List of commercial buildings by Alfred Waterhouse

Prudential Assurance Building, Leeds

Alfred Waterhouse (1830–1905) was a prolific English architect who worked in the second half of the 19th century. His buildings were largely in Victorian Gothic Revival style. Waterhouse's biographer, Colin Cunningham, states that between about 1865 and about 1885 he was "the most widely employed British architect".^[1] He worked in many fields, designing commercial, public, educational, domestic, and ecclesiastical buildings.^[1]

Waterhouse was born in Liverpool of Quaker parents. After being articled to P. B. Alley in Manchester, he took a ten-month tour of the Continent, then established his own practice in Manchester. Many of his early commissions came from Quakers and other nonconformist patrons. He came to national recognition when he won success in a competition for the design of Manchester assize courts. His next major public commissions in Manchester were for Strangeways Gaol and Manchester Town Hall. In 1865 he opened an office in London, which was followed by his first major commission in London, the Natural History Museum. Meanwhile, he was also designing country houses. Here his major work was the rebuilding of Eaton Hall in Cheshire for the 1st Duke of Westminster, which was "the most expensive country house of the [19th] century".^[1] He also designed educational buildings including schools and works for the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, and Liverpool. In the commercial field, he designed banks, and offices for insurance and assurance companies, especially the Prudential Assurance Company, for whom he built 27 buildings.^[1]

Waterhouse's success came from "a thoroughly professional approach rather than on brilliance or innovation as a stylist".^[1] He paid particular attention to detail and, although he designed many major buildings, he still accepted smaller commissions.^[1] Although most of his work was in the Gothic Revival style, he also employed other styles, including Romanesque and French Renaissance.^[2] He used many building materials, but is noted for his use of red brick and terracotta. The use of these materials for many university buildings in the north of England is a major factor in their being termed "red brick universities".^[1][3] In addition to his design work as an architect, Waterhouse was an assessor for about 60 architectural competitions. He was awarded the Royal Gold Medal of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1878 for his design for Manchester Town Hall, and was president of that institution from 1888 to 1891. He was gained international diplomas, and in 1895 was awarded an honorary LL.D by Manchester University. Waterhouse was also a painter, exhibiting 80 watercolours at the Royal Academy. He suffered a stroke in 1901, and died in his home at Yattendon, Berkshire, in 1905. His practice was continued by his son Paul, followed by his grandson, Michael, and his great-grandson. His estate at death amounted to over £215,000 (equivalent to £20,820,000 as of 2015).^[1][4]

This list contains the notable commercial buildings designed by Waterhouse, and includes such structures as insurance and assurance offices, legal chambers, banks, shops, farm buildings, and warehouses.

Key

Grade (England and Wales)	Criteria[5]
Grade I	Buildings of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important.
Grade II*	Particularly important buildings of more than special interest.
Grade II	Buildings of national importance and special interest.
Category (Scotland)	Criteria[6]
Category B	Buildings of regional or more than local importance, or major examples of some particular period, style or building type which may have been altered.
"—" denotes a work that is not graded.

