Midland Bank

Cadw's description

Location

Corner building prominently sited at the junction between Middleton Street, Spa Road and South Crescent.

History

This branch of the North and South Wales Bank is known to have been in existence from 1900. The building was probably built by the well-known bank architects Woolfall and Eccles of Liverpool, who are also recorded as designing additions to this branch in 1924. The North and South Wales Bank amalgamated with Midland in 1908.

Exterior

Stylised Classical banking front that turns the corner between Middleton Street and Spa Road. 3-storeys and attic red brick elevations with liberal use of freestone dressings including ashlar facing to the entire ground floor which has a rusticated plinth; the Middleton Street elevation has a restrained diaper pattern to the brickwork. Slate roof with dentilled red brick chimney stacks and finials to semicircular-headed dormers. Horned sash windows without glazing bars. The corner bay is pedimented with the bases of the pediment skewed outwards to align with the main elevations; this has a square-headed attic window with architrave over a 2-storey splayed oriel with bracketed cornice. The ground-floor here has a bracketed lintel over the main entrance with distinctive shell hood carried on paired pilasters, the outer ones of which are channelled; panelled double doors. Both the 3-bay elevation to Middleton Street and the 2-bay elevation to Spa Road are punctuated by giant-order Ionic pilasters and have bracketed and dentilled cornices with plain friezes and modern banking signs. Both have splayed oriels with shaped brackets to the 1st floor and 2-storey oriels with dentil cornices to the outer bays; the other 2nd floor windows have architraves and keystones. The ground-floor windows are segmental headed with lugged architraves and panelled and scrolled keystones; the windows are paired to Spa Road and continuous to the Middleton Street elevation which includes a further doorway.

Interior

The corner entrance opens onto the banking hall which has dado-panelling and retains good panelled counter with scrolled brackets. To right is the panelled Manager's Office. Retains some frosted glass.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as a prominently sited and well-preserved example of a c1900 Midland Bank.

Group value with the Hotel Commodore.