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Employee Share-Based Incentive Compensation Plans (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Performance Shares  
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award  
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Period 3 years
One Beacon Employee Stock Ownership Plan  
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award  
Annual base contribution provided to participants expressed as percentage of salary 3.00%wtm_EmployeeStockOwnershipPlanEsopAnnualBaseContributionProvidedToParticipantsExpressedAsPercentageOfSalary
/ us-gaap_EmployeeStockOwnershipPlanESOPDisclosuresByPlanAxis
= wtm_OneBeaconEmployeeStockOwnershipPlanMember
Social security wage base amount maximum 117,000wtm_EmployeeStockOwnershipPlanEsopSocialSecurityWageBaseAmountMaximum
/ us-gaap_EmployeeStockOwnershipPlanESOPDisclosuresByPlanAxis
= wtm_OneBeaconEmployeeStockOwnershipPlanMember
Variable contribution provided to participants (as percentage) 6.00%wtm_EmployeeStockOwnershipPlanEsopVariableContributionProvidedToParticipantsNotEligibleToCertainBenefitsExpressedAsPercentageOfSalary
/ us-gaap_EmployeeStockOwnershipPlanESOPDisclosuresByPlanAxis
= wtm_OneBeaconEmployeeStockOwnershipPlanMember
OneBeacon | IRS  
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award  
Defined Benefit Plan Compensation LImits 260,000wtm_DefinedBenefitPlanCompensationLImits
/ us-gaap_IncomeTaxAuthorityAxis
= us-gaap_InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= wtm_OnebeaconMember