Manchester Town Hall
“Equal if not superior to any similar building in the country”.
The wealth created in Manchester by the Industrial Revolution is evident in its impressive public buildings. In 1863, ten years after Manchester had achieved city status, the Manchester Corporation began planning for a new Town Hall:
“Equal if not superior to any similar building in the country at any cost which may be reasonably required.”
Manchester’s First Town Hall
Manchester’s first Town Hall, designed in a neo-classical style by Francis Goodwin, was constructed at the corner of King Street and Cross Street (1822–25). Previously, the town’s civic administration was based in the Police Office, also in King Street. The new building, measuring 134 x 76 feet (41 x 23 metres), consisted of administrative offices on the ground floor, with Assembly Rooms above.
In 1838, Manchester was incorporated as a municipal borough. As civic business continued to increase, Manchester Corporation outgrew its existing premises. Town’s Yard, a triangular plot, was identified as a suitable site for a replacement.
Architecture Competition
Innovatively, a competition was launched to design the new building. The editor of the architectural journal, ‘The Builder’, helped to choose the winner. From 137 entrants, Alfred Waterhouse, designer of Manchester’s Assize Courts (built 1859–64), was victorious. He was appointed on 1 April 1868.
Waterhouse’s design, based on a hollow triangle, successfully combined practical and ceremonial functions, while maximising the use of natural light. Though influenced by the Gothic style of the 13th century, Waterhouse described the building as “fitted to the wants of the present day”. Innovations included gas lighting and a warm air ventilation system.
Interior
The splendid interior includes numerous regional references, from Ford Madox Brown’s Manchester murals in the Great Hall, to busts of influential local figures in the Sculpture Hall. Decorative details include depictions of cotton plants (the source of the city’s wealth), and bees (the symbol of Manchester).
Queen Victoria’s Refusal
The Manchester Corporation invited Queen Victoria, who had not visited the city for twenty years, to open the new Town Hall. To their surprise, she declined. No official reason was offered for the snub, but a number of rumours circulated. Her refusal has been attributed to: her aversion to public life during widowhood; offence at a recently-erected public statue of Oliver Cromwell, and political intervention by the Conservative party.
Abel Heywood (1810–93)
Another possibility is that the Queen may have been advised not to share a platform with Manchester’s Liberal mayor Abel Heywood. A self-made man with radical views, he was a former Chartist, who had been fined and imprisoned (1832) for refusing to pay the stamp tax (the so-called ‘tax on knowledge’) on a radical journal, ‘The Poor Man’s Guardian’.
Following Queen Victoria’s refusal, Abel Heywood, who had championed the Town Hall project, first as Town Clerk, and later as mayor, was chosen to preside over the official opening.
Opening
The opening of Manchester’s new Town Hall on 13th September 1877 attracted spectators from across the city:
“The cheering of this vast multitude, the waving of handkerchiefs, and the jubilant strains poured forth by the municipal bells and the military band, made up an exhibition of enthusiasm which could hardly have been exceeded had the Queen herself been present.”
W.E.A. Axon, ‘An Architectural and General Description of the Town Hall, Manchester’ (1878)
Spread over three days, the celebrations included a banquet, a ball, and a trade procession of around 45,000 working men.
Legacy
Following the opening of the new Town Hall in 1877, the old Town Hall became a reference library, and later, a bank. The building was demolished in 1912, but the colonnade was moved to Heaton Park, where it overlooks the Boating Lake.
Waterhouse’s Gothic revival masterpiece, now a Grade I listed building, is a monument to Victorian civic pride. A popular tourist attraction, film location and wedding venue, the building is closed to the public until 2024 as part of the ‘Our Town Hall’ refurbishment project.
A Town Hall extension (built 1934–38), designed by Vincent Harris, architect of Manchester Central Library, is linked to the main Town Hall by two covered bridges.
Abel Heywood was granted the Freedom of the City of Manchester (1891). The 8-ton bell of the Town Hall clock tower is named ‘Great Abel’ in his honour. A boutique hotel and pub also bears his name.
Discussion Points
- Manchester’s two Town Halls were built in different architectural styles. What factors influenced their design?
- What do you think is the most likely reason for Queen Victoria’s refusal?
- What do the opening celebrations tell us about Victorian attitudes towards local government?
Additional Resources
W. E. A. Axon, ‘An Architectural and General Description of the Town Hall, Manchester, To which is Added a Report of the Inaugural Proceedings, September, 1877’ (Manchester, 1878). Available on Google Play.
J. McLeod (photographs) and Alfred Waterhouse (text), ‘Manchester Town Hall’ (Manchester, 1877)
Joanna M. Williams ‘Manchester’s Radical Mayor: Abel Heywood the man who built the Town Hall’ (Stroud, 2017)
Jennifer William’s article for the ‘Manchester Evening News’ (31 October 2016, updated 2 November 2016) on the discovery of Alfred Waterhouse’s original Town Hall plans.
Back to Index Page
Images reproduced with the permission of The John Rylands University Librarian and Director of the University of Manchester Library. All images used on this page are licenced via CC-BY-NC-SA, for further information about each image, please follow the link in the caption description.
If you are interested in using any material from Special Collections please get in contact with our Reading Room staff: uml.special-collections@manchester.ac.uk.
