinical setting.

For Rochdale residents, the café fills a long-noted gap in park facilities, with the addition of affordable refreshments and extended seasonal hours expected to encourage longer visits and repeat trips. If Friday specials with local businesses develop as outlined, the venue could also stimulate collaboration with nearby traders and broaden the park’s role as a community destination. Over time, sustained use of the upper-floor veterans’ flats alongside the café may strengthen ties between the housing element and community programming, creating a stable model for similar regeneration projects in the borough.