A tale of two cities: £1.35m townhouse goes on sale.... next door to the charity helping Manchester's poorest children

A luxury townhouse has gone on the market - right next door to Wood Street Mission.

The city centre charity has been helping Greater Manchester's poorest children and families since it was set up in the late 19th century, by Methodist Alfred Alsop, to look after youngsters sleeping rough under market stalls.

The charity still operates from the Wood Street site it enquired in 1873, providing clothing and bedding, toys at Christmas, and education projects.

And now, as Deansgate continues its evolution as an affluent corner of the city, the historic charity's base could acquire a millionaire neighbour.

Wood Street Mission (L) and, to the far right of the picture, the building that's now the site of a luxury townhouse, pictured in 1920 (Manchester Local Image Collection)

On the market for £1.35 million, the new residential property is 'perfectly located to suit couples and families who are looking for a high specification, centrally located modern townhouse.', agents Savills say.

“Situated in the prime business district of Spinningfields, the area is home to some of Manchester's most strikingly architectural glass skyscrapers, a plethora of high-end restaurants, bars and designer shops,” the listing continues.

The rooftop garden comes with a hot tub (Savills/Rightmove)

The three-bedroom property is unique in design, with striking gold shutters covering the front of the building - in keeping with a honeycomb Manchester bee theme - that can be opened or closed for privacy.

The building spans five storeys with a garage on the ground floor, along with a bedroom and en-suite bathroom, that could also be used as an office space as it has a separate entrance.

The modern kitchen with fitted appliances (Savills/Rightmove)

On the first floor, there are two double bedrooms - one featuring a free-standing bath - that come with adjoined shower rooms. The open-plan living area takes over the whole of the next floor, with a large fitted kitchen with high spec appliances.

The lounge area with the net hang-out overhead (Savills/Rightmove)

The lounge boasts double ceiling height with a giant net hammock hanging over the space. To the third floor, there's a 'sunroom', which leads to the roof terrace overlooking the gothic John Rylands library - a building which tells another story of Manchester's Victorian past.

View of John Rylands from the terrace (Savills/Rightmove)

In the townhouse there’s also a second rooftop space with a garden on the next floor up, complete with its own hot tub - a far cry from the hovels and cellar dwellings of the Deangsate district 150 years ago.

More information on the property can be found on Rightmove.