Former Refuge Assurance Company Offices
FORMER REFUGE ASSURANCE COMPANY OFFICES, OXFORD STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1271429
- Date first listed:
- 03-Oct-1974
- List Entry Name:
- Former Refuge Assurance Company Offices
- Statutory Address:
- FORMER REFUGE ASSURANCE COMPANY OFFICES, OXFORD STREET
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2003-05-15
- Reference:
- IOE01/07064/08
- Rights:
- © Mr Peter Sargeant. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1271429
- Date first listed:
- 03-Oct-1974
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 06-Jun-1994
- List Entry Name:
- Former Refuge Assurance Company Offices
- Statutory Address 1:
- FORMER REFUGE ASSURANCE COMPANY OFFICES, OXFORD STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- FORMER REFUGE ASSURANCE COMPANY OFFICES, OXFORD STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Manchester (Metropolitan Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- SJ 84145 97533
Details
MANCHESTER
SJ8497NW OXFORD STREET 698-1/32/268 (East side) 03/10/74 Former Refuge Assurance Company Offices (Formerly Listed as: OXFORD STREET Refuge Assurance Company Offices)
GV II*
Insurance company offices. 1891 by Alfred Waterhouse, extended 1910 and 1912 by his son Paul Waterhouse, and further extended in 1930s. Steel frame, clad in red brick with liberal dressings of deep brown and buff terracotta, and grey Dalbeattie granite to base of tower. Irregular plan formed by original square block on corner of Whitworth Street, block to south of this added 1910 (triangular at rear), tower between and linking these added 1912, and rectangular block added to east end of original Whitworth Street range in 1930s. Very large and ornate eclectic design with French Renaissance accent and some Baroque features. Four storeys with basements and attics, the first block with a large corner element and then 6-bay facades to both streets, next the tower flanked by deep 1-bay re-entrants, with 3-bay porch in front, and a 6-bay range beyond this; with brick piers, enriched bands between floors, undulating parapets, tiered shaped gables to the end bays and a tiered octagonal turret with domed roof between those at the Whitworth Street corner, and a very tall square clock-tower, pilastered and banded, with a prominent cornice and Baroque cupola. Large closely-spaced cross-windows to the first 3 floors, coupled 2-light mullioned windows to the top floor, all with elaborate terracotta surrounds including twisted columns, pierced aprons (etc) and those at 2nd floor with decorated segmental pediments. The corner element has a round-headed doorway with richly-ornamented terracotta surround carried up to 1st floor and finished with a toy-sized fort; various small rectangular windows in the right-hand side, and a mullioned and transomed window in the left side tiered through 4 floors. Main entrance at base of tower in single-storey 3-bay porch of white granite in Baroque style, with round-headed central arch in projected surround of engaged Tuscan semi-columns, broken segmental pediment (etc), flanked by square-headed openings with Ionic columns, and swagged bulls-eye windows and balustraded parapets above. Interior: inside porch, enclosed forecourt surrounded by massive arcades and colonnades in buff glazed terracotta, with doorways, niches (etc) in Baroque style; other parts believed to be of similar quality, but not inspected. Very conspicuous landmark, and probably the apogee of "Manchester style" late C19 commercial architecture.
Listing NGR: SJ8414597533
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 454854
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 26-Jun-2026 at 13:35:56.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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