Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Prestwich Irwell House Ruins

Irwell House Ruins

This grand Georgian manor house was converted to serve as an isolation hospital before it was abandoned and destroyed.

Prestwich, England

Added By
Robert
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  Robert2020 / Atlas Obscura User
  Robert2020 / Atlas Obscura User
Irwell House circa 1921   Public Domain
  Robert2020 / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In the middle of a verdant park lie the scattered remains of a once grand Georgian manor. After the manor house was destroyed in a fire in the 1950s, only the outline of the walls and foundations remain to hold the history of Irwell House.

The house was built in 1790 by the local industrialist Peter Drinkwater , who would go on to become the Lord of the Manor of Prestwich. Irwell House's grounds covered many acres of rural land around the river Irwell. Irwell house and the surrounding land were sold to Prestwich and Salford councils in 1902, who turned the grounds into Drinkwater Park.

The manor house was turned into an isolation hospital for smallpox patients. Its isolated location made it an ideal spot for treating sufferers of this highly contagious disease. The house was abandoned in the 1950s, and in 1958 was badly damaged by a fire caused by a civil defense exercise. Unfortunately the house was allowed to rot after this, until a few years later the remains of the house were demolished, with just the foundations and the bricks of a few walls.

Today what remains of the house lies in a small clearing surrounded by thick woods. It’s possible to see the foundations of the main house and some of the steps, along with part of the former gardens. The site is a few minutes walk from the bridge over the River Irwell in Drinkwater Park.

Related Tags

Abandoned Mansions Hospitals Ruins

Community Contributors

Added By

Robert2020

Edited By

rbenn250, Michelle Cassidy

  • rbenn250
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

June 5, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinkwater_Park
  • https://prestwich.org.uk/history/places/drinkwater.html
Irwell House Ruins
Prestwich, England, M45 7JZ
United Kingdom
53.521216, -2.299347

Nearby Places

Lark Hill Place

Salford, England

miles away

'Salford First'

Salford, England

miles away

Manchester Jewish Museum

Manchester, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,199
Stories 144

Nearby Places

Lark Hill Place

Salford, England

miles away

'Salford First'

Salford, England

miles away

Manchester Jewish Museum

Manchester, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of England

England

United Kingdom

Places 2,199
Stories 144

Related Places

  • The Poltalloch House has a long history behind it.

    Kilmartin, Scotland

    Poltalloch House

    The ruins of this 19th-century Scottish Baronial mansion reflect the architectural heritage and history of Scotland's aristocracy.

  • Argyll and Bute Hospital

    Lochgilphead, Scotland

    Argyll and Bute Hospital

    This ruins of an abandoned Victorian-era mental health facility.

  • Pune, India

    Taljai Mansion

    The crumbling ruins of an old stone mansion sit atop a hill in the middle of Pune.

  • Rock Hill, South Carolina

    Carhartt Mansion Ruins

    The ruins of this once-grand mansion are linked to one of the country’s most popular clothing brands.

  • Póstelek Back Facade A

    Békéscsaba, Hungary

    Széchenyi-Wenckheim Castle Ruins

    The ruins of an early 1900s neo-Baroque mansion sit nestled in a local park in the Hungarian plains.

  • Marshall Hall

    Accokeek, Maryland

    Marshall Hall

    The ruins of an 18th-century mansion that was once named "Mistake" by the man who had it built.

  • The collapsed section.

    Strichen, Scotland

    Strichen House

    The ruinous former neo-classical mansion was built for Thomas Fraser of Strichen.

  • Granada, Nicaragua

    Abandoned Hospital San Juan de Dios

    The crumbling remains of a once-grand building.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.