Manchester assize courts
Encyclopedia
The Manchester Assize Courts were law courts once located on Great Ducie Street in Strangeways, Manchester
in England
. From 1864 to 1877, the 85 metre building was the tallest in Manchester before being overtaken by the Manchester Town Hall
. Widely admired, it has been referred to as one of Britain's 'lost buildings'.
Designed by Alfred Waterhouse
in the neo-Gothic style, construction began in 1859 and was completed in 1864. This was Waterhouse's first major commission, won by open competition, and the nearby 1862 Strangeways Prison
was also his design.
Widely praised, the building was demolished beginning in 1957, due to incendiary bomb damage caused during World War 2
. The building also contained exterior sculptures by Thomas Woolner
and the firm of O'Shea and Whelan
.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. From 1864 to 1877, the 85 metre building was the tallest in Manchester before being overtaken by the Manchester Town Hall
Manchester Town Hall
Manchester Town Hall is a Victorian-era, Neo-gothic municipal building in Manchester, England. The building functions as the ceremonial headquarters of Manchester City Council and houses a number of local government departments....
. Widely admired, it has been referred to as one of Britain's 'lost buildings'.
Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse was a British architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. He is perhaps best known for his design for the Natural History Museum in London, and Manchester Town Hall, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the...
in the neo-Gothic style, construction began in 1859 and was completed in 1864. This was Waterhouse's first major commission, won by open competition, and the nearby 1862 Strangeways Prison
Manchester (HM Prison)
HM Prison Manchester is a high-security male prison situated in Manchester, England operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service. It is a local Prison, holding prisoners remanded into custody from the courts in the Manchester area as well as a number of Category A prisoners.HM Prison Manchester was...
was also his design.
Widely praised, the building was demolished beginning in 1957, due to incendiary bomb damage caused during World War 2
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The building also contained exterior sculptures by Thomas Woolner
Thomas Woolner
Thomas Woolner RA was an English sculptor and poet who was one of the founder-members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He was the only sculptor among the original members....
and the firm of O'Shea and Whelan
O'Shea and Whelan
O'Shea and Whelan was an Irish family practice of stonemasons and sculptors from Ballyhooly in County Cork. They were notable for their involvement in Ruskinian gothic architecture in the mid-19th century....
.