Northern Bank

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively plain two-storey terrace bank, originally a house built in 1886. The property is set on the west side of Main Street, Armoy.

The asymmetrical front elevation faces E. To the right hand side of the ground floor is the bank ‘front’ which consists of the entrance to left and three large windows to its right. The entrance is made up of a relatively tall flat-arch opening which contains a panelled timber double door which covers a modern glazed door, and a plain rectangular fanlight. The entrance is embellished with ‘Baroque’ detailing, including a moulded shouldered surround, a frieze with scroll ends and a swag moulding thereon, and a segmental tympanum. The windows are evenly spaced and have timber sash frames with plate glass. Directly above the windows there is a moulded string course, and above again the bank ‘signboard’, which has raised plastic letters (probably illuminated from within). Above the ‘signboard’ is a moulded cornice course. The bank front is finished in rusticated render and painted. Just to the left of the entrance there is a plastic projecting bank sign (also probably lit from within).

To the left of the bank front there are three evenly spaced windows, slightly taller and narrower than those to the bank front itself, but with similar frames. These windows have moulded surrounds. To the first floor there are six unevenly spaced windows, as those to left on the ground floor, but without the surrounds. The façade (outside of the bank front) is finished in painted lined render.

The N gable does not have any openings. It is finished in unpainted cement render.

To the left hand side of the rear elevation there is a, relatively large, single-storey gabled projection, to the S face of which there are two windows with modern timber frames and security bars over. To the right of the projection, on the ground floor of the rear elevation of the main section of the building, there is a doorway with modern timber and glazed door and narrow sidelight. To the right of this there are two identical windows. To right again, set within a large recess, there is a doorway and a window. The doorway ha a timber sheeted door and the window has a modern timber frame. To the first floor there are five unevenly-spaced windows. The three windows to left / centre are the same size and have frames as those to the ground floor apart from that to far left which has a fixed timber frame with multiple (Georgian-like) panes. The two windows to right are of differing size and both have frames similar to those on the ground floor. The rear elevation and the projection are finished in unpainted lined cement render.

The gabled roof is slated and has four unevenly-spaced ridge chimneystacks. All of these are rendered and have moulded corbelling. There is a small skylight to the E side of the roof, and another to the W side. The roof of the projection is also slated and has an overhang, with plain bargeboards, boxed in eaves and curved timber brackets. The rainwater goods are cast-iron. To front there is a square downspout attached to the wall with brackets with oval mouldings thereon.

There is a relatively large yard to the rear, now disused and largely covered in weeds. To the W end of the yard there is a single-storey gabled outbuilding, with rubble walls and slated roof. To the E elevation of this outbuilding there is a window then a door, another door and then another window, the windows largely frameless, with badly dilapidated doors to the doorways. This outbuilding is in poor order. To the S side the yard is enclosed by a high rubble wall.

Historical information

Although this site is shown developed on the OS map of 1832, it was occupied by two single-storey thatched dwellings at that date. These were demolished in 1879-80 to make way for the present building, although, (according to the valuations), the property itself does not seem to have been completed until 1886. This new building was first occupied by a Samuel Peacock, who is listed as a draper in Bassett’s directory of 1888. This suggests that part of the building was used as a shop, although the valuations simply describe it as a ‘house’. The valuations tell us that Samuel Peacock remained in residence until sometime after 1930.

Unfortunately, the post 1930 [actually post 1935-36] valuation books for this area are not open to public consultation at present, so it is difficult to track the building’s history after this point, and when it was converted to a branch of the Northern bank. The ‘bank front’ and the internal detailing suggest that the property could well have been converted prior to 1930, however, as we have seen, the lack of information supplied in the valuations would appear to indicate that this was not the case.

The Northern Bank itself had a part-time branch in Armoy from 1888 at least, (it is recorded as opening for two hours each Wednesday in 1905), but it is uncertain where this branch operated from.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/1/13/1 OS map, Co Antrim, sheet 13 (1832)
2 PRONI VAL/1B/130 First valuation, Armoy parish [Cary Barony] (1834)
3 OS Memoirs, Parish of Armoy, (1832-38), reprinted in ‘Ordnance Survey memoirs of Ireland…’ ed Angelique Day, Patrick McWilliams and Noirin Dobson (Belfast, QUB, 1994), p.4
4 PRONI OS/6/1/13/2 OS map, Co Antrim, sheet 13 (1857)
5 PRONI VAL/2D/1/20d Valuation plan of Armoy (1859)
6 PRONI VAL/2B/1/23a Second valuation, Armoy parish [Cary Barony] (1859)
7 PRONI VAL/2B/1/23b Second valuation, Armoy parish [Cary Barony] (1859)
8 PRONI VAL/2B/1/37 Second valuation, Armoy parish [Upper Dunluce Barony] (1859)
9 PRONI VAL/12B/2/1a Annual valuation revision book, Armoy ED (1864-78)
10 PRONI VAL/12B/2/1b Annual valuation revision book, Armoy ED (1878-85)
11 PRONI VAL/12B/2/1c Annual valuation revision book, Armoy ED (1885-1900)
12 Bassett, George Henry, ‘The Book of County Antrim’ (Dublin, 1888), p.87
13 EHS (MBR) Photograph showing Armoy Presbyterian church, (c.1900)
14 PRONI VAL/12B/2/1d Annual valuation revision book, Armoy ED (1901-12)
15 PRONI VAL/12E/5/1/1 Valuation plan of Armoy (1906-35)
16 PRONI VAL/12B/2/1e Annual valuation revision book, Armoy ED (1912-29)
17 ‘Belfast and Province of Ulster Directory’ (Belfast, 1905)
18 PRONI VAL/3B/1/4 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland, Ballycastle RD (1935)
19 PRONI VAL/3G/3/1/1 Valuation plan of Armoy (1935-56
20 PRONI VAL/3C/1/4 First general revaluation of Northern Ireland [annual revisions], Ballycastle RD (1936-57) ) [This valuation book is currently closed ‘according to the criteria set out in the White Paper on Open Government’.]
21 PRONI VAL/4B/1/9 Second general revaluation of Northern Ireland [annual revisions], Ballycastle RD (1957-72)

Other
references
1 EHS HB05/05/004 First Survey report (26 September 1972)
2 EHS HB05/05/004 Photograph (February 1973)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
H-. Alterations detracting from building

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Relatively plain two-storey terrace bank with manager’s quarters, originally a house built in 1886. This building is a good example of an early to mid 20th century provincial bank, where the application of institutional ‘Baroque’ detailing does not overwhelm the building’s relatively simple domestic appearance, thus allowing the building to continue to blend in with its surroundings.