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
Inside the regal Cheshire home for sale on one of Britain’s most expensive roads
Emily Sergeant
A stunning detached family home on one of Britain’s most expensive roads is currently on the market over in Cheshire.
In case you hadn’t heard, a recent report by The Times has revealed where you’ll find Britain’s top 20 most expensive roads for 2026, based off Rightmove data, and Congleton Road in Alderley Edge – slap bang in the middle of Cheshire’s iconic ‘Golden Triangle’ – has appeared in the top five most expensive outside of London.
So we snooped around to see what your money (… or your hypothetical money, at least) can get you on this street, and came across a regal residence currently for sale for a whopping £4.95 million.
This is Highclere – a six-bedroom detached family home occupying a private plot of over 1.3 acres and enjoying panoramic views across the adjoining Cheshire countryside.
This is Highclere – a stunning family home on one of Britain’s most expensive roads / Credit: Andrew J Nowell
Approached behind electric gates, and set back along a sweeping driveway, estate agents say Highclere has been ‘carefully and tastefully’ renovated by the current owners.
It now offers ‘spacious and versatile’ accommodation, and benefits from being within easy reach of Alderley Edge village centre and all the amenities it’s known and loved for.
Some of the stand-out features include an impressive reception hall with large sweeping staircase, open living kitchen with a large central island, large bedrooms, and a full leisure suite with a pool, jacuzzi, steam room, and showers.
There’s also a dedicated bar area, a games room, cinema room, and a gym.
Upstairs is where you’ll find what is described as the ‘unparallelled’ principal bedroom suite with two large dressing rooms, its own living area, en-suite bathroom, and a powder room, as well as four other large bedrooms.
Just as you’d expect, the outside of Highclere is as impressive as the inside.
The property is set within a private plot of over 1.3 acres enjoying panoramic views / Credit: Andrew J Nowell
Not only are there expansive terraced lawns with mature trees and shrubs and two large courtyards perfect for outdoor entertaining, but there is also a large driveway providing off-road parking for multiple vehicles and a detached double garage converted into annexe accomodation.
This property is currently on the market with Alderley Edge-based independent estate agents, Andrew J Nowell, for a Guide Price of £4.95 million, and if you fancy taking a closer look, then you can contact the agents to arrange a viewing.
Or you could just take the cheaper route instead and have a nosy at the Rightmove link here.
Featured Image – Andrew J Nowell
Property
Manchester rent is now ‘41% more expensive than five years ago, according to a recent study
Danny Jones
Yes, that’s right, as per some of the latest data on leased housing in central Manchester, it’s now approximately 41% more expensive to rent here than it was half a decade ago.
If you’ve lived in and around the city centre for long enough, chances are that you’ve already been feeling that difference, especially of late.
The ongoing cost-of-living crisis roughly began in 2021, following the economy and the world essentially opening back up after multiple lockdowns, so it’s little surprise that new research has shown affordability when it comes to renting has been on a slump ever since, too.
As well as the price of seemingly most things in everyday life going up post-pandemic, the average rental rate for even just a one-bedroom flat/apartment has jumped up significantly between 2020 and 2025.
Even some ‘available’ housing in town is being hampered by claddin (Credit: Valienne via WikiCommons)
That’s according to the numbers crunched by credit card experts, Zable, anyway.
Not only did their recent report cite the rent prices going up even before the cost of living crisis – essentially following the outset of the Covid-19 outbreak – but if their figures, the rate of inflation and the unwaveringly high demand for housing are anything to go by, this trajectory is likely to continue in 2026.
As of February this year, around one in three UK households is now a single-person occupancy, which already comes with its challenges (the Manchester City Council tax discount being a thin lifeline for countless), not to mention energy bills and the cost of groceries continuing on an upwards trend.
Put in the simplest and most reductive terms, it’s now almost £300 dearer for most people to live on their own than it was back in 2020, and besides Liverpool clocking in as second on the list of increasingly expensive cities to live (a 42.12% increase), Manchester came in third.
You can see the full table down below:
Rank
City
% increase – 2020-2025
Difference from 2020 to 2025 in £
Average rental cost for a 1 bed 2025
1
Newport
47.39%
£2,611
£8,121
2
Liverpool
42.12%
£2,290
£7,727
3
Manchester
41.00%
£3,364
£11,569
4
Edinburgh
40.28%
£4,620
£16,090
5
Leicester
39.93%
£2,391
£8,379
6
Wolverhampton
39.22%
£2,049
£7,273
7
Nottingham
39.07%
£2,400
£8,543
8
Glasgow
38.02%
£2,679
£9,725
9
Colchester
37.63%
£2,617
£9,572
10
Cardiff
37.06%
£2,828
Average rental cost for a 1-bed 2025
Another fear is that with lots of people finding it hard to manage living in other major cities like London, even those moving to Manchester are also having an impact on how available affordable housing is here.
That’s why schemes such as the new ‘social rent’ development over in Wythenshawe are so important to the current generations of renters, with the possibility of owning your own property in the future becoming increasingly difficult for so many.
It’s also worth noting that Manchester ranked fourth among the British locations where the cost of living is said to have increased the most over the past five years, with the average difference in annual spend growing by an estimated 22.84%.
Emily Sergeant -
14th May 2024 