Buildings

Name	Location	Photograph	Date	Notes	Grade
Fryer and Binyon Warehouse	Manchester	—	1856	The design was based on a practical adaptation of the Doge's Palace in Venice. It has been demolished.[1][7]	—
Royal Insurance Office	King Street, Manchester	—	1861	An early commercial commission, Waterhouse had his own office in this building for a time. Since demolished.[1][8]	—
District Bank	Nantwich, Cheshire 53°04′03″N 2°31′19″W / 53.0674°N 2.5219°W		1863	A red brick bank building in Gothic style with some diapering in blue brick. It has two gables, one of which contains an oriel window.[9][10]	II
Barclays Bank	Darlington, County Durham 54°31′31″N 1°33′20″W / 54.5254°N 1.5555°W	—	1864	A stone building with steep slated roofs in three storeys and an attic.[11]	II*
Bassett and Harris Bank	Leighton Buzzard, Berkshire 51°54′59″N 0°39′42″W / 51.9163°N 0.6616°W		1866	Built in Bath stone with slate roofs. It has two storeys with an attic and three dormer windows. On the ground floor are five arches, the central one containing an entrance. In the upper storeys are five pairs of rectangular windows.[8][12][13]	II
Farm buildings at Easneye Dairy Farm	Stanstead Abbots, Hertfordshire 51°48′22″N 0°00′19″E / 51.8062°N 0.0052°E	—	c. 1868	A U-shaped range of model farm buildings in brick with diapering.[14]	II
16 Nicholas Street	Manchester 53°28′42″N 2°14′25″W / 53.4783°N 2.2402°W	—	c. 1870	Built as a warehouse, later used as shops and offices. In sandstone and red brick with sandstone dressings and slate roofs. Has five storeys and an attic.[15][16]	II
1a Old Bond Street	Westminster, Greater London 51°30′29″N 0°08′24″W / 51.5081°N 0.1400°W	—	1880	Built as shops and offices in red brick and cream terracotta. It has three storeys and an attic.[17]	II
Prudential Assurance Offices	Nottingham 52°57′15″N 1°08′59″W / 52.9543°N 1.1497°W		1880–90	Built in brick with terracotta dressings and has a tiled roof, in Flemish Renaissance Revival style. The building was restored and changed in 1991.[7][18]	II
58 Fountain Street 60–62 Spring Gardens	Manchester 53°28′49″N 2°14′31″W / 53.4802°N 2.2419°W	—	1882	Built as a manufacturer's warehouse, used later as an insurance office. Constructed in sandstone with a slate roof as a corner block.[19][20]	II
Cowshed at Heron's Farm	Bradfield, Berkshire 51°28′09″N 1°07′58″W / 51.4693°N 1.1329°W	—	1884	Part of a model farm, this is an octagonal timber-framed building with brick infill standing on a brick plinth.[21]	II
Prudential Assurance Building	Liverpool, Merseyside 53°24′28″N 2°59′19″W / 53.4078°N 2.9887°W		1885–86	An office building in red brick with dressings in terracotta and granite. It is in five storeys plus an attic in Gothic style.[7][22][23]	II
Prudential Assurance Building	Holborn, Camden, Greater London 51°31′06″N 0°06′37″W / 51.5182°N 0.1102°W		1885–1901	Built in conjunction with his son, Paul, this building has been extended and changed. The remaining Waterhouse parts are in red brick with terracotta dressings; it has a central tower.[7][24]	II*
337 and 338 High Holborn	City of London 51°31′05″N 0°06′41″W / 51.5180°N 0.1113°W		1886	Two timber-framed chambers dating from 1586, restored by Waterhouse.[25]	II*
1–4 Holborn Bars	City of London 51°31′05″N 0°06′40″W / 51.5180°N 0.1111°W		1886	Four timber-framed chambers dating from 1586, restored by Waterhouse.[26]	I
4, 5 and 6, Staple Inn	High Holborn, City of London 51°31′05″N 0°06′42″W / 51.5180°N 0.1116°W	—	c. 1886	A terrace of three chambers dating from about 1586, altered in the 18th and 19th centuries, and restored by Waterhouse.[27]	I
Barclays Bank	Durham 54°46′37″N 1°34′31″W / 54.7770°N 1.5752°W	—	1887	A stone building with slate roofs, in three and four storeys, with a battlemented parapet.[28]	II
Prudential Assurance Office	Glasgow, Scotland 55°51′48″N 4°15′23″W / 55.8633°N 4.2563°W	—	1888–89	A four-storey building in red brick with stone dressings; French Renaissance style.[29][30]	B
49 Spring Gardens	Manchester 53°28′49″N 2°14′30″W / 53.4804°N 2.2416°W	—	1888–91	Built probably as a warehouse, later used as offices. Built in sandstone with a slate roof in eclectic style with Gothic features, it has three storeys, basement, and an attic.[31]	II
Prudential Assurance Office	Manchester 53°28′51″N 2°14′40″W / 53.4809°N 2.2444°W	—	1888–96	Built in red brick and terracotta, since altered.[32][33]	II
