A historic manor house in one of Stockport’s most idyllic villages is currently on the market, and we’re a little bit obsessed with it.
The only thing is, you’ll just need the small matter of £1.6 million before it’s yours.
Of course, it goes without saying that the vast majority of people reading this article won’t have £1.6 million just sitting in their bank account, and that properties of this size and stature are not the kind we’ll ever get to call home, so the next best thing we can do is just snoop around on good old Rightmove and have a nosey at all the jaw-dropping pictures instead.
Like us, if you’ve got no shame in admitting that one of your favourite internet pastimes is looking up houses you can’t afford in places you’ll probably never live, then allow us to introduce you to this absolute stunner.
We’re talking Georgian manor with six bedrooms, a separate annexe, picturesque views of the surrounding countryside, and described as being “truly distinctive”, kind of ‘stunner’.
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And, surprisingly, it’s only in Stockport… yes, Stockport.
This stunning manor house in Stockport is surrounded by countryside and on the market for £1.6m / Credit: Julian Wadden
This is Lower Hall.
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Located in Mellor – which is one of the borough’s most affluent and sought-after neighbourhoods that’s known for combining the best of rural living, while still being conveniently close to a wide range of amenities, excellent local schools, and transport links across Greater Manchester and beyond – estate agents say the six-bedroom home is nothing short of an “exquisite landmark residence”, and has so much to offer prospective buyers.
Tucked away behind the gates of a private sweeping driveway and nestled within expansive grounds, Lower Hall boasts generously-proportioned living spaces that are both brimming with character, and adaptable for modern life at the same time.
The main house itself is filled with beautiful Georgian period features throughout, including a grand entrance porch and hallway adorned with stone flooring, original bannisters, vaulted ceilings, sash windows, and roaring open fireplaces.
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It’s located in one of Stockport’s most sought-after and affluent villages / Credit: Julian Wadden
A bespoke fitted kitchen with wooden units and elegant granite worktops, formal dining and sitting rooms looking out onto the manicured gardens, a cosy snug with its own fireplace, a practical ‘boot room’, and an absolutely jaw-dropping garden room with plants draping from the ceilings, are just some of the stand-out living spaces on the ground floor.
When you make your way up one of the two staircases leading to the first floor, here is where you’ll find the six spacious bedrooms – including the master double bedroom which has open vaulted ceilings and built-in wardrobes.
The property boasts several en-suites, downstairs WCs, and a large bathroom fit for all the family.
Adjacent to the main house is the separate self-contained annexe, which offers up its own sitting room, an extended garden room, a kitchen, and a shower room on the ground floor, with a double bedroom on the first floor.
The property is brimming with original Georgian period features throughout / Credit: Julian Wadden
The outside of the property is just as impressive as the inside too.
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As mentioned, a grand gated driveway meanders from Church Road through the property’s grounds to a spacious parking area suitable for several vehicles to the rear.
The front formal gardens offer what estate agents call “captivating countryside vistas”, while the rear gardens feature lawned areas and patio seating spaces, which make ideal spots to entertain guests, or just to sit and bask in the summer sunshine.
Lower Hall is currently on the market with Stockport-based independent estate agents, Julian Wadden, for a whopping £1.6 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 nosey at the Rightmove link here.
Featured Image – Julian Wadden
Property
Plans approved for new ‘first of its kind’ majority LGBTQ+ housing scheme for over 55s in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Plans have been approved for the UK’s ‘first of its kind’ purpose-built majority LGBTQ+ social rent housing scheme for over 55s in Manchester.
Great Places Housing Group’s proposals for the site of the former Spire Hospital on Russell Road in Whalley Range – a brownfield site which has been vacant since the hospital was demolished in September 2019 – were approved at Manchester City Council’s planning meeting last week (26 September).
The plans for the majority LGBTQ+ ‘Extra Care’ housing scheme have been co-produced in partnership with the Russell Road Community Steering Group, Manchester City Council, and LGBT Foundation.
