Whitworth Hall
Encyclopedia
The Whitworth Hall on Oxford Road and Burlington Street in Chorlton-on-Medlock
, Manchester
, England
is part of the University of Manchester
. It has been listed Grade II* since 18 December 1963. The Hall lies at the south-east range of the Old Quadrangle of the University, with the Manchester Museum
adjoined to the north, and the former Christie Library
connected to the west. It was constructed circa 1895–1902, and was designed by Paul Waterhouse
. Whitworth Hall is named after Mancunian industrialist, Sir Joseph Whitworth
, who bequeathed much of his fortune to fund public developments in Manchester.
The Hall is constructed of sandstone
, with red tiled roofs in fishscale
bands, and is connected to the Manchester Museum
to the north via a 2-storey entrance archway. The Hall has two unequal storeys, consisting of 8 bays separated by buttress
es. There is a 3-stage corner tower at the south end of the Hall, with an octagonal belfry
and a short spire.
Whitworth Hall can hold up to 675 people for meetings, up to 300 people for banquets or up to 200 for dinner dances. There is a Council Chamber and five boardrooms connected to the Hall and a large organ. The Hall is licensed for civil weddings, and is used for all graduation ceremonies at the University.
Chorlton-on-Medlock
Chorlton-on-Medlock is an inner city area of Manchester, England.Historically a part of Lancashire, the northern border of Chorlton-on-Medlock is the River Medlock which runs immediately south of Manchester city centre. Its other borders roughly correspond to Stockport Road, Hathersage Road, Moss...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
is part of the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
. It has been listed Grade II* since 18 December 1963. The Hall lies at the south-east range of the Old Quadrangle of the University, with the Manchester Museum
Manchester Museum
The Manchester Museum is owned by the University of Manchester. Sited on Oxford Road at the heart of the university's group of neo-Gothic buildings, it provides access to about six million items from every continent and serves both as a resource for academic research and teaching and as a regional...
adjoined to the north, and the former Christie Library
Richard Copley Christie
Richard Copley Christie was an English lawyer, University teacher, philanthropist and bibliophile.He was born at Lenton in Nottinghamshire, the son of a mill owner. He was educated at Lincoln College, Oxford where he was tutored by Mark Pattison, and was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1857...
connected to the west. It was constructed circa 1895–1902, and was designed by Paul Waterhouse
Paul Waterhouse
Paul Waterhouse, , was a British architect.He was son and business partner of Alfred Waterhouse and father of Michael Waterhouse, who were all architects who designed buildings in England...
. Whitworth Hall is named after Mancunian industrialist, Sir Joseph Whitworth
Joseph Whitworth
Sir Joseph Whitworth, 1st Baronet was an English engineer, entrepreneur, inventor and philanthropist. In 1841, he devised the British Standard Whitworth system, which created an accepted standard for screw threads...
, who bequeathed much of his fortune to fund public developments in Manchester.
The Hall is constructed of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, with red tiled roofs in fishscale
Fishscale
FishScale is the fifth studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah, released March 28, 2006 on Def Jam in the United States. The album features guest appearances from every member of the Wu-Tang Clan, as well as Ghostface Killah's Theodore Unit...
bands, and is connected to the Manchester Museum
Manchester Museum
The Manchester Museum is owned by the University of Manchester. Sited on Oxford Road at the heart of the university's group of neo-Gothic buildings, it provides access to about six million items from every continent and serves both as a resource for academic research and teaching and as a regional...
to the north via a 2-storey entrance archway. The Hall has two unequal storeys, consisting of 8 bays separated by buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. There is a 3-stage corner tower at the south end of the Hall, with an octagonal belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
and a short spire.
Whitworth Hall can hold up to 675 people for meetings, up to 300 people for banquets or up to 200 for dinner dances. There is a Council Chamber and five boardrooms connected to the Hall and a large organ. The Hall is licensed for civil weddings, and is used for all graduation ceremonies at the University.