41 Spring Gardens	Manchester 53°28′51″N 2°14′30″W / 53.4809°N 2.2416°W	—	1890	Built for the National Provincial Bank, later used as offices. Built in stone with a slate roof in French Renaissance style, it has three storeys and an attic.[34][35]	II
Lloyd's Bank	Cambridge 52°12′20″N 0°07′17″E / 52.2056°N 0.1215°E		1891	Originally Foster's Bank, this was designed with his son, Paul. It is built in bands of limestone and red brick, and has a tiled roof. It occupies a corner position, and has an elaborate clock tower. Its architectural style is Dutch Renaissance.[1][36]	II*
Refuge Assurance Building	Manchester 53°28′28″N 2°14′27″W / 53.4745°N 2.2408°W		1891	Built as an assurance office, and later extended. It has a steel frame that is clad in brick with terracotta dressings; in four storeys with basements and attics. It has since been converted into a hotel.[1][7][37][38][39]	II*
12 Mosley Street	Newcastle upon Tyne 54°58′15″N 1°36′37″W / 54.9709°N 1.6102°W	—	1891	Originating as a bank for the Prudential Assurance Company, it is constructed in granite, brick and sandstone with a slate roof in Free early-Renaissance style.[40]	II
Prudential Assurance Building	Portsmouth, Hampshire 50°47′48″N 1°05′35″W / 50.7967°N 1.0930°W		1891	An office for the Prudential Assurance Company, it is constructed in red brick and terracotta with a tiled roof. It is in three storeys with an attic, and has a frontage of eleven bays.[41]	II
19 and 20 Park Row	Leeds, West Yorkshire 53°47′57″N 1°32′48″W / 53.7991°N 1.5468°W		1891	Built as a bank and chambers in brick with terracotta dressings and a slate roof. Only the façade remains.[42]	II
National Provincial Bank	Piccadilly, Westminster, Greater London 51°30′33″N 0°08′09″W / 51.5093°N 0.1358°W	—	1892–94	Stone-faced bank chambers forming a corner block. The banking hall is on the ground floor with three storeys and an attic with dormers above it.[1][43]	II
Prudential Assurance Building	Bradford, West Yorkshire 53°47′37″N 1°45′14″W / 53.7937°N 1.7539°W		1895	A three-storey building in Free French Renaissance style.[44]	II
Prudential Assurance Building	Dundee, Scotland 56°27′46″N 2°58′12″W / 56.4628°N 2.9701°W	—	1895–98	Designed with his son, Paul, this has three storeys and an attic. It is in red brick with a red tile roof.[45][46]	B
Prudential Assurance Building	Edinburgh, Scotland 55°57′15″N 3°11′30″W / 55.9542°N 3.1917°W		1895–98	Designed with his son, Paul, this has four storeys and an attic, and is constructed in red sandstone. It has an L-shaped plan with a six-stage turret at the corner.[47][48]	B
Pearl Assurance Building	Liverpool, Merseyside 53°24′30″N 2°58′56″W / 53.4083°N 2.9821°W		1896	An office building in brick with a granite ground floor and a slate roof. It is in three storeys with attics, and has an octagonal tower at the corner.[1][49][50]	II
Prudential Assurance Building	Sheffield, South Yorkshire 53°22′45″N 1°28′13″W / 53.3792°N 1.4704°W		1896	An office and shops, built in brick on a granite plinth with terracotta dressings and a tiled roof; in Renaissance Revival style.[51]	II
Prudential Assurance Building	Huddersfield, West Yorkshire 53°38′41″N 1°46′59″W / 53.6446°N 1.7830°W	—	1897–98	This building is constructed in brick and terracotta on a marble plinth, and has a slate roof. It is in three storeys, with an attic.	II
Greek Street Chambers	Leeds, West Yorkshire 53°47′55″N 1°32′50″W / 53.7986°N 1.5472°W		1898	Built as a bank and chambers and a porter's lodge. In brick with terracottabanding and dressings and a slate roof.[52]	II
Prudential Assurance Building	Bristol 51°27′14″N 2°35′45″W / 51.4540°N 2.5959°W	—	1899	Offices built in red terracotta and pink granite, with a slate pyramidal roof. It three storeys, and attic and a basement.[53]	II
Prudential Assurance Buildings	Southampton 50°54′22″N 1°24′17″W / 50.906146°N 1.404587°W	—	1901	A Gothic building in red brick with stone dressings. The upper floors are now converted to 18 residential flats. The ground floor houses two commercial units.	—
Staple Inn Buildings	335–336 High Holborn, City of London 51°31′05″N 0°06′42″W / 51.5180°N 0.1116°W		c. 1903	Built as offices, later a shop. It is constructed in red brick with terracotta dressings, and has five storeys. It is in Jacobean style, and has a polygonal turret at its corner.[27]	II

