One of Manchester city centre’s very few townhouses has gone up for rent – and unsurprisingly, this Georgian beauty is one of the most expensive in the city.
The four-storey house is one of only a handful of properties like this in the city centre, which is otherwise packed with apartments.
The historic townhouses along St John Street date all the way back to 1785, but have spent most of their lives as commercial spaces.
In fact, until they were restored back to residential buildings in recent years, these brick-fronted properties haven’t been used as houses since around 1850.
And although it’ll cost a pricey £10,000 per month to live here, you get a lot of house for your money.
ADVERTISEMENT
With three bedrooms, two reception rooms, two bathrooms and a roof terrace, across 1,700 sq ft of living space, you’ll have plenty of space.
Then there’s the location too – you’re right off Deansgate in the heart of the city centre, but also just a short walk from St John’s Gardens.
ADVERTISEMENT
The main reception room The contemporary kitchenA bespoke bar in the basementThe TV lounge in the basement
The street of Georgian townhouses is the main reason for the creation of Manchester’s St John Street Conservation Area, so you know you’re not going to wake up with another skyscraper on your doorstep.
Listed as ‘one of the finest houses in Manchester’, the townhouse has undergone a stunning refurbishment to bring it up to scratch.
The basement has been restored to create extra living space, with an entertaining space complete with a bespoke bar, a TV room, a private terrace and a utility room.
ADVERTISEMENT
Then on the ground floor there’s a bespoke, contemporary kitchen which still has the building’s original fireplaces, and a bright and sunny lounge.
There are three double bedrooms, two of which have bespoke en suite bathrooms, and a private terrace from the top floor.
The restoration of the townhouse that’s for rent has had ‘no expense spared’, and includes materials like marble cloud tiling with underfloor heating.
One of the townhouses’s three bedroomsA bathroom inside the Georgian townhouse in ManchesterThe views from the roof terrace
The home’s £10,000 a month price tag (it’s currently listed with Reside Manchester) puts it near the top end of the city centre’s more luxury market, though it’s a way off being the most expensive currently on the market.
The most expensive rental property currently on the market remains Phil Neville’s penthouse apartment in Beetham Tower, currently listed at £18,000 a month.
ADVERTISEMENT
There’s also an incredible penthouse off St Mary’s Parsonage for £13,500.
And also sitting in the £10k price bracket is a three-bedroom penthouse in Renaker’s new The Blade building.
In a rapidly-growing city of new builds and skyscrapers, this Georgian townhouse is a rare chance to live somewhere with real Manchester history.
The top 10 ‘happiest’ places to live in the North West in 2026 have been named
Emily Sergeant
The top 10 happiest places to live in the North West have been named for 2026.
It comes as Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index this week, just as it has done for the last 14 years now, exploring exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlighting the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year – with thousands of residents across more than 200 locations providing feedback.
The residents told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community, from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.
The survey also outlined the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.
So, when it comes to the North West as a whole then, where do we have in the top 10?
Well, to kick things off, you may have already seen that one Lancashire market town has earned its place in the top 10 nationwide, not just for the North West region – and that’s Chorley.
Closest to the Bolton and Wigan boroughs, Chorley – which is is about a 40-minute drive outside of Manchester, and sits on a direct train route into the city centre.
But aside from the national top 10, when it comes to the regional top 10, the next two towns following Chorley in second and third are both in Greater Manchester.
The North West’s top 10 happiest places to live 2026
Chorley
Stockport
Altrincham
Chester
Macclesfield
Southport
Kendal
Wirral
Northwich
Carlisle
Altrincham has been named one of the North West’s happiest places to live / Credit: The Manc Group
The ever-thriving Stockport comes in at number two, followed by Trafford favourite Altrincham directly behind it at number three.
Other of the region’s inclusions like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and the Manchester borough itself all ranked towards the bottom.
Speaking on this year’s list, Colleen Babcock – a property expert at Rightmove – explained: “The balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important.
“This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”
Featured Image – Roger Kidd (via Wikimedia Commons)
Property
Inside the most EXPENSIVE house on the market in one of Greater Manchester’s poshest villages
Emily Sergeant
Fancy a look behind the doors of what is currently the most expensive house on the market in Greater Manchester?
A houses in one of the region’s poshest – if not, the poshest – villages? A house with the most regal interiors and expansive landscaped gardens? A house with an indoor swimming pool, its own cinema room, and leisure suite with a gym and sauna? Of course you do, you’d be silly not to.
The only things is, you’ll just need the small matter of £9.5 million if you want to buy it.
Of course, it goes without saying that the vast majority of people reading this article won’t have £9.5 million just sitting in their bank accounts right now… but, if like us, you love having a nosy inside houses you can’t afford in places you’ll probably never live, then allow us to introduce you to this absolute beauty called Hill Top.
Hill Top is a stunning six-bedroom detached residence in the highly sought-after Trafford village of Hale, currently sitting as the most expensive house on the market in the region.
This is Hill Top, the most expensive house in Greater Manchester / Credit: Gascoigne Halman
Although a new build that was only completed back in 2015, the property has been carefully considered and constructed in the Queen Ann architectural style – which is widely seen throughout the area – to make sure the home stands out while still sitting in harmony with its surroundings.
Sitting on an acre plot at the end of a gated driveway, Hill Top benefits from being within walking distance of all the amenities, excellent local schools, and convenient transport links that make Hale such a desirable place to live.
Estate agents describe it as being full of ‘character and architectural interest’, but with the warmth and charm of a traditional family home.
It’s full of state-of-the-art design features / Credit: Gascoigne Halman
Some of the property’s stand-out features include a Portico stone front porch leading to a grand central staircase, a bespoke designed kitchen with premium integrated appliances, several spacious reception rooms, hardwood sash windows, and Chesney’s fireplaces, as well as the aforementioned leisure suite with a gym, sauna, steam room, and treatment room in the basement space.
Oh, and how could we forget, the indoor swimming pool too?
State-of-the-art technology is seamlessly woven into the design of the house too. We’re talking intelligent underfloor heating, integrated air conditioning, fully customisable multimedia and lighting systems, and an advanced security and CCTV network.
The outside of Hill Top is just as impressive as the inside too, with stunning landscaped gardens by Barnes Walker rounding out why this is one of the most desirable places to live in the region.
The outside is just as impressive as the inside / Credit: Gascoigne Halman
Hill Top is currently on the market with Hale-based estate agents, Gascoigne Halman, for a Guide Price of £9.5 million, and if you fancy taking a closer look, then you can contact the property company to arrange a viewing.
Or you could just take the cheaper route instead and have a look on Rightmove HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
5th April 2024 
