A mansion in an affluent area popular with footballers has been left to crumble after it was abandoned by the Iranian government – and is now branded a £10million ‘eyesore’ by locals.
The forgotten mock-Tudor style property, which overlooks the rolling fields of the Cheshire Plains, has sat decaying surrounded by multi-million-pound homes for nearly two decades.
The mansion, named Brackendene, was once an impressive site with sprawling grounds, which included an outdoor swimming pool and greenhouse. Yet the red-brick property now sits with bare windows, while the grounds are blanketed by overgrown woodland and flora.
Sat on Charcoal Road in the ‘quintessential English village’ of Bowdon, Greater Manchester, it was bought by Iran in the 1970s during Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s reign.
Bowdon is one of the sought-after villages in the area by football players, which includes England striker Marcus Rashford who secured a £1.85million property in the quaint village in 2017.
Brackendene is believed to have hosted large functions – including diplomatic and trade meetings – within its now crumbling walls. While the consul-general at the time once called it home.
The decrepit building was bought in 1900 and has been officially vacant since 2010, according to Trafford Council.
Yet it is believed its abandonment began after the Islamic revolution in February 1979 according to Amir Barik, a senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University – who used to work for the consulate.
The forgotten mock-Tudor style property, which overlooks the rolling fields of the Cheshire Plains, has sat decaying surrounded by multi-million-pound homes for nearly two decades
Brackendene was once an impressive site with sprawling grounds, which included an outdoor swimming pool and greenhouse. Yet the red-brick mansion now sits with open windows, while the grounds are blanketed by overgrown woodland and flora
The uprising saw Pahlavi toppled and replaced with what would become known as the Islamic Republic, headed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He was announced as the country’s first Supreme Leader in December 1979 and kept the position until his death a decade later.
The unnerving images come with the five-week mark since the US and Israel launched their attack, named Operation Epic Fury, on Iran.
The mansion’s fall from grace was catalysed by a ‘collapse in relations’ between the UK and Iran in 2005 – as Iranian politicians called for diplomatic ties to be cut.
Brackendene was ransacked over the years by vandals who covered it with horrid graffiti and stripped it of any valuables, leaving locals in despair.
Deborah Jeffrey, who walks past the house daily, said: ‘I have often thought what an amazing property and wondered what it would have looked like in its day.
‘It is such a shame how it has been left, as the land around it is stunning. It is just waiting for someone to come along and snap it up and do it up really nicely.’
The Bowdon local added the derelict property has become an ‘eyesore’ in the ‘quintessential English village’.
Hope arose around its future in 2011 after it was reported Iranian embassy representatives from London travelled to Trafford, Greater Manchester, to discuss the property.
The mansion on Charcoal Road in the ‘quintessential English village’ of Bowdon, Greater Manchester, was bought by Iran in the 1970s during Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s reign
Brackendene is believed to have hosted large functions – including diplomatic and trade meetings – within its now crumbling walls. While the consul-general at the time once called it home. It is protected by barbed wire fencing and has CCTV cameras around the perimeter
However tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme erupted into violence. Hundreds of protesters attacked the British embassy in Iran’s capital Tehran, prompted by the UK’s support of further sanctions.
The UK responded by giving Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave the country.
During which time the building was set on fire three times in 11 months, which caused the top floors to collapse into the basement.
The property has an estimated value of around £1.5million, according to real estate agent in the region.
But it could be worth around £10million with planning permission and spec build.
Trafford Council has since attempted to secure the property, which has also been used as an illegal dumping site, and keep it out of sight from the road.
It is unable to get the needed compulsory purchase order to purchase the land due to it sitting on diplomatic land owned by the Iranian government.
A compulsory purchase order (CPO) allows a public authority to acquire land without the consent of the owner.
The decrepit building was bought in 1900 and has been officially vacant since 2010, according to Trafford Council
Deborah Jeffrey, who walks past the house daily, said the derelict property has become an ‘eyesore’ in the ‘quintessential English village’
The council said they have ‘stressed’ their concerns through various discussions with the Iranian government regarding the ‘state of the site’ and its ‘long-term use’ – including advice on ‘additional measures to secure the site’.
They added Iranian owners have carried out some restoration work, including repairs to the roof and several floors.
A spokesperson for Trafford Council said: ‘The former Consul-General’s House and the surrounding land is owned by the Iranian Government and is governed by diplomatic procedures limiting the ability of the Council to intervene.
‘In 2024 we wrote to a representative with regards to the repair of security fencing and on-site brick wall.
‘We also discussed the need to urgently find a long term use for Brackendene which is an important building and site in the Devisdale Conservation Area.
‘We noted that a number of rebuilding works appeared to have taken place on the site including re-roofing and new floors and we reminded the owners that building regulation approval was required from the Council.
‘We have recommended to Iranian representatives that they should seek advice from a planning consultant and submit a pre-application enquiry to the Council so we can advise on any proposed developments they wish to make.
‘We will continue to press the owners of the site to carry out works to make it safe and secure and to commit to a plan regarding the long-term use of the building.’
The Iranian government have been contacted for a comment.
