Pubs, an old bank, and an elegant shopping mall are on a national at risk list
A once much-loved sprawling Salford boozer, a splendid but decaying Victorian villa in Stockport, and an elegant but struggling Manchester city centre shopping mall. The future of all of them hangs in the balance.
There are nine new Greater Manchester entries on the SAVE Britain’s Heritage Buildings At Risk Register. Also identified as in danger of being lost forever are a Georgian canal warehouse; a “striking” red-bricked factory in Trafford; a former bank; Victorian solicitors offices; a music venue within a park; and an Art Deco-style bar.
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One of them is Barton Arcade, which sits between Deansgate and St Ann’s Square in Manchester city centre. It was completed in 1871 by the firm Corbett, Raby & Sawyer and was inspired by iconic European destinations such as Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and Sir Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace, a prefabricated cast-iron and glass structure built in London’s Hyde Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851.
It stretches 226 feet wide and 53 feet tall under striking glass and iron roof and is named for the developer, John Hope Barton.
Among its earliest and most celebrated tenants was Stephenson’s Glass & Chinaware, a retailer known for elegant ceramics and fine household goods, which remained a fixture of the arcade for nearly 100 years, until 1967.
But the arcade was not exclusively for shops. In the late 1870s, it was home to the Humane Society for the Hundred of Salford, which provided emergency rescue equipment for canal workers. In the 1880s, a phrenologist, practising the art of reading skull shapes, set up shop here. In 1908, it hosted the founding meeting of the Catenian Association, a group for Catholic professionals that continues to this day.
Barton Arcade on Deansgate, Manchester
In 1940 the glass dome was damaged in the Manchester Blitz. Though the structure itself remained intact, a series of modifications in the 1970s eroded some of its original features. In recognition of its architectural and historical significance, Barton Arcade was granted Grade II* listed status in 1972.
Its architectural grandeur was revived in the 1980s, including. its signature ironwork, galleries, and glass roofing, although some original ground-floor elements were lost. A grand reopening was hosted in 1990 by actress and activist Joanna Lumley.
But today there are empty shops. SAVE says: “Retail occupancy appears to be declining, due in part to the rising cost of rents but there remain some businesses on the ground floor. Local concerns have also been raised around the need for repairs and maintenance of the building, particularly to the stunning roof structure.
Inside the elegant Barton Arcade in Manchester city centre
“The Barton building encompassing the arcade has plenty of space for offices, entertainment venues, retail, restaurants and bars. There is also an apartment on the top floor with a roof top terrace giving great views of the city and so there is plenty of great potential to bring all of its spaces back into good use.”
In stark contrast to the arcade is the Racecourse Hotel on Littleton Road, Salford. Now boarded up after lying empty for nine years, it was once an integral part of the Charlestown and Kersal communities.
Built in 1930 next to the then Castle Irwell racecourse it was to serve punters and provide overnight accommodation for jockeys. Designed by local firm Charles Clegg and Son, the timber-framed pub was in a Tudor-revival style with gothic and arts and crafts influences. It was under the stewardship of Salford brewery Groves and Whitnall which had financed the building of Salford Lads Club in Ordsall.
The Racecourse Hotel on Littleton Road which has been added to the SAVE Britain’s Heritage at risk list(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
It still looms over Littleton Road as a reminder of the famous Manchester Racecourse which was once there.
Castle Irwell Racecourse was the original home of the November Handicap, which was initially called the Manchester November Handicap. This race brought vast crowds, hence the construction of the pub. Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her first winner as a racehorse owner on June 7, 1952, when Stream of Light, the first horse to wear her official royal silks, won the Lancashire Oaks at Castle Irwell racecourse.
In 1963, Castle Irwell racecourse closed, which was a major blow for the Racecourse Hotel as it lost most of its clientele. It remained in operation under the Oakwell Brewery until 2013, when it was purchased by Samuel Smith Breweries who renovated it and reopened in 2015. It closed soon after and now sits vacant and vandalised.
Another former drinking refuge on the list is in Oldham. The former Artizans Rest, later known as Harry’s Bar, stands at 67–69 Yorkshire Street, in the town centre.
