Manchester is a product of the Industrial Revolution, recognisable for its industrial past. The city is synonymous for its canals, railway viaducts, cotton mills and warehouses which were used to store or house goods before or after transit. As a result of the Industrial Revolution, the city amassed a wide array of warehouses dating from before the Victorian era (1837–1901) to the end of the Edwardian (1910).
The city has examples of six main warehouse types: display of goods, overseas, packing, shipping, railway and canal warehouses. In 1806 there were just over 1,000 but by 1815 this had almost doubled to 1,819. Manchester was dubbed "warehouse city". The earliest were built around King Street although by 1850 warehouses had spread to Portland Street and later to Whitworth Street. They are direct descendants of the canal warehouses of Castlefield.
Grade II*. Canal warehouse, including subterranean water-wheel. Built in 1806 by William Crossley. Recognised as the earliest canal warehouse in Manchester.
Grade I. Recognised as the world's first railway warehouse.[2][3] Designer is unknown, attributed to both architect Thomas Haigh and George Stephenson.
Grade II*. One of the earliest examples of 'shipping holes', which allow boats to unpack goods under the building.[6] Renovated in 2003, now apartments and commercial space.
Grade II. Shipping warehouse, probably for Kessler & Co., a machine manufacturing company. One of the very few plainly decorated warehouses in Victorian Manchester, noted for its simple Georgian style.
Grade II*. Ornate style typifies the extravagant confidence of many Mancunian warehouses of this period, but the Watts Warehouse is notable for its peculiarly eclectic design. Building has five storeys – each decorated in a different style – Italian Renaissance, Elizabethan, French Renaissance and Flemish – and roof pavilions featuring large Gothicwheel windows.
Behrens Building 127–133 Portland Street, Manchester city centre
Grade II. Various shipping warehouses, built by P.Nunn for Louis Behrens and Sons. Red brick and sandstone exterior. Strong horizontal emphasis which fronts onto Portland Street.
Grade II. Described as "probably a merchant's warehouse" by English Heritage. Designed by Clegg and Knowles; has altered. Sandstone ashlar exterior and slate roof.
Shipping warehouse by Clegg and Knowles in a Palazzo style. Red brick exterior in Flemish bond, with sandstone dressings (roof not visible from street). Parallelogram plan on island site with a rear loading bay. Later converted to offices and a nightclub.
Grade II. Trade Warehouse. Probably iron-framed, with exterior of red brick, sandstone dressings and slate roof. Designed in an eclectic style. Forms group with No.103 to left, and with No. 109 and 111, and 113 to 119 to right, together comprising a complete block of former warehouses.
Grade II*. Built by Great Northern Railway. A unique survival of a 3-way railway goods exchange station, serving the railway, canal and road networks of the Manchester region. Built to be fully fire proof, it was considered in its day to be one of the most advanced railway goods exchanges in the country.[26]
Grade II. Built as a home trade warehouse. Extension of the Austin House warehouse building. Basement and five-storeys, sandstone ashlar exterior. Narrow plan on corner site. Now offices
Grade II. Warehousing, probably textiles or clothing. Designed by Charles Heathcote in an Romanesque style. Irregular trapeziform plan with sandstone ashlar and red brick exterior
Grade II. Cotton manufacturers' showroom and warehouse, now hotel and restaurant. Designed by Charles Heathcote, possibly for Horrocks Crewdson & Co or Sparrow Hardwick & Company.
Grade II*. Edwardian Baroque by Harry S. Fairhurst. Interior described as "unusually elaborate" and "probably the best example of its kind in any Manchester warehouse" with Art Nouveau and Venetian Gothic motifs.
Grade II. Packing warehouse by William G. Higginbottom in Art Nouveau style. Five storeys with basement and double attic. Cast-iron frame with steel truss roof.
^McNeil, Robina; Nevell, Michael (2000). A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Greater Manchester. Association for Industrial Archaeology. p. 12. ISBN0-9528930-3-7.