NatWest Bank

Location

Fronting the street near the SE end of Castle Street.

History

Built in 1867 (date on building), originally the National Provincial Bank.

Exterior

A Gothic style bank of snecked stone, with Bath stone freestone dressings and banding, and steep slate roof, hipped to the L, on a moulded stone cornice to the main elevations. Two and a half storeys, its asymmetrical front comprises 3 irregular bays, including narrow central bay and higher and wider projecting gabled R-hand bay. The ashlar-faced lower storey of this gable is slightly advanced, and continues to form a porch advanced from the central bay. The entrance doorway and the three windows in the right-hand bay together give the effect of an arcade. Each arch is enriched with disc ornamentation to alternate voussoirs and the moulded capitals are continued as an impost band. Glazing and door detail renewed in original openings. Set-back buttress and pointed window in left-hand return of porch. At first floor, the advanced gable has triple arcaded window with red sandstone colonnettes and pointed 2-pane sashes. Paired sash windows to attic, with colonnette with foliage capital, and high arched freestone tympanum with roundel decorated with reliev foliage and '1867' in raised numerals. Left of the entrance is a 2-storey canted bay window. In the lower storey it has a 3-light mullioned and transomed windows under a broad shouldered head and in the upper storey it has 2 pointed 2-pane horned sashes. In the narrower central bay is a similar pointed sash window, with disc ornamentation to the spandrels. . Gabled dormer within roof with moulded pilasters and arched barge boards.
In the L end wall is an inserted door. The rear has 3 gabled projections of whitened roughcast, the central higher but all lower than the front range, which is hipped to the L end bay. The rear has segmental 4-pane sash windows, and 1-storey central projection.
The forecourt has a coped dwarf wall.

Interior

Modernised, with false ceiling.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special architectural interest as a well-preserved example of a bank, illustrating the fashion for Gothic in