Description

MANCHESTER

SJ8498SW PORTLAND STREET
698-1/28/300 (South East side)
25/02/52 Nos.35 TO 47 (Odd)
Britannia Hotel
(Formerly Listed as:
PORTLAND STREET
(South East side)
Nos.35 TO 47 (Odd)
Britannia House)

GV II*

Formerly known as Watts Warehouse. General warehouse, the
largest and most grandiose of all Manchester warehouses; now
hotel. 1851-6, by Travis and Mangnall. Sandstone ashlar (roof
not visible). Large rectangular plan parallel to street.
Eclectic palazzo style. Five storeys with basement and roof
pavilions, 23 bays, symmetrical; with granite base to massive
chamfered plinth, channelled rustication to ground, 1st and
2nd floors, fluted corner pilasters to each upper floor,
cornices over 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors (that over 3rd floor
dentilled), and 4 large lateral rectangular pavilions
symmetrically placed (at the ends and flanking a 7-bay
centre). The openings are treated in a different style on each
floor, and all the windows are recessed: those at ground floor
round-headed with stepped voussoirs and keystones enriched
alternately with herms and ship-prows, except for coupled
doorways in the 7th and 8th, and 16th and 17th bays which have
round-headed arches on coupled columns, mask keystones and
internal steps; those at 1st floor square-headed, with
balustrades and Elizabethan-style enrichment including carved
swan-neck pediments with urn finials; those at 2nd floor
square but with colonette-in-antis screens; those at 3rd floor
taller and round-headed, with imposts and keystones; and those
at 4th floor set in continuous colonnades of short square
columns with carved caps. In addition, each pavilion has
panelled pilasters, cornice, parapet (formerly with shaped
gables) and 2 large Gothic wheel-windows. Seven-bay returned
ends in matching style, the pavilions with wheel windows in 5
bays, strap-work in the outer bays, and balustraded parapets.
Interior: internal porch of left-hand entrance contains fine
war memorial of c.1920, with bronze sculptural group and
inscribed tablet; entrance hall has spectacular open staircase
of cast-iron with flying lateral flights at each floor in the
form of a succession of "Ponte Rialtos".

Listing NGR: SJ8433698041

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 30 January 2017.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Watts Warehouse at Wikipedia
• Wikidata IDs Q7975044 Q87740081

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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