The Waterhouse

The Waterhouse is a pub in central Manchester, England, operated by the national pub chain J D Wetherspoon. It occupies 67–71 Princess Street, in the M2 4EG postcode, directly opposite Manchester Town Hall. The pub takes its name from Alfred Waterhouse, the leading 19th-century architect who designed the Town Hall and several other major buildings in the city. As a Wetherspoon house, The Waterhouse follows the chain's familiar formula: a large, food-led pub with an extensive menu of drinks and meals, long opening hours, and a strong emphasis on value pricing. It opens at 8:00am every day, closing at midnight from Monday to Thursday and Sunday, and at 1:00am on Friday and Saturday. Children under 18 are admitted only between 8:00am and 9:00pm. Facilities include Wi-Fi, TV screens, baby-changing facilities and step-free access. Customers can order food and drinks to their table through the Wetherspoon app. The pub participates in the chain-wide programmes that define the brand, including the twice-yearly real-ale festivals and seasonal food and drink menus such as the Christmas menu and the spritz cocktail range. Its location in the civic heart of Manchester, beside the Town Hall, gives it a distinctive identity within the Wetherspoon estate, and its name and interior interpretation connect it to the city's Victorian architectural heritage.

The Waterhouse is one of the many pubs operated across the United Kingdom by J D Wetherspoon plc, a company founded by Tim Martin. The chain began in 1979, when the first Wetherspoon pub opened in Colney Hatch Lane, Muswell Hill, north London, on 9 December; it was initially called Martin's Free House before being renamed Wetherspoons in early 1980. In its early years the company's pubs were concentrated in north London, with the head office above The Dog in Archway. Wetherspoon pioneered a series of initiatives that later became standard in the British pub trade: it hosted its first real-ale festival in 1990, opened a dedicated non-smoking bar at The Tally Ho in North Finchley in 1991, launched the CBS (cleanliness, beer and service) inspection scheme, and began publishing the free Wetherspoon News magazine. It opened Hamilton Hall at Liverpool Street station, its first central London and station pub, and in 1992 opened its first airport pubs at Heathrow Terminal 4. Also in 1992 the company floated on the Stock Exchange as J D Wetherspoon plc, with shares issued at £1.60. The Waterhouse itself is a later addition to this estate, located at 67–71 Princess Street in Manchester, in the shadow of Manchester Town Hall. The pub's name and interpretation draw directly on the building opposite: the Town Hall was completed in 1877 to a design by Alfred Waterhouse, the leading 19th-century architect who had already designed Manchester Assizes and Strangeways Gaol before winning the design contest for the new town hall in 1868. The triangular building, with nearly 1,000 rooms, is recognised as his masterpiece; it took eight years to build and was described as "a municipal place" by the city's Radical MP John Bright, whose statue is among the many sculptures it contains. The Town Hall's internal mosaic design incorporates a pattern of bees, symbolic of Manchester's industry and also found on the city's coat of arms, alongside cotton flowers representing the basis of the city's prosperity. The Waterhouse pub reflects this heritage in its own interpretation, including a framed photograph of Alfred Waterhouse and text explaining the connection. As part of the Wetherspoon group, the pub participates in chain-wide programmes such as the twice-yearly real-ale festivals, which now feature up to 50 beers per pub, 10 of them from overseas, and seasonal menus including the Christmas menu and the spritz cocktail range.

• 1992

  First airport pubs open at Heathrow Airport Terminal 4; the company floats on the Stock Exchange as J D Wetherspoon plc with shares issued at £1.60.

• 1991

  The Tally Ho in North Finchley opens with a dedicated non-smoking bar upstairs; the CBS (cleanliness, beer and service) scheme begins; the first Wetherspoon News is published; Hamilton Hall opens at Liverpool Street station.

• 1990

  Wetherspoon's pubs host their first real-ale festival, lasting four days and featuring six beers.

• 1980

  The pub is renamed Wetherspoons early in the year.

• 1979

  First Wetherspoon pub opens in Colney Hatch Lane, Muswell Hill, north London, on 9 December; initially called Martin's Free House.

• 1877

  Manchester Town Hall, designed by Alfred Waterhouse, is completed; The Waterhouse pub later takes its name from the architect.

A value-focused, food-led Wetherspoon pub in Manchester's civic centre, named after the architect of the Town Hall opposite and offering long hours, app ordering and chain-wide beer festivals.

• Real ale and guest ales

  A rotating range of cask ales, including guest beers and international brewers during the twice-yearly festivals.

• Craft beer and canned craft drinks

  Craft cans with published tasting notes, available alongside the cask range.

• Spritz cocktails

  A range of nine classic and fruity spritz recipes.

• Christmas menu

  Festive food available from 12 November to 31 December, excluding Christmas Day.

• Hot honey Chicken Bowl

  A chicken bowl dish served across Wetherspoon pubs.

1. 1The Waterhouse - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
2. 2History - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
3. 3The Waterhouse - J D Wetherspoon (pub history)jdwetherspoon.com
4. 4About us - J D Wetherspoonjdwetherspoon.com
5. 5The Waterhouse - Wikidatawikidata.org