Jacksons Warehouse

One of the oldest remaining brick warehouses in manchester, located on Piccadilly Basin

The six-storey Jackson's Warehouse is located on an offshoot of the Rochdale Canal. Like other warehouses in central Manchester, it features 'shipping holes' at canal level on its main elevation. These allowed direct access into the building so that canal boats could unload under cover.

The warehouse is Grade II* listed and constructed in red brick. The ground floor is set partially below the level of Tariff Street and there are loading doors on each floor. The hoists for raising goods from canal boats or wagons were located in the roof space. Some of the capstans, wheels and pulleys are still in place.

The two shipping holes occupy almost one quarter of the south elevation. Each is framed with a single ring of stone voussoirs. The windows all have stone sills and either arched brick tops or stone lintels. There are wagon entrances either side of the shipping holes and tiers of goods-loading doors in the roadside elevation and in the gable ends.
The interior is divided by a spine wall, with a row of cast iron columns in each half to support the floors. The columns in the top four storeys are slotted so that timber boards could be used to divide the floor into grain storage bins.

In November 2003, completion of a £4. 25m restoration project converted the warehouse into apartments, with a restaurant and commercial space on the lower ground floor. A glazed stair and lift tower was added at the eastern end. The ground was vibro compacted to improve its bearing capacity.

The canal basin that the warehouse faces was also renovated and a new lift bridge provided for the north towpath of the Rochdale Canal.

Architect (2003 conversion): Michael Hyde Associates

Structural engineer (2003 conversion): Martin Stockley Associates

Contractor (2003 conversion): Eric Wright Construction