North Warehouse

North Warehouse is a large, rectangular bonded warehouse, now serving as local authority offices, built between 1826 and 1827. It was designed by Barton Haigh, an architect from Liverpool, and constructed by William Rees and Son for the Gloucester and Berkeley Canal Company, later leased to corn merchants. Conversion to offices took place between 1985 and 1986.

The building is constructed of brick with stone lintels and sills to the openings, and has a slate roof. It originally comprised two semi-detached units of equal size, with late 20th-century canopied entrances added centrally on the north side and at the west end. The warehouse is four storeys high, with a basement and attic. Stone copings mark the gables, and a moulded stone eaves cornice runs along the sides, incorporating a lead-lined gutter. Four loading door openings are visible in each side wall, now infilled with 20th-century windows; above each opening is a restored timber cat-head hoist canopy at eaves level. A stone tablet below the cornice reads "The Gloucester and Berkeley Canal Company's Warehouses Erected by W. Rees and Son Ano. Dom. 1826". The south side has two ground-floor doorways, partially infilled as windows. Original window openings are arranged in a 2x3x4x3x2 sequence on each floor, with similar windows in the end gables, all now fitted with late 20th-century side-hung sashes. Basement windows were bricked up during construction to comply with HM Customs regulations for bonded stores; these are indicated by stone lintels.

The interior features brick-vaulted basement and was significantly altered during conversion to offices. Originally, timber floors were supported by cast-iron columns.

The warehouse is the earliest surviving warehouse within the docks and was constructed in anticipation of increased trade as the Canal neared completion. The original design for three units of five storeys was reduced to two units and the height reduced by one storey during construction.