Baguley Hall, a striking medieval manor house and rich part of Manchester’s cultural heritage, is now up for sale and is said to be one of the region’s oldest buildings.
Historic Baguley Hall was built all the way back in the 1300s and nearly 900 years later, this majestic Manc structure is still standing and has now been put on the market in an effort to preserve its future for generations to come.
Featuring a great hall built from ‘unusual’ timber, tall mullioned windows that hark back to the centuries gone by and a renewed stone slate roof, it’s quite the landmark.
Once a manor house, then thought to have been turned into a farmhouse and now simply sat unused, you can practically see the history.
It’s after the family of the same name. (Credit: Colliers)
Put up for sale by property firm Colliers, they are now inviting offers for people to buy the freehold or start a lease on the 14th-century gem located not too far from Manchester Airport.
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With Historic England – the public body that helps maintain and celebrate some of the nation’s most beloved buildings and cultural sites – having recently completed a number of repairs, the hope is that Grade I-listed buildings won’t just be kept intact but given a whole new lease of life.
Situated on a two-acre plot in a popular residential area, it’s considered one of the finest halls in the North West, and plans to further revitalise the space with new functions have already been floated.
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There’s even talk of transforming the space into a food-based pub (with or without bedrooms), a boutique hotel, an events centre and various other possibilities open to interested parties.
It has a medieval north wing, remodelled in the 17th century, a 16th-century porch and an early 17th-century south wing.
Will Tait, Associate Director in Colliers’ Licensed and Leisure team, who is handling the sale commented: “Baguley Hall is a fantastic opportunity to acquire a truly special historic building. We think it is well-suited, because of its layout and location, for various uses, including hospitality.
“Historic England is seeking to transfer the freehold or a long leasehold to a company that will restore and operate the building in a sympathetic way, in keeping with its grade I listing, and will enable the public to access it on at least an occasional basis.”
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Catherine Dewar, North West Regional Director at Historic England, added: “Baguley Hall is a South Manchester historic gem. Standing for nearly 900 years, it boasts the most incredible great hall with tall, mullioned windows and an unusual timber frame.
“We’re looking forward to working with Colliers to find prospective buyers or long-term tenants to find an exciting new use for this stunning site.” Here’s hoping someone will step in and carry on its legacy.
Transformational plans set to be approved for ‘major’ new Manchester city centre park
Emily Sergeant
‘Transformational’ plans to regenerate an underused Manchester city centre site are set to be approved next week.
Following ‘overwhelming’ public support for proposals set out in a public consultation earlier this year – where more than 90% of respondents supported the key principles – Manchester City Council says its executive is expected approve an ambitious vision for the Water Street neighbourhood at a meeting next week (Weds 8 July).
The Water Street Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) is set to create a city centre district developed around a new urban park.
The SRF is described as being a ‘high-level blueprint’ for future investment that will guide development through the planning process.
The plans are comprised of a new landscape-led neighbourhood that combines homes – including 20% of them being ‘affordable’ – improved public spaces, enhanced walking and cycling connections, and ‘significant’ new green infrastructure centred around the River Medlock.
Sustainability was highlighted as an area of importance to local residents in the consultation, and to meet these demands, the plans include increased biodiversity, sustainable drainage features, and a largely car-free neighbourhood to support Manchester’s zero-carbon ambitions, as well as the new urban park being at the heart of it all.
The new neighbourhood will also offer plenty of new jobs, skills, and investment opportunities.
“The wider Water Street area has seen major regeneration in recent years with world-class investment at St John’s and Aviva Studios on its doorstep, alongside impressive residential developments,” explained Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and regeneration.
“This renewed regeneration framework will help guide investment to bring this area up to the same ambitious level with new housing, including affordable housing to create an inclusive new neighbourhood, complemented by a brand-new city centre urban park.”
Featured Image – Manchester City Council (Supplied)
Property
UK’s most popular commuter towns named and four are in Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
The UK’s most popular commuter towns have been named, and four of them are here in Greater Manchester.
Where are the most popular commuter towns in the UK right now?
Well, new data collated based on the number of people enquiring about available properties on Rightmove has revealed the locations where buyer demand is highest, and with Manchester being one of the largest cities in the country, of course there’s some Greater Manchester towns on the list.
Rightmove says that choosing the best commuter town requires buyers to balance a number of factors – including property prices, travel times, and local lifestyle.
To narrow it down, the property platform has chosen to focus on commuter towns within a 45-minute rail journey to the target city, and with at least 20,000 people living there.
For Manchester, it’s Stockport that’s taken the title as the city’s most popular commuter town, as amazinly, it generated 70% more enquiries per listing than Manchester itself.
The UK’s most popular commuter towns have been named / Credit: James Feaver (via Unsplash) | Manchester City Council
Being just an eight-minute journey from Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport has an average property price of £308,299.
Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, the picturesque Stockport town of Marple takes second spot on the list, while the Tameside town of Stalybridge comes in third place, and Rochdale also features in the top five, alongside Warrington – which is just outside of our region’s borders, but is only a short 22-minute train journey into the city centre.
Transport options is obviously one of the most important factors in what makes a town a so-called ‘commuter town’.
Stockport benefits from around six fast trains per hour, while Stalybridge and Rochdale offer four per hour. Marple is less frequent at two per hour but still attracts strong interest, likely due to its lifestyle appeal and stunning setting on the edge of the Peak District.
Price growth has been strong across most of the Manchester commuter towns, with Stalybridge (+6.1%) and Rochdale (+5.8%) seeing notable increases year-on-year.
However, average prices for four out of the five commuter locations on the list were higher than the average Manchester property price (£261,891), suggesting that lifestyle factors were a stronger draw for Manchester’s surrounding towns.
Danny Jones -
26th May 2024 
