Warehouse

A warehouse of three storeys with basement and jigger loft, built in 1882 and located at 13 North Street in Liverpool's commercial centre.

The building is constructed of brick with stone dressings and cast iron features, beneath a slate roof. The plan is virtually square.

The front elevation facing North Street is finished in brick and features two gables. It is divided into four bays, with the entrance and stairwell windows forming the left bay and the loading bay occupying the third bay. The entrance, positioned at ground level, is a projecting structure of painted brick beneath a moulded canopy and contains a modern door. The second and fourth bays contain metal-framed windows with cast iron lintels and mullions. All window sills are of painted sandstone with curved brick surrounds. Blue engineering bricks form quoins either side of the loading bay and horizontal banding runs the width of the building in line with window lintels and sills. Fire-proof metal-shuttered doors serve the upper two floors of the loading bay, above which an iron cathead is dated 1882. Circular windows are positioned towards the top of the gables. External railings have been added to the entrance, basement and ground floor windows and loading bay for security purposes.

Internally, a stone staircase provides access to the basement and all floors. The basement contains a heavy cast iron door, cast iron columns and cast iron storage bay doors. The front part of the ground floor has been subdivided in recent years by modern timber partitions to create office space for a printing company. The remainder of the warehouse survives in its original condition with brick skin, cast iron columns, wooden floors, internal cast iron shutters to the staircase windows and heavy fire-proof iron doors to each floor. The upper floor displays an exposed king-post roof structure and contains a jigger loft with an in situ hoist.

Built in 1882, this warehouse is one of only nine surviving warehouses north of Dale Street in Liverpool's commercial centre. It was constructed during the period when Liverpool's port had achieved international significance in the volume and range of goods traded. The ground floor was occupied until 2007 by a printing company, which inserted the timber partitions to the front office area. The warehouse remained vacant thereafter.