Former Northern Bank

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

An Edwardian free-style two-storey-with-attic three-bay end-terrace half-brick former bank; built 1906 to designs by William Ferguson and located to the west side of Bridge Street at the junction with Downshire Road, in Banbridge town centre. L-shaped on plan with gabled bay projection to north; full-height extension and single-storey-over-basement hipped annexe with flat-roof extension to rear.

Hipped natural slate roof with tall red-brick chimneystacks and raised stone skews. Cast-iron rainwater goods on dentilled eaves. Walling is band rusticated sandstone to ground floor on a rock-faced granite plinth and Flemish-bonded red-brick to upper floors with sandstone dressings; continuous sill course to first floor; ashlar sandstone frieze to centre bay. Windows are round-headed replacement timber-casements in alcove surrounds to ground floor (with original railings to sills), moulded sandstone architraves and keyblocks; occuli to attic; 1/1 timber-framed sliding sash in lugged sandstone surrounds with three-stage keyblock to first floor; outer first floor windows are segmental-headed with decorative keyblock, broken pediment and console brackets. Venetian window to ground floor centre at east elevation, having chamfered surround with keyblock to central opening and moulded surround, keyblock and cornice to flanking windows.

The principal elevation faces east comprising central bay flanked by two narrower bays having segmental-headed broken-bed pediments framing occuli in stone surrounds with exaggerated keystone. Pediments rise from brick piers banded with dressed sandstone, framing left and right first floor windows. The central bay has a dormer window to attic, two windows to first floor; right bay has round-headed window to attic, segmental-headed window to first floor. Ground floor has Venetian window to central bay; to right, round-headed window in chamfered surround; left bay mirrors this, but has a six-panelled timber door with bolection moulding and beaded muntin in a polished marble surround with cornice, surmounted by a round-headed transom light in a chamfered reveal with keyblock.

The south elevation is abutted by adjoining building (HB17/06/036).

The west (rear) elevation has a projecting chimneybreast and a window at attic and first floor left. Right bay is has a window to attic and first floor right and is abutted to left by a later extension, having1/1 leaded-and-stained glass window to attic. Abutted at ground floor by the single-storey-over-basement hipped annexe to left with flat-roof extension (of no interest). North elevation of annexe has tripartite 1/1 windows (outer openings are narrower).

The north elevation has full-height gabled projection at right all in brick with oculus to attic, two windows to first floor and two round-headed windows to ground floor all with lugged stone surrounds and keyblocks. Exposed section to east has a window to first floor and a five-panelled timber door with transom light in a moulded sandstone surround with three-stage keyblock; accessed via bull-nosed steps in groups of three. Left bay has a window to first floor.

Setting

Prominently sited at the junction of Bridge Street and Downshire Road forming a part of a largely mid-nineteenth century mixed terrace. Ramped access to front running from south to north enclosed by parapet wall topped by metal railings. Bitmac car-park to rear enclosed by rubble stone wall with coping stones topped by modern metal railings; replacement rustic brick piers support a modern metal gate.

Roof: Natural slate
Walling: red brick and sandstone
Windows: timber
RWG: Cast-iron

Historical information

The present building was constructed as a branch of the Northern Bank in 1906/7 replacing the former bank building next door. The designer was William Godfrey Ferguson, a former pupil of Charles Lanyon who was architect to the Northern Banking Company and designed a series of premises for the bank around the turn into the twentieth century including branches in Belfast and provincial towns in Counties Donegal, Derry, Armagh, Leitrim, Roscommon, Tyrone and Cavan. (www.dia.ie) The construction of the new building suggests the continuing confidence of the bank in Banbridge as a flourishing commercial centre, and perhaps there is a note of competitiveness in the fact that both the Northern and Ulster Banks completed new branches in the town in the opening decade of the twentieth century. The old bank premises had become unsuitable because of the increasing amount of business in Banbridge and the adjoining piece of ground, some depth below street level and surrounded by a low wall, was earmarked for development, having been formerly used as a stonecutter’s yard. The Irish Builder noted that the Northern Bank were about to ‘issue to limited competition’ the building of the new branch in February 1906 and that the approximate cost was to be £3,000. John Fegan of Belfast was appointed contractor. (Irish Builder)

Valuation records for 1907 note that the new bank is ‘in progress’ and the building enters listings in 1908 as a ‘Manager’s House, Bank Office and yard’ valued at £105. As was usual for banking houses at this period, the building was constructed with accommodation for the manager who lived on the premises. Contemporary valuer’s notes give a plan and dimensions showing a 3½ storey building, two-storey return and outbuildings in the rear yard. A kitchen was housed in the rear return at basement level. The ground floor storey was faced with Giffnock ashlar on a base course of Newry granite, the upper storey with Laganvale facing brick and Giffnock dressings, cornice and pediments. Polished red granite was used in the jambs of the entrance to the bank office, which was fitted throughout with fumed Austrian oak. (Irish Builder) The building is first shown on the fourth edition OS map of 1903-18.
The 1911 census shows that the resident manager at this time was 48-year-old George William Waddell, who lived with his wife and a very large family of seven children. The couple had nine children in all and employed a governess and a general servant. (1911 census) In the First General Revaluation of 1933/4 the building was revalued at £120.

An editorial carried by the Irish Builder in 1910 noted that the prosperous condition of the banking business in Ireland had been demonstrated for some years previously by new branches ‘springing up’ in the principal towns throughout Ireland, especially in Ulster. Many towns were said to be indebted to the banking companies for the only building ‘having any architectural pretensions whatever’ and the Northern Bank was considered particularly noteworthy for its enterprise in building branches. Photographs were carried of the present building and several others, all in a similar style. (Irish Builder)

The building was listed in 1978 and was taken over at around this time by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive who built a flat-roofed extension to the rear. In 2000 redecoration, re-roofing and repairs took place, including the construction of a pedestrian access ramp. (HB file) Historic photographs show that the building remains much as originally built, although the original interior has been altered.

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 1903
4. PRONI OS/6/3/27/4 Fourth Edition OS Map 1903-18
5. PRONI VAL/12/A/3/13 Valuer’s Notes 1908
6. PRONI VAL/12/B/16/7A-C Annual Revisions (1899-1930)
7. PRONI VAL/12/F/4/1/1 Annual Revisions (1930-35)
8. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/4 First General Revaluation (1936-57)
9. 1911 census online
10. Irish Builder February 24th 1906
11. Irish Builder 23rd July 1910
12. NIEA HB file

Secondary Sources

1. www.dia.ie

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
J. Setting

Criteria for listing: historic interest

V. Authorship
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

An Edwardian free-style two-storey-with-attic three-bay end-terrace half-brick former bank; built 1906 to designs by William Ferguson. Architectural detailing is of good quality and is largely intact with some good Edwardian stonework well crafted. A good example of early Twentieth-century bank architecture, with much historic fabric and character surviving. The building is of some significance in the context of Bank architecture in Northern Ireland.