Project name: Bridgewater House, Grade II

Project Type: Historic Building Appraisal, Character Appraisal, Schedule of Significance, PPG 15 Justification Statement

Date: May 2006 – August 2007

Architect: Ian Simpson Architects

Planner:
TBA

Special Interest: Bridgewater House (“Officers’ Mess of Manchester Regiment”, subsequently Bridgewater Canal Offices) is Grade II listed, the Chester Road portion of which pre-dates the rapid 19th century expansion of Manchester. The site and the area maintained the same urban pattern until the mid 20th century when the entire area was cleared and residents relocated. Historic evidence suggests that the building fronting Chester Road was constructed before 1788. Bridgewater House is located immediately southeast of the Castlefield Conservation Area and Tentative World Heritage Site. Although the variety of building materials used in Castlefield is very wide, it tends to be more rugged and industrial in character than in other parts of the city centre. The most impressive building components are the massive cast-iron columns supporting the railway viaducts and, of course, the viaducts themselves, Canals and Quays.

Scope of Professional Services
Heritage Architecture Ltd were commissioned to undertake the following:

• HISTORIC APPRAISAL OF BUILDINGS: Heritage Architecture compiled research into the special interest of Bridgewater House through searches in local and national archives and undertook an appraisal of significance in accordance with the Communities and Local Government Circular 01/2007, Revisions to Principles of Selection for Listing Buildings and taking into account the Statutory Criteria and General Principles used by the Secretary of State.

• HISTORIC CONTEXT APPRAISAL: Heritage Architecture Ltd undertook research to assess the development of the site and its historic context, including the preparation of a map sequence of earlier built form.

• SCHEDULE OF SIGNIFICANCE: Heritage Architecture Ltd carried out a room-by-room analysis of Bridgewater House to ascertain the relative significance of the surviving features of the building, this included later insertions and alterations. The schedule of significance of Bridgewater House depicted the extent of special interest of the buildings, which informed the proposed alterations and extensions.