The Racecourse Hotel in Salford(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
The building was constructed in 1937 to designs by CT Taylor, Roberts and Bowman in a distinctive Art Deco style. Its façade originally incorporated sculptural relief panels crafted by sculptor William Hargreave Whitehead, depicting craftsmen at work, which reflected both the building’s original name and Oldham’s industrial heritage. These panels were unfortunately removed in 2019, and the openings infilled with plain, dark bricks.
Despite the building appearing structurally sound, being in a good state of repair and being in use as little as two years ago, it is currently vacant and subject to proposed demolition.
The council acquired the property in 2025, revealing their plans to demolish the building as part of a wider regeneration scheme. SAVE says: “The loss of this rare interwar pub façade would erode Yorkshire Street’s surviving historic character, especially as the building is eminently useable.”
The charity has added more than 20 pubs and inns to its 2026 risk list – five times more than it has ever added in the register’s 37-year history.
Harry’s Bar in Oldham
SAVE’s Heritage Engagement Manager, Amy Popham, said: “SAVE received a record number of nominations for our Buildings at Risk register this year and one of the standout themes was the number of pubs nominated.
“Pubs have been struggling for some time and it’s only getting tougher, with staggering numbers of closures over the past decade. Many of these fantastic buildings are at the centre of their communities and are among the oldest and most interesting in their areas – with centuries of hospitality and bags of personality. Everyone’s got a story about their local pub. The number of nominations makes it clear these buildings are enormously loved and deserve a new future.”
A former canal warehouse in Broadheath, also known as Bridge Works, is on the list. Adjacent to Coal Wharf on the south side of Bridgewater Canal in Altrincham, the grade II-listed building was erected in 1833, as a warehouse for storing goods which had been transported by the canal.
The Georgian Canal Warehouse in Broad Heath
By 1935 it had been converted to an industrial works with a single storey extension added to the east elevation and three storey extension to the west elevation by 1972. It ceased operation in the late 20th century and has been vacant and deteriorating ever since.
The late Georgian warehouse is a three storey brick built structure with stone dressings. In 2023, a planning application to renovate and convert the warehouse into 32 apartments was accepted in principle, and has undergone multiple changes up to as recently as February 2026.
SAVE says: “There is growing hope that with this application accepted, after multiple amendments to protect the heritage value of the grade II listed building, and multiple housing developers involved, the former canal warehouse will be saved.”
The jewel in the Empress Conservation Area in Old Trafford is the impressive landmark Essence Factory on Chester Road. As the terracotta plaque on the front indicates, it was built in 1896 to a Jacobean Revival design by the architectural practice of Briggs and Wolstenholme.
The magnificent former Duckworth’s Essence Factory in Old Trafford
Pevsner architectural guide describes the building, Grade II-listed since 1994, as “an uncommonly stately office building fronting the works”. It features four two-storey oriels, and four towers.
Formerly Duckworth’s Essence Distillery, the company traded in the flavouring and essence business for 118 years, 107 of them on the site.
In 2003, the company was taken over by the food giant Cargill. At the time of the takeover the company was still owned and operated by the Duckworth family.
A Grade II-listed building, SAVE describe it as “a striking example of late-Victorian industrial architecture”, adding that the factory’s red brickwork, tall octagonal chimney, and distinctive windows “reflect a period when industrial buildings were designed to be both functional and visually impressive.”
It played an important role in the local economy and the community, employing generations of Trafford residents.
The former Midland Bank in Shaw
In 2007, the Church of Scientology purchased the site with the aim of redeveloping it into one of its “Ideal Org” churches. The plans for the redevelopment include spaces for worship, religious study, and education, along with associated facilities such as meeting and seminar rooms.
But says SAVE: “Nearly two decades on and the building is still not back in use. Planning permission has been secured to restore the building. However, it was recently discovered that the building contains asbestos, which has caused a further delay to restoration plans.”
Elsewhere on the list, is the former Midland Bank on Rochdale Road in Shaw was originally built in 1898 for the Oldham Joint Stock Banking Company, later becoming part of the Midland Bank network.
Designed by local architect Thomas Taylor, the building is described as “an elegant example of late Victorian Neo-Classical architecture, constructed to convey confidence, permanence and civic pride.”
SAVE adds: “Its symmetrical stone façade, decorative cornices and imposing proportions give it a presence more commonly associated with a town hall than a suburban bank.”
