The Manchester Town Hall reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Manchester Town Hall

Manchester Town Hall is a building in Manchester, England that houses the city's government and administrative functions. Completed by architect Alfred Waterhouse in 1877, it is a fine example of Victorian Gothic revival, featuring imposing murals by Ford Madox Brown.

As filming is forbidden in the Palace of Westminster, Manchester Town Hall is frequently used as its "body double" in British political dramatisations.

Table of contents

1 Design and construction 2 Entrance 3 The Great Hall 4 The bell tower 5 External links

Design and construction

In the mid 19th century, Manchester's local authorities were based in King Street, a building subsequently occupied by a bank, and currently by shops. As the size and wealth of the city grew, largely as a result of its textile industry, its administration outstripped the existing facilities.

The site chosen for a new town hall was an oddly shaped triangle and, of the 136 entries in open competition for the design, Waterhouse's expoiled the constraints in the most practical and imaginative way. Despite its medieval styling, the building was designed to support the practical bureaucratic technologies of the 19th century. There was even a warm-air heating system.

The building exemplifies the Victorian Gothic revival style of architecture, using themes and elements from 13th century early English. The choice was influenced by the wish for a spiritual acknowledgement to Manchester's heritage in the textile trade of the Hanseatic league and also an affirmation of modernity, the fashionable gothic style being preferred over the classical architecture favoured in neighbouring Liverpool. The exterior, of spinkwell stone, is decorated with carvings of important figures in Manchester's history.

Construction started in 1868, at a cost of GBP one million, comprising fourteen million bricks.

Entrance

The entrance overlooks Albert Square and features statues of:

• Gnaeus Julius Agricola, founder of the Roman fort of Mamuciam in year 79;
• Henry III of England;
• Elizabeth I of England; and
• Saint George.

In the entrance hall are statues of:

• James Prescott Joule, by Alfred Gilbert; and
• John Dalton, by Francis Legatt Chantrey.

The Great Hall

The hall features an organ by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll and a sequence of twelve murals by Ford Madox Brown. The murals reflect the outstanding themes of Victorian Manchester: Christianity, commerce and the textile industry. They are not true frescos but employ the Gambier Parry process. The murals are:

1. The Romans Building a Fort at Mancenion: The building of the fort, to be found now in Manchester's Castlefield, by British slaves under Agricola.
2. The Baptism of Edwin: Baptism of Edwin of Northumbria at York, watched by his wife Ethelberga and family.
3. The Expulsion of the Danes from Manchester: A colourful depiction of the evacuation of the Danes from the town
4. The Establishment of Flemish Weavers in Manchester A.D. 1363: Queen Philippa of Hainault greets Flemish weavers who were invited to England under Edward III of England’s act of 1337.
5. The Trial of Wycliffe A.D. 1377: Perhaps the most impressive of the twelve murals, John Wycliffe is depicted on trial, defended by his patron, John of Gaunt. Geoffrey Chaucer, another protegé of Gaunt's, acts as recorder.
6. The Proclamation regarding Weights and Measures A.D. 1556: The Burgess and others of the Town of Manchester shall send in all manner of Weights and Measures to be tried by their Majesties standard.
7. Crabtree watching the Transit of Venus A.D. 1639: William Crabtree, a draper who lived at Broughton, was asked by a curate friend, Jeremiah Horrocks, to observe the Transit of Venus, on November 24. Crabtree's diligence and rigour enabled him to correct Horrocks' faulty calculations and to observe the transit on December 4.
8. Chetham’s Life’s Dream A.D. 1640: Humphrey Chetham dreams of the school, Chetham's School of Music, to be established by his legacy.
9. Bradshaw’s Defence of Manchester A.D. 1642: During the English Civil War, Manchester was laid under siege by Royalists. It was in fact Colonel Rosworm, not Bradshaw, who defended the town.
10. John Kay, Inventor of the Fly Shuttle A.D. 1753: Depicts luddites destroying the shuttle mechanism while Kay is being smuggled to safety.
11. The Opening of the Bridgewater Canal A.D. 1761: The 3rd Earl of Bridgewater owned coal mines in Swinton, and collaborated with engineer James Brindley to build a canal to carry coal into the heart of Manchester.
12. Dalton collecting Marsh-Fire Gas: The seminal studies that led John Dalton to his atomic theory.

The bell tower

There is a 280 feet tall bell tower, housing a carillon of 23 bells. The clock bell, Great Abel is named for Abel Heywood, mayor of the city in the year of the town hall's inauguration. The clock is by Gillet and Bland and its face bears the inscription Teach us to number our Days.

External links

• Ground-floor plan of the town hall
• Town hall bells
• Town hall organ

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