Manchester’s Finest

Devastating scenes near First Street tonight as an iconic piece of Manchester’s history, The Hotspur Press building, has gone up in flames. Built on Gloucester Street by the banks of the River Medlock, it was thought to be Manchester’s oldest surviving mill. Originally a cotton mill known as Medlock Mill - itself a casualty of fire in 1801 - it was rebuilt and later purchased in 1902 by the Percy Brothers who turned it into a printing press responsible for publishing periodicals, classic film magazines and comics of the era. It was later home to a number of Manchester based artist studios for around a decade. After closure, due to leaks and safety issues in 2017, it sat empty until a planning application to regenerate Hotspur Press was unanimously approved by Manchester City Council in May 2024. However, it was subsequently delayed following an application to list the building and the redevelopment was paused while new plans were drawn up. Tonight, neighbouring flats have been evacuated and 20 fire engines from across Greater Manchester have been battling the blaze at the scene, with multiple jets and the air unit in use to prevent the spread of the fire. Train services through Oxford Road Station have been suspended overnight, as well as several streets closed in the surrounding area. In images and footage the building looks to have been completely gutted, but thankfully no injuries or casualties have been announced so far.

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