The Leader Building in Wigan
The building was later converted into a bar known as Legends, which closed in around 2013. The property has remained vacant ever since, and is now falling into a serious state of disrepair.
But SAVE believe it could be converted for cultural or hospitality uses, such as a café, workspace or heritage venue or possible conversion to a residential property. The charity says: “With sensitive restoration and renewed purpose, this distinctive local landmark could once again become an important part of Shaw’s civic life.”
The Leader Building is a prominent late-19th-century property forming part of Wigan’s historic King Street, with a long history of many different functions. The building was originally constructed in 1874 for William Leader, a solicitor that was already working in offices on King Street and moved into the Leader Building when it was completed.
Between 1874 and 1948, the building was mainly used for commercial purposes, including auctioneers, mining and engineering companies and solicitors, as well as housing the Wigan Masonic Lodge.
From 1960-70, the basement and ground floor of the Leader Building became the Turnkey Restaurant, then the Turnkey Cellars pub. From 2000 onwards the building passed through a number of other owners, where it was primarily used as a nightclub, most recently as Jumpin Jak’s nightclub.
In November 2025, the building suffered a major fire which caused severe damage, particularly to the roof, leading to emergency stabilisation and partial demolition works. While no full redevelopment scheme has yet been confirmed, much of the structure remains and is capable of restoration. But it is feared that ongoing vacancy and exposure now place the building at risk.
In Oldham, what SAVE describe as “a highly unusual monument to the borough’s industrial supremacy” is also in danger of being lost. The Music Rooms stand in one corner of Werneth Park.
They were built in 1848 for John Platt, of Platt Brothers & Co, which by the mid 19th century was the largest maker of textile machinery in the world. The rooms were created as a private cultural pavilion attached to the family mansion which once stood on the site.
The Music Rooms in Werneth Park, Oldham, awaiting restoration(Image: Kevin Waterhouse)
In 1902 the estate was acquired by Oldham’s first woman councillor, Dame Sarah Lees, who chose to demolish the mansion but retain the Music Rooms.
For over sixty years they thrived under municipal care as a cherished public hall and concert venue. But the building was abruptly shut down in September 2001 as part of local authority budget cuts.
The structure has remained entirely vacant, derelict, and barricaded behind heavy security fencing ever since, which, says SAVE, “has taken a catastrophic toll on this Grade II listed asset.”
In December 2025, Oldham council backed a motion for a community-led regeneration of the historic Werneth Park Music Rooms, which outlined a way to restore the derelict building and transform it into a vibrant cultural hub for the borough. There is now hope it will be saved and once again be a community asset.
A derelict Victorian villa which featured in a TV drama is also at risk. The vast property was used as the home of the Lyons family in the 2019 mini series Years and Years.
Fern Cliff, a Victorian Villa in Heaton Moor, Stockport(Image: Philip James Kennedy/Rightmove)
Written by Russell T Davies, the episodes were set between 2019 and 2034 and follow the lives of the Manchester-based family who witness tumultuous global affairs, economic instability and technological advances. It starred Emma Thompson, Russell Tovey, Jessica Hynes and Rory Kinnear.
Fern Cliff was built around 1869, and is in the heart of the Heaton Moor Conservation Area in Stockport. With mature gardens, it features Gothic Revival detailing, including decorative stonework and asymmetrical brick façades.
Its grand proportions and architectural character make it a local landmark. It was the home of Sir James Hoy, Lord Mayor of Manchester (1901–1902), placing it at the centre of civic life during the city’s industrial peak.
The house was designed to impress, with multiple reception rooms, ten bedrooms, and a full basement cellar, reflecting the ambitions of Manchester’s prosperous industrial and civic elite.
Fern Cliff set in more than an acre of grounds in Heaton Moor
Sold in 2017, and then put on the market for £1.6m in 2018, the house is currently in a state of disrepair, overgrown gardens and a lack of maintenance have left the building at risk of further decay and vandalism.
Potential uses include private residential restoration, a care home, or a cultural and community space that respects the building’s history. Its strong presence and connection to Heaton Moor’s heritage make it an ideal candidate for careful renovation.
SAVE concludes: “Fern Cliff stands as a rare survivor of Victorian suburban architecture in Stockport, combining historical importance with visual prominence. With the right vision and investment, it could once again become a cherished part of the community.”