Town Hall, Manchester, England United Kingdom

Manchester Town Hall is a triumph of late-Victorian (1887) civic architecture in the Gothic-revival style, with spires and turrets and twiddles a-plenty.

Inside, it is absolutely wonderful. Even though it is not possible for the public to explore much of the building, what you can see in the foyer/reception area is stunning.

The intricately-detailed stone carvings on the walls...the mosaic floors and dados (deliberately designed to be washable, for hygiene purposes), the painted ceilings, the grand, curving staircases (specially designed so that Victorian ladies could ascend without having to look down at their feet) and superb vaulted ceilings...even the metalwork grilles and gates were designed with thought and style (see the photo of the metal 'lily').

There is a 'sculpture hall', which is sometimes open as a cafe: busts of the great and good, squashy sofas, tea and coffee and cakes. And there are plenty of busts of the great and good to see, and full-size sculptures too. I especially like the one of James Joule, the physicist: he looks bored stiff to me! And there's also a gaudy, typically-Victorian-Romantic painted sculpture of what I think much be John of Gaunt, the Earl of Lancaster?

In the Great Hall there is a series of wonderful murals by the great pre-Raphaelite artist Ford Maddox Brown. I've not managed to see them yet, because they are only available to the public during the Town Hall's opening hours (Monday-Friday 9-5). It's best to check before visiting, because the Great Hall is sometimes used for meetings etc. Contact info and more details on the website below.