Manchester Assize Courts

Manchester Assize Courts
Photograph of the now demolished Assize Court, once the tallest building in Manchester
Illustration of the Assize courts from Charles Eastlake's History of the Gothic Revival.

The Manchester Assize Courts were law courts once located on Great Ducie Street in Strangeways, Manchester in England. From 1864 to 1877, the 85 metre building was the tallest in Manchester before being overtaken by the Manchester Town Hall. Widely admired[1], it has been referred to as one of Britain's 'lost buildings'.[2]

Designed by Alfred Waterhouse in the neo-Gothic style, construction began in 1859 and was completed in 1864. This was Waterhouse's first major commission, won by open competition, and the nearby 1862 Strangeways Prison was also his design.

Widely praised, the building was demolished beginning in 1957, due to incendiary bomb damage caused during World War 2. The building also contained exterior sculptures by Thomas Woolner and the firm of O'Shea and Whelan.

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Coordinates: 53°29′30″N 2°14′53″W / 53.4918°N 2.2481°W / 53.4918; -2.2481