Northern Bank

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Three storey bank of 1864 with Italianate façade including ornate Baroque surround to the first floor windows. The bank is set within the terrace on the W side of High Street, in Ballynahinch town centre.

The asymmetrical front façade faces E. To the ground floor are three tall semicircular arched recesses. That to the left is the entrance, with those to the centre and right windows. Originally the doorway was set within the recess to the right. The entrance consists of a panelled double door with the ‘fanlight’ covered by the bank’s corporate logo.

The windows to the left of this each have sash frames and panelled stall risers. To the immediate right of the entrance an ATM has been inserted. Each of the recesses has a decorative moulded archivolt with keystone. At springing level the archivolts are linked by a decorative string course. Below this level the render is rusticated and ends with a bevelled base. Between the arches of the recesses are moulded roundels displaying the original intertwined letter ‘logo’ of the old Northern Banking Company. [Between c.1970-71 and c.1988 these were covered by the logo of the Midland Bank.]

To the first floor there are three sash windows, smaller than those to the ground floor and with segmental heads. These windows have richly decorated surrounds with arched Baroque pediments, square keystones and elaborate cartouche etc. The windows rest on a plain sill course, and below is a cornice-like course with dentils beneath. Between the courses there is a decorative pierced panel in line with each window. Above the windows is a plain string course to the centre of which have been placed raised plastic letters, spelling out the bank’s name.

To the second floor are three windows similar in shape to those previous, but smaller and with simple shouldered and heeled surrounds with plain brackets to sills. Above these is a dentilled eaves cornice.

To first and second floor level the façade is in lined render with bevelled quoins. The entire front façade is painted. Projecting internally lit plastic sign to right on ground floor.

The rear elevation displays none of the finery of the front, having an entirely functional appearance. The rear is dominated by a very large single and two storey return which appears to be largely flat roofed. This return has undoubtedly been much altered and extended over the years and now sports with plain render, modern windows and doors, roof terrace and a modern fire escape. To the rear façade of the main building there is a plain sash window to the right on the first floor, with two smaller windows, with Georgian panes, to the second floor. To far left between first and second floors is a plain sash stairwell window. The rear façade is finished in plain render and painted. The exposed sections of the N and S gables have no openings and are finished in plain, painted render.

The gabled roof of the main building is slated and has two tall (gable) chimney stacks, with bevelled bases and cornice course.

To the rear there is a rubble built two storey outbuilding.

Historical information

This bank was constructed in 1864 for the Northern Banking Company. It may have been built to designs by Lanyon & Lynn, who carried out much work for the Northern during this period, but this is not certain. The main entrance to the banking hall was originally located within the arched recess to the right hand side but was shifted to that to the left some time after 1974.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/9/41/1 OS Town plan of Ballynahinch, 1860
2 PRONI VAL/12E/83/1 Valuation town plans, Ballynahinch, 1864-1905
3 PRONI D.3145 Northern Bank records
4 PRONI VAL/12E/83/2 Valuation town plans, Ballynahinch, 1905-35
5 PRONI OS/8/3/2 OS town plan of Ballynahinch, 1920
6 PRONI VAL/3G/59/1 Valuation town plans, Ballynahinch, 1937-53

Secondary sources
1 C.E.B. Brett, ‘Historic buildings…Mid Down’ (Belfast UAHS 1974), pp.38, 40

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

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

Criteria for listing: historic interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Three storey bank of 1864 with Italianate façade including ornate Baroque surround to the first floor windows. The entrance was originally located in the arched opening to the right hand side of the ground floor but was shifted to that to the left some time after 1974. To the rear there is a large return which has been extended and modernised.