According to developers and the Council, this newly-approved development will be made up of 80 one and two-bedroom apartments for older people within a “high-quality sustainable building offering a safe and welcoming feel and inviting presence”.
Designed to “respect the surrounding conservation area”, the low-carbon scheme will also include several shared communal facilities too – including lounges, treatment rooms, and landscaped gardens.
The site will also include a neighbouring development of 40 shared ownership homes.
Plans have been approved for a new ‘first of its kind’ majority LGBTQ+ housing scheme in Manchester / Credit: John Walding (via Great Places Housing Group)
Greater Manchester‘s Extra Care housing schemes are all about increasing the opportunities for older people to move into high-quality accommodation across our region – with all the residents at Russell Road therefore being aged 55 or over.
The majority of residents at the development will also be members of the LGBTQ+ community from Manchester, and they will live alongside allies in what developers and the Council are aiming to be an “open and inclusive place of psychological safety”.
Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said the approval of the plans is “a real celebratory moment” and a “landmark development in every sense”.
He continued: “[This development] has been in the works for some years and is designed to meet a clear need for quality, social rent housing for LGBTQ+ older people to live in safety, dignity, and as part of a welcoming and supportive community.
“We have helped build hundreds of Extra Care homes across Manchester in recent years to meet demand for older people to live in their later lives, many with care needs provided on site, but this is the first purpose-built LGBTQ+ majority Extra Care community in the UK”.
Work on the new development – which will be funded by Great Places, complimented by grant funding from Homes England, and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Brownfield Housing Fund – will begin later this year, the Council has confirmed.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
Property
The vision to turn familiar Manchester tower into a beautiful new hotel
Daisy Jackson
Plans are beginning to take shape to turn a landmark building in Manchester’s NOMA neighbourhood into a beautiful new hotel.
New Century House – the Grade II-listed, 14-storey tower next to New Century Hall – could be transformed into a 196-bedroom luxury hotel.
And if it all goes ahead as planned, that might mean a new rooftop restaurant and bar.
The huge 1960s building has a classic modernist design and is a familiar sight in the Manchester city centre skyline.
Now MEPC, the Development and Asset Manager for the NOMA estate, is working with hotel and leisure specialist practice Jenics to secure a hotel partner to see the plans brought to life.
The former Co-operative Insurance Society, later The Co-operative Group, could be transformed into an hotel with views across the city.
The proposals at this stage include restaurant and bar spaces, plus conference and leisure facilities.
It would be at the heart of the NOMA neighbourhood, just a stone’s throw from the AO Arena, Manchester Victoria, and all the local businesses that have sprung up, from The Sadler’s Cat pub to the reborn New Century Hall music venue and food hall.
Plans for the new hotel include a sky-high restaurant space. Credit: NOMAThe new hotel would have great views of Manchester. Credit: NOMA
The area is also home to the already-acclaimed and Michelin-recommended Skof restaurant.
NOMA is already home to businesses including Amazon, The Co-operative Group, ath-leisure brand Adanola, Material Source, and Arcadis IBI Group.
Once a hotel partner is secured, MEPC and Jenics will submit a formal planning proposal to Manchester City Council.
Dan Hyde, development director at MEPC, developer and asset manager at NOMA said: “New Century House is a Manchester landmark and we believe now is the right time to bring it back to life as a hotel.
New Century House is a landmark in NOMA. Credit: NOMAThe building could become a hotel. Credit: NOMA
“It’s a natural next step for our growing neighbourhood with the building located either side of BNY at 4 Angel Square and the destination venue of New Century Hall.”
Jeremy Collins of Jenics added: “Manchester has huge international visitor pull thanks to its global connectivity, world-leading universities and sporting and cultural assets.
“New Century House is a rare and outstanding opportunity and will be a tremendous addition to Manchester’s visitor economy offer, both from a business and leisure perspective.
“NOMA has adopted a flexible approach to secure a ‘best fit’ occupier by way of either a virtual freehold sale or lease disposal. This approach will drive positive interest from a range of operators.”
Emily Sergeant -
14th May 2024 
