Inside £13m UK mansion owned by Iranian regime ‘left to rot for 16 years’
A sprawling mock-Tudor mansion in England’s wealthy Golden Triangle has been abandoned by the Iranian government for 16 years, branded an ‘eyesore’ by locals as it continues to deteriorate
The sprawling mansion abandoned by the Iranian government(Image: undefined)
A vast mansion deserted by the Iranian government, tucked away in Cheshire’s exclusive “Golden Triangle,” has been branded an ‘eyesore’ by locals as it remains in decline.
Chilling photographs have revealed the deteriorating state of the mock-Tudor property, which has been left to rot for the last 16 years, though it might still fetch a sum of up to $13 million. Brackendene, located on Charcoal Road, Bowden, Trafford, Greater Manchester, was formerly a treasured gem of this affluent, verdant neighbourhood.
The abandoned red-brick residence commands views across the rolling countryside of the Cheshire Plains and sits surrounded by premium properties worth millions. The estate was purchased by the Islamic Middle Eastern nation during the 1970s, throughout the era of pro-Western ruler Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
The mock-Tudor structure continues to be cloaked in secrecy, although it’s understood that some of the area’s most extravagant celebrations formerly occurred within its now-decaying chambers – at one stage, even functioning as the home of their consul-general.
Diplomatic receptions, business conferences, and elaborate feasts are also believed to have taken place there. Yet dramatic drone footage now exposes its pitiful condition – ransacked by thieves, its formerly pristine gardens now completely wild, windows sealed with boards, the conservatory destroyed, and the outdoor swimming pool overrun with green slime. The crumbling building, thought to have been built around 1900, has been formally recorded as empty since 2010, according to Trafford Council.
Nevertheless, its deterioration is thought to have begun following the Islamic revolution in February 1979, according to Amir Barik, a senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University. The revolution led to Pahlavi being toppled and substituted with what became known as the Islamic Republic, led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who was later proclaimed the nation’s first Supreme Leader that December.
Reports subsequently suggested that the building declined further after a ‘breakdown in relations’ in 2005, when Iranian politicians called on the government to cut diplomatic connections with Britain. Brackendene was then attacked by vandals who covered it with hideous graffiti and stole anything valuable – much to the horror of local residents.
Local resident Deborah Jeffery said: “People pay a lot of money to live here because it is a quintessential English village. She added, “I walk past it every day and 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,” Jeffrey continued. “It’s just waiting for someone to come along and snap it up and do it up really nice.
“I do wish they would come along sooner though, as it is an eyesore to the area,” she concluded. Other local homeowners have also voiced a wish to see it returned to its former glory.
A potential breakthrough appeared in 2011, when representatives from the Iranian embassy in London reportedly journeyed to Trafford to discuss the property’s future. However, escalating tensions over Iran’s nuclear programme soon turned violent.
Angry protesters stormed and ransacked the British embassy in Tehran, Iran’s capital, following the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government’s decision to support further sanctions. In response, Iranian diplomats were given just 48 hours to leave the country.
During this tumultuous period, three arson attacks in just 11 months nearly reduced the building to rubble. The final incident in 2011 was so severe that the upper floors collapsed into the basement.
Despite this, Trafford Council has taken measures to curb illegal activity on the site, with hopes of a future reopening. According to the council, the Iranian owners have since repaired the roof and several floors damaged by the fires.
