Manchester Assize Courts

Manchester Assize Courts


Acarte-de-visite view of the Manchester Assize Courts, once located on Greet Ducie Street in Manchester, now regarded as one of Britain’s great ‘lost buildings’. A young man sitting on the steps at the foot of one of the large columns gives the composition a sense of scale.

Designed by Alfred Waterhouse in the Venetian Gothic style, construction began in 1859 and was completed in 1864. As part of the scheme, the nearby Strangeways Prison was also included in his design. The Assize Courts were damaged during the Blitz and finally demolished in 1957 but Strangeways Prison survives and is currently a Grade II listed structure.

Photographed by John Eastham of Manchester.

 


Code: 125660
© Paul Frecker 2024