The MacDonald Townhouse Hotel - Former Pickles Warehouse

Portland Street was once a canyon of warehouses, monuments to the city's status as "Cottonopolis". The street was at the heart of the Christmas Blitz during WWII and many of the buildings were damagesd and over the years they have been demolished. A few remain including the fine Pickles Warehouse on the corner of Princess Street designed by Clegg and Knowles and built between 1858 and 1863. Clegg's influence on warehouse design was to extend along Princess Street in a number of buildings,.

Pickles Warehouse was built in what has been described as "continental gothic" or "palazzo style". Initially, it had tall chimneys at the eaves.

Today it is the MacDonald Townhouse Hotel although, as you can see below it used to be the Princess Hotel and still sports that name on exterior signs.

A map from 1886 indicates that at that time it was home to George Fraser and Sons and that fact is carved in stone beside the Portland Street - Abingdon Street entrance.