Manchester’s recent brush with fire at Hotspur Press was nothing short of terrifying for all involved, and indeed everyone watching from afar, prompting coverage of the Manchester building’s history and stance in the city’s industrial past. So, what is the history of the Hotspur Press in Manchester?
Built on the bank of the Medlock in 1801, the Hotspur Press – then known as Medlock Mills – was soon dwarfed by Birley’s Cotton Mill and Marsland’s Cotton Mill — enormous structures which later became known as Chorlton Mills – and where a two-bedroom flat with exposed brick walls is currently under offer for £270,000.
The Hotspur Press is widely believed to be the oldest mill building in Manchester, having ironically been destroyed by fire in 1801 and rebuilt in the same year – but at least parts of the building have been standing since 1794.
The site was snatched up around 1902 by the Percy Brothers, who turned it into a printing press christened after Harry Hotspur, the Northern knight who liked to pick fights with the Scots. But more recently, the site has lied empty where Cambridge Street cars cross over the Medlock, just west of Oxford Road station, and as of June 23, 2025, destroyed by a major fire.
The Hotspur Press building has also been at the centre of a planning dispute in the past few years, with conservationists arguing the historical structure should stay as intact as possible during any future developments, and developers attempting to get permission to build a 619-room block of student accommodation on the site.
Developers Manner state in their plan for the future: “In May 2024, our planning application to regenerate The Hotspur Press was unanimously approved by Manchester City Council’s Planning Committee.
“Our plans were then delayed following an anonymous application to list the building which was dismissed in January 2025.
“The listing bid led to a delay in the delivery programme. However, this gave us the opportunity to review our design and allowed us to explore further improvements.
“We are now moving forward with the next stage of the planning process with the City Council.”
Since the fire, Manner Development hasn’t yet put out a statement.
The fire on Monday 23rd June 2025 has left the Hotspur Press partially collapsed and a shell of its former self – only time will tell the future of this historical Manchester building.
