HS2's £3.8m Charles Dickens mansion sits empty with hefty repair bill
A Georgian mansion purchased by HS2 for £3.8 million just months before the railway line was scrapped now requires substantial repair works while remaining completely unoccupied, revealing another costly chapter in the controversial high-speed rail project's property saga.
Historic property left vacant after cancellation
Stanthorne Hall, located near Middlewich in Cheshire, was acquired by HS2 on behalf of the Department for Transport in March 2023 after the former owner successfully argued for a "compelling reason" to sell due to the planned Crewe to Manchester high-speed line passing nearby. However, when former prime minister Rishi Sunak cancelled the western leg of HS2 in October 2023, the three-storey country house was left without purpose and has remained empty ever since.
The historic property, built between 1804 and 1807, holds particular cultural significance as local folklore suggests Charles Dickens stayed there while writing Great Expectations, with some claiming the character Miss Haversham was inspired by a resident of the adjacent Stanthorne Lodge.
Essential preservation works required
Despite the building's vacancy, HS2 has been compelled to undertake maintenance works to prevent further deterioration of the structure, which includes a farm and 114 acres of land. Cheshire West and Chester Council recently approved repair plans that include:
- Fixing crumbling chimneys and roof tiles
- Repairing windows and addressing leaks
- General preservation of the Georgian architecture
While HS2 declined to disclose the exact cost when questioned by The Independent, internal documents from 2024 written by HS2's deputy director of property Rob Middleton indicated estimated remediation works at approximately £500,000.
No immediate plans for occupancy
Significantly, these substantial repairs are not intended to prepare the property for short-term occupancy. Last year, the High Court rejected a judicial review challenging HS2's decision to refuse a lease proposal from two members of the Georgian Society. The court heard that bringing the property to a lettable standard would cost around £676,000, a move HS2 deemed "unattractive" financially.
Graham Dellow, secretary of the opposition group Mid-Cheshire Against HS2, expressed frustration at the situation: "This property has laid empty for too long, it's just decaying and becoming another eyesore on the Cheshire countryside. The repairs are to get the property ready in future to get on the market, we think, but really, this is another case of HS2 doing one thing with the right hand and something else with the left hand."
Broader context of HS2 property purchases
Stanthorne Hall represents just one of more than 1,000 properties purchased by HS2 along now-cancelled sections of the route. Between October 2023 and March 2025, HS2 spent over £6.5 million on repairs and maintenance for properties it had acquired before the project's scaling back to just the London to Birmingham section.
David Neillist from the nearby Winsford Historical Society commented: "Stanthorne Hall is a very important building in the Winsford area, and it is sad to see it derelict and looking in a bad way. Something ought to be done to bring it back into use, rather than sitting empty."
Uncertain future for northern rail connections
The property's predicament reflects broader uncertainty surrounding northern rail infrastructure. While the Labour government has announced long-term plans for a railway connecting Manchester and Birmingham, no specific route has been confirmed, leaving safeguarding measures in place along the originally planned Crewe to Manchester corridor that prevent development which might jeopardise future infrastructure.
An HS2 spokesperson defended the maintenance works, stating they were necessary to "maintain the integrity of the building" and describing Stanthorne Hall as a significant property requiring expensive renovations. They added: "Stanthorne Hall has not fallen into disrepair over the past three years. These works are part of routine maintenance that any owner would need to undertake every few years to preserve the integrity of the structure."
The spokesperson further explained that while the former owner could live in the property prior to acquisition, higher standards must be met for tenancy arrangements, necessitating works before the hall could be let on the open market. The Department for Transport, ultimately responsible for decisions regarding Stanthorne Hall, has been approached for comment regarding the property's long-term future.