See also

• List of ecclesiastical works by Alfred Waterhouse
• List of domestic works by Alfred Waterhouse
• List of educational buildings by Alfred Waterhouse
• List of public and civic buildings by Alfred Waterhouse

References

1. Cunningham, Colin (2010) [2004], "Waterhouse, Alfred (1839–1905)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, retrieved 29 January 2012 ((subscription or UK public library membership required))
2. Dixon & Muthesius 1985, p. 14.
3. Dixon & Muthesius 1985, p. 247.
4. UK CPI inflation numbers based on data available from Gregory Clark (2016), "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)" MeasuringWorth.
5. Listed Buildings, Historic England, retrieved 28 March 2015
6. What is Listing?, Historic Scotland, retrieved 2 July 2012
7. Dixon & Muthesius 1985, p. 137.
8. Cunningham & Waterhouse 1992, pp. 207–275.
9. Hartwell et al. 2011, pp. 496–497.
10. Historic England, "District Bank, Nantwich, Cheshire (1138728)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 17 May 2012
11. Historic England, "Barclays Bank, Darlington (1322928)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 25 June 2012
12. Historic England, "Barclays Bank, Leighton Buzzard (1114562)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 3 July 2012
13. Barclays Bank, Leighton-Linslade Past Times, retrieved 3 July 2012
14. Historic England, "Farm buildings at Easneye Dairy Farm , Stanstead Abbots (1078764)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 10 May 2012
15. Hartwell, Hyde & Pevsner 2004, p. 320.
16. Historic England, "16 Nicholas Street, Manchester (1271453)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 June 2012
17. Historic England, "1a Old Bond Street, City of Westminster (1225398)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 9 June 2012
18. Historic England, "11 King Street, Nottingham (1254668)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 13 June 2012
19. Hartwell, Hyde & Pevsner 2004, p. 333.
20. Historic England, "58 Fountain Street, 60–62 Spring Gardens, Manchester (1270662)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 14 May 2012
21. Historic England, "Cowshed at Heron's Farm, Bradfield (1212413)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 8 June 2012
22. Pollard & Pevsner 2006, p. 319.
23. Historic England, "Prudential Assurance Building, Liverpool (1068278)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 11 May 2012
24. Historic England, "Prudential Assurance Building, Camden (1379064)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 29 June 2012
25. Historic England, "337 and 338 High Holborn, City of London (1246102)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 12 June 2012
26. Historic England, "1–4 Holborn Bars, City of London (1246102)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 12 June 2012
27. Historic England, "Staple Inn Buildings, City of London (1245623)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 12 June 2012
28. Historic England, "Barclays Bank, Durham (1323244)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 25 June 2012
29. 71-79, Renfield Street, 48-50, West Regent Street, Glasgow, Historic Scotland, retrieved 30 June 2012
30. Prudential Building, Glasgow, Dictionary of Scottish Architects, retrieved 30 June 2012
31. Historic England, "49 Spring Gardens, Manchester (1270700)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 14 May 2012
32. Hartwell, Hyde & Pevsner 2004, p. 316.
33. Historic England, "Prudential Assurance Office, Manchester (1219164)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 9 June 2012
34. Hartwell, Hyde & Pevsner 2004, pp. 333–334.
35. Historic England, "41 Spring Gardens, Manchester (1270679)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 14 May 2012
36. Historic England, "Lloyd's Bank, Cambridge (1331920)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 25 June 2012
37. Hartwell, Hyde & Pevsner 2004, pp. 320–321.
38. Historic England, "Former Refuge Assurance Building, Manchester (1271429)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 June 2012
39. Welcome, The Principal Manchester, retrieved 9 November 2016
40. Historic England, "12 Mosley Street, Newcastle upon Tyne (1024805)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 10 May 2012
41. Historic England, "The Prudential Assurance, City of Portsmouth (1104325)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 13 May 2012
42. Historic England, "19 and 20 Park Row, Leeds (1375419)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 26 June 2012
43. Historic England, "207–209 Piccadilly W1, City of Westminster (1265806)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 14 June 2012
44. Historic England, "Prudential Assurance, Bradford (1133642)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 15 May 2012
45. 31 Meadowside or Albert Square, Dundee, Historic Scotland, retrieved 30 June 2012
46. Prudential Assurance Building, Dundee, Dictionary of Scottish Architects, retrieved 30 June 2012
47. Former Prudential Assurance Building, Edinburgh, Historic Scotland, retrieved 30 June 2012
48. Prudential Assurance Building, Edinburgh, Dictionary of Scottish Architects, retrieved 30 June 2012
49. Pollard & Pevsner 2006, p. 336.
50. Historic England, "St John's House, 7–12 St John's Lane, Liverpool (1292419)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 22 June 2012
51. Historic England, "Prudential Assurance Building, Sheffield (1271137)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 24 June 2012
52. Historic England, "Greek Street Chambers, Leeds (1375428)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 26 June 2012
53. Historic England, "17 and 19 Clare Street, Bristol (1282359)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 20 June 2012

Bibliography

• Cunningham, Colin; Waterhouse, Prudence (1992), Alfred Waterhouse, 1830-1905: Biography of a Practice, Clarendon Studies in the History of Art, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0198175117
• Dixon, Roger; Muthesius, Stefan (1985) [1978], Victorian Architecture (2 ed.), London: Thames and Hudson, ISBN 0-500-20160-9
• Hartwell, Claire; Hyde, Matthew; Hubbard, Edward; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2011) [1971], Cheshire, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-17043-6
• Hartwell, Clare; Hyde, Matthew; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2004), Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-10583-5
• Pollard, Richard; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2006), Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West, The Buildings of England, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-10910-5