Manchester Parcel Post Office

698-1/0/11173

MIRABEL STREET, Manchester Parcel Post Office

07-JAN-02

II

Former parcel post office, now wholesale warehouse. 1894, with late C20 alterations. Red brick, with moulded brick and terracotta detailing, with Welsh slate roof coverings and glazed courtyard canopy. PLAN: Irregular plan on a triangular site bounded on the south-west side by the River Irwell, on the north side by New Bridge Street, and on the south-east side by Mirabel Street. EXTERIOR: South-West elevation: three storeys and attics above two basement levels. At the north-west end, the 9-bay facade of the office range with gabled ends flanking the central 5-bay part. Coped gables with terracotta finials. Above a dentilled eaves and moulded cornice are wide semi-circular arched openings with five narrow lights in the infil panel. Below, central 2-over-2 pane sash windows with narrow flanking sashes, all below joggled terracotta heads. Between first and second floors, terracotta panels with foliage decoration surrounding crown motifs, the centre panel carrying the letters ' V R '. Further right, 21-bay sorting office range, arranged 3:2:5:2:5:2:2., with bays 4 and 5, 11 and 12 and 18 and 19 below coped gables with blind semicircular arches and glazed circular openings top the gable apexes. Upper and lower basement levels with shallow-arch-headed windows, the shallower lower openings blocked. Lower 4-bay 2-storeyed range extends toward railway viaduct at south-west end of complex. North elevation : three storeys, five bays with advanced 3-bay gable to centre and set-back flanking bays. Wide central semicircular with alternate voussoirs raised , and 4-light transomed window. To the left, entrance with moulded terracotta surround and transomed overlight. Continuous cill band to first floor windows and decorative terracotta panels below upper floor windows. East elevation follows line of Mirabel Street. North end with asymmetrical front incorporating a pair of gabled entrances to loading bay courtyard, with glazed canopy carried on cast and wrought iron roof structure. Flanking walls with paired semi-circular arched windows within recessed panels. Further left, 2-storeyed range with tower to right-hand corner, now raised , and incorporating canted bay window to first floor. INTERIOR: Not inspected.

An extensive parcel sorting office completed in 1894, a specialist building type strategically sited between the Exchange and Victoria stations in Manchester, and a key component of the extensive network of transportation and storage facilities in late C19 Manchester, then at the height of its commercial and industrial influence.