6 Bridge Street

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A two-bay three-storey terraced commercial premises, formerly an Ulster Bank, built c. 1830 and located to the west side of Bridge Street in Banbridge town centre. Square on plan.

Pitched natural slate roof with blue/black angled ridge tiles and rendered chimneystacks to gables (that to south is a replacement). Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on projecting bracketed eaves. Walling is painted smooth render with continuous sill course to first floor. Windows are 1/1 timber framed sash with projecting painted sills; modern plate-glass window to ground floor shop-front.

The principal elevation faces east and is three openings wide to upper floors. Ground floor has modern shop-front to left and elliptical-headed entrance opening to right accessed by three granite steps. Recessed four-panelled timber door flanked by Ionic columns supporting a plain entablature and cornice; surmounted by segmental-headed transom light.

The south elevation is abutted by adjoining building.

The west rear elevation has irregularly arranged fenestration, to centre is stairwell bay with variety of windows with glazing bars; steel door to ground floor.

The north elevation is abutted by adjoining building.

Setting

Street-fronted on gradient of hill. To rear is a tarmac car-park accessed to north by a carriage-arch entrance.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: render
Windows: timber
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The current building is a three-storey townhouse, Georgian in appearance, that became, in the second half of the nineteenth century, a branch of the Ulster Bank. When the new Ulster Bank branch opened nearby in 1905 the current premises became a domestic dwelling once again, also functioning as offices for its solicitor resident.

A building is shown on the site on the first edition OS map of 1833, forming part of a terrace on the west side of Bridge Street. The contemporary valuation town plan shows a structure that is square on plan with a long, narrow yard behind, lined on two sides with outbuildings. The Townland Valuation (1828-40) lists the house as the property of Henry Weir. At a valuation of £20 it is among the highest value houses in Bridge Street at this period. Dimensions are given for the house, which is 32 feet high and a long outbuilding 14.5 feet in height. In around 1846 the building was taken over by the Ulster Bank and in Griffith’s Valuation of 1856-64 it is occupied by the Ulster Banking Company, manager Richard B McKee. The house, offices and yard are valued at £50 and dimensions are given for the three-storey banking house, a basement and two outbuildings.

The Ulster Banking Company commenced business in Belfast on 1st July 1836, at which time arrangements for the opening of a number of branches, including Banbridge, were nearly completed. Banbridge was then a highly significant centre of the linen trade, and as a prosperous and expanding town was an obvious location for a branch in the early nineteenth century. The first Ulster Bank branch opened on 1st January 1837. Robert Boyd was the manager and John Scott was engaged as a learner, salary first year nothing, second year £20, third year £30. Boyd died in 1846 and was replaced by Richard P McKee former pro-manager at the branch, who was manager when the bank moved to the present building. When he died in 1879 McKee was recorded as the oldest officer in the bank, having entered the service in 1836 some weeks before the bank opened for public business. (Knox) The first office of the Bank was in Newry Street and c1846 new premises were obtained in the current building where the bank remained until the volume of business made a new branch necessary in 1905. (Knox; Irish Builder)

As was usual at this period, the bank manager lived on the premises and the 1901 census records John Alexander, who had been manager since 1898, resident in the bank with his wife and two-year-old son. The couple kept two domestic servants, one an English-born nurse.

A new branch of the bank opened for business in 1905 and the current building became the home and offices of Samuel Cunningham, solicitor. Cunningham ran his solicitor’s practice in the building and was also resident, as the 1911 census reveals, with his wife and three young children. The family kept a domestic servant, a young woman of 21. Samuel Cunningham died on 4th October 1922 leaving the house to his widow Annie who then let the house to tenants: John J H Orr (1927), Frank J Byrne (1929) Richard Callaghan (1937) and John Hunter Patterson (1940). The house, outbuildings and yard were revalued at £25. Part of the ground floor was separately let to R S Heron as solicitor’s offices and valued at £16.10s. Robert Heron was a relative of John Heron one of the founders of the Ulster Bank. (Knox) Heron & Dobson solicitors still occupy offices on the upper floors of the building to this day.

At the time of the First General Revaluation (1933/4), the occupier was Frank J Byrne, dentist, who leased the house from Annie Cunningham. The accommodation comprised three bedrooms, two receptions, a bathroom, lavatory, surgery, kitchen and pantry. The vestibule was common with the ground floor offices. There was a square hall, kitchen (closed stove) and suite with hot and cold on ground floor. On the first floor were two receptions at the front, a surgery at the back and a small pantry with sink. On the second floor was a landing and three bedrooms and a back room used as bathroom (cased-in bath, lavatory and WC). The outbuildings in the yard were very little used and not suitable for a garage because access was impossible. The rent was £40 per annum. The valuer commented that it was an ‘old building in very fair condition internally but house wastefully planned and not attractive as residence’. R S Herron occupied offices on the ground floor also leased from Annie Cunningham and valued at £16.10s. The rent was £8.10s per quarter. The entrance was through a common vestibule with the upstairs accommodation and the public office was at the front with a private office at the back.

At the time of the first survey in the 1970s the ground floor was an off-licence and today is a hairdresser. The upstairs rooms remain the offices of Heron & Dobson solicitors.

References:

Primary Sources

1. PRONI OS/6/3/27/1 First Edition OS Map 1833
2. PRONI OS/6/3/27/2 Second Edition OS map 1860
3. PRONI OS/6/3/27/3 Third Edition OS Map (c1900)
4. PRONI OS/6/3/27/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-18
5. PRONI VAL/1/B/348A Townland Valuation (1828-40)
6. PRONI VAL/2/B/3/64B Griffith’s Valuation (1856-64)
7. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/6A-H Annual Revisions (1864-1929)
8. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/8A-C Annual Revisions (1899-1930)
9. PRONI VAL/12/A/3/13 Valuer’s Notebook (1907)
10. PRONI VAL/12/F/4/1/1 Annual Revisions (1930-35)
11. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/4 First General Revaluation (1936-57)
12. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/2/B/2 First General Revaluation (1933-57)
13. 1901 census online
14. 1911 census online
15. Irish Builder Vol 46, 16 Jan 1904, p40
16. Irish Builder Vol 46, 30 Jan 1904, p54

Secondary Sources

1. Brett, C.E.B., Dunleath, Lady “List of Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Buildings of Architectural Importance in Borough of Banbridge” Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, April-July 1969
2. Knox, W.J. “Decades of the Ulster Bank, 1836-1964” Belfast: Ulster Bank Ltd, 1965

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A two-bay three-storey terraced commercial premises, formerly an Ulster Bank, built c. 1830. One of the earlier examples of Georgian building in the town, with some Victorian modifications, much historic fabric survives, although compromised by modern alteration. The building is of interest as it represents the development of Banbridge during the late-Georgian period through its history in connection with banking and commerce in the town.