The Principal Manchester

Towering above the Manchester skyline, with its distinctive clock tower and striking Victorian architecture, The Principal Manchester is a magnificent, terracotta grade 2 listed building steeped in history.

Rewind back to 1890, when the Refuge Assurance Company paid a sum of £21,000 for an 1800 square yard parcel of land at the corner of Oxford Street, and the beginnings of The Palace Hotel was born. Inside he enhanced the spacious working areas with richly glazed decorative tiles, panelling and plasterwork.

Within ten years Number One building was bursting at the seams. Calling back Waterhouses' son Paul to continue the good work, building Number Two was developed incorporating some spectacular features including the magnificent Cararra marble and bronze staircase and the soaring clock tower standing at two hundred and seventeen feet, one of the city's best known landmarks.