An iconic figure on the Manchester music scene from the 1960s has just put his Grade II listed Cheshire home up for sale and it looks absolutely incredible.
Dating back to the 18th century, Hulgrave Hall is owned by Keith Hopwood.
Mr Hopwood – from Davyhulme – was one of the founding members of Manchester band Herman’s Hermits, where he provided rhythm guitar and backing vocals for the popular band who had a hit No. 1 single with their chart debut ‘I’m Into Something Good’ in 1964 and sold in excess of 80 million records.
Hopwood has since turned his hand to music production, meaning Hulgrave Hall’s dedicated recording studio has been used by a fair few famous names over the years.
Sitting in 10 acres of stunning Cheshire countryside, the tastefully-decorated five-bedroom property – which is located in Tiverton, near Tarporley in Cheshire – is set against the backdrop of the stunning Beeston and Peckforton castles.
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The country home – which offers manicured gardens and traditional Georgian architecture – includes a main house which extends across three levels and a separate cottage, plus the two-storey barn building which houses the studio and office.
Other outbuildings include a separate gym and a dedicated workshop.
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It boasts plenty of original period features throughout, with exposed wooden beams and rustic stone fireplaces, along with a library, dining room, drawing room and wine cellars too.
Rightmove / Jackson-Stops
Not only is it an impressive property visually, but as mentioned, it’s also steeped in music history.
As the base for Hopwood’s successful studio business, Pluto Music, the fully-equipped professional music room has seen bands including The Clash and The Smiths make use of the services over the years, and the studio has composed music for TV productions such as The Wind in the Willows, The BFG and Bob the Builder, among many others.
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Keith Hopwood told the MEN: “My family and I have lived in Hulgrave Hall for the past three decades. It’s been the most fantastic home for us and ticked all the boxes in terms of what we were looking for – a large outdoor garden and entertaining area, my own studio space, many original property features and beautiful views from the grounds.
“The minute we saw this property we fell in love – it was perfect for us.
“We’ve had a few famous faces on the grounds over the years, including Jason Donovan, Neil Morrissey and Stacey Soloman, however, before all that the property was actually a working Georgian farm, and then renowned for equestrian and racehorse training – even housed famous racehorse Red Rum in the stables for a short time.
“It’s a great location as well, with easy access to neighbouring villages and not too far to commute to and from London, when needed.
“We’re sad to be leaving but I’m sure that the next homeowners will love this home just as much as we have.”
Hulgrave Hall is currently on the market with Chester-based estate agent Jackson-Stops for £1.75m.
You can find the full property listing on Rightmove here.
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Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
You can now have a private sleepover amongst all the history inside Manchester Museum
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum is now offering one lucky family the chance to have a sleepover with Stan the Tyrannosaurus rex.
For the first time in Manchester Museum’s history, one lucky family will be given the chance to experience an incredible night at the museum.
This unique opportunity is being offered as part of a prize draw, allowing visitors to find out what happens once the sun goes down inside the Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery – in the company of Stan, the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, of course.
The Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery is one of the most iconic spaces within Manchester Museum.
Having opened to the public all the way back in 1888, it’s part of the museum’s original building designed by celebrated Alfred Waterhouse, who also designed Manchester Town Hall and London’s Natural History Museum.
Not only will the lucky winning family enjoy an overnight stay in the gallery, but they’ll also be treated to a guided torchlight tour of the galleries after the Museum has closed, as well as other fun activities and a film screening too before bed.
You can now have a private sleepover inside Manchester Museum / Credit: The Manc Group
“We can’t be completely sure what happens when the sun goes down in our Fossils and Dinosaurs gallery, because nobody has ever spent the night in there before, but we can only imagine the kind of fun that can be had with Stan the T. rex and his friends,” said Dean Whiteside, Head of Commercial and Operations at Manchester Museum.
“This is a chance to be a part of museum history and enjoy the kind of once-in-a-lifetime experience you can’t usually buy.
“At the same time, Manchester Museum is a charity so, by getting behind this initiative, you’ll be helping to support vital work that impacts the lives of people across Greater Manchester and beyond.”
Fancy it then? You can enter the prize draw by buying a ticket for £5 from the Manchester Museum Shop, with each ticket counting as one entry and the winner set to be chosen at random from all valid entries.
The prize draw is now open and closes on Monday 28 September 2026.
Emily Sergeant -
5th October 2020 
