Description

MANCHESTER

SJ8497NW WHITWORTH STREET 698-1/32/441 (South side) 03/10/74 Nos.73 AND 75 India House (including attached wrought-iron gateway linked to Lancaster House)

GV II*

Packing warehouse, converted as apartments 1988-9. Dated 1906, built between 1905 and 1912; by Harry S.Fairhurst. Steel-framed, with cladding of buff terracotta and red brick with buff terracotta dressings (roof concealed). Large rectangular plan. Edwardian Baroque style. Six storeys with basement and attic, 3:4:6:4:3 windows at 1st floor, symmetrical; rock-faced plinth, channelled buff terracotta to ground and 1st floors with mutuled cornice on brackets (a cartouche under this at each corner lettered "INDIA HOUSE"), giant arcades to the next 4 floors with brick pilasters, very heavily enriched terracotta frieze (swags, volutes, cartouches, etc.) and modillioned cornice, and attic treated as a parapet. The strong horizontal emphasis of the facade is relieved by vertical features flanking the 6-bay centre: these have entrances at ground floor with elaborate surrounds of grey ashlar including large semi-circular open pediments with mutules over recessed doorways with flanking Ionic semi-columns, and panelled side-bays under mutuled cornices supported by cartouches (lettered "73" and "75" respectively); canted bay windows of terracotta tiered from 2nd to 5th floors, with various forms of enrichment including corbelled plaques at the top lettered "1906", and flanked by broad banded terracotta pilasters; and attics under hefty semi-circular open pediments with mutules and cartouches. The other bays have segmental-headed windows at 1st floor, round-headed at 5th floor, and square-headed elsewhere, mostly containing 3-light sashes and mostly also with triple keystones; and the attic has low recessed 3-light windows. Return walls similar. Attached at the left end, and linked to No.71 (Lancaster House), is a large gateway composed of double gates with ramped tops and semicircular 4-strand overthrow forming a complete circle from the apex of which is suspended a slender lamp in Art Nouveau style. Forms group with Nos 67 to 71 (Lancaster House) to the left (q.v.), with Refuge Assurance building to the right (Oxford Road, q.v.), and with Nos 58 to 60 (Bridgewater House) opposite (q.v.). Interior not inspected.

Listing NGR: SJ8421597619

External Links

• India House, Manchester at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q6019325

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)