Huge ‘eyesore’ £10million mansion abandoned by the Iranian government in area popular with footballers

The mansion in an affluent area popular with footballers has been left to collapse after being abandoned by the Iranian government and has now been labeled a £10 million ‘eyesore’ by locals.

Overlooking the rolling fields of the Cheshire Lowlands, the forgotten faux-Tudor-style property has been falling into decay, surrounded by multi-million pound homes for almost two decades.

The mansion, called Brackendene, was once an impressive place with large grounds that included an outdoor swimming pool and a greenhouse. But the red-brick property now has bare windows and a backdrop of overgrown woodland and vegetation.

Located on Charcoal Road in Bowdon, Greater Manchester’s ‘quintessential English village’, it was purchased by Iran during the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in ​​the 1970s.

Bowdon is one of the villages sought after by footballers in the region, including England striker Marcus Rashford, who bought a £1.85 million property in the charming village in 2017.

Brackendene is believed to have hosted major events, including diplomatic and business meetings, within its now crumbling walls. The then-consul general once called it home.

The decrepit building was purchased in 1900 and has been officially vacant since 2010, according to Trafford Council.

But this abandonment is believed to have begun after the Islamic revolution in February 1979, according to Amir Barik, a senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University who works at the consulate.

Brackendene was once an impressive place with large grounds that included an outdoor swimming pool and greenhouse. But the red-brick mansion now stands with open windows and its grounds are overgrown with overgrown woodland and vegetation.

The uprising led to the overthrow of Pahlavi and his replacement with what became known as the Islamic Republic, headed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He was declared the country’s first Supreme Leader in December 1979, a position he held until his death ten years later.

The unnerving images come five weeks since the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Rage against Iran.

The estate’s fall from grace was facilitated by the ‘collapse of relations’ between Britain and Iran in 2005, when Iranian politicians called for diplomatic ties to be cut.

Brackendene has been ransacked over the years by vandals who have covered it with gruesome graffiti and robbed it of valuables, leaving locals in despair.

Deborah Jeffrey, who passes the house every day, said: ‘I have often thought what a magnificent property it is and wondered what it would have looked like in its time.

‘It’s a shame it’s been left this way as the land around it is stunning. It’s just waiting for someone to come along and grab it and do it in a really nice way.’

The Bowdon resident added that the derelict property had become a ‘eyesore’ in the ‘quintessential English village’.

Hope for its future was raised in 2011 after representatives of the Iranian embassy in London reportedly traveled to Trafford, Manchester, to discuss the property.

The mansion on Charcoal Road in Bowdon, Greater Manchester’s ‘quintessential English village’, was bought by Iran in the 1970s during the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Brackendene is believed to have hosted major events, including diplomatic and business meetings, within its now crumbling walls. The then-consul general once called it home. It is protected by barbed wire and the surrounding area is equipped with CCTV cameras.

However, tensions over Iran’s nuclear program have turned into violence. Hundreds of protesters attacked the British embassy in the Iranian capital Tehran over Britain’s support for further sanctions.

Britain responded by giving Iranian diplomats 48 hours to leave the country.

During this time the building was set on fire three times in 11 months, causing the upper floors to collapse into the basement.

The estimated value of the property is around £1.5 million, according to a local estate agent.

But with planning permission and specifications it could be worth around £10 million.

Trafford Council has since attempted to secure the property, which is also used as an illegal dump, and keep it off the road.

Because it is located on diplomatic land belonging to the Iranian government, it cannot obtain the necessary compulsory purchase order to purchase the land.

A compulsory purchase order (CPO) allows a public authority to acquire land without the owner’s consent.

The decrepit building was purchased in 1900 and has been officially vacant since 2010, according to Trafford Council.

Deborah Jeffrey, who passes the house every day, said the derelict property had become an ‘eyesore’ in the ‘quintessential English village’.

The council said it had held several discussions with the Iranian government regarding the ‘state of the site’ and its ‘long-term use’, ‘highlighting’ its concerns and making recommendations on ‘additional measures to ensure the security of the site’.

He added that Iranian property owners have carried out some restoration work, including the repair of the roof and several floors.

A Trafford Council spokesman said: ‘The former Consulate General House and surrounding land belongs to the Iranian Government and is governed by diplomatic procedures that limit the Council’s ability to intervene.

‘We wrote to a representative in 2024 regarding the repair of security fencing and the brick wall on the site.

‘We also discussed the urgent need to find a long-term use for Brackendene, a significant building and site in the Devisdale Conservation Area.

‘We noted that a number of rebuilding works appeared to have been carried out on the site, including the replacement of roofs and new floors, and reminded the owners that building regulations approval from the Council was required.

‘We advised the Iranian representatives to seek advice from a planning consultant and make a pre-application inquiry to the Council so that we could propose any developments they would like to undertake.

‘We will continue to press the owners of the site to carry out work to make the site safe and secure and to come up with a plan for the long-term use of the building.’

The Iranian government has been contacted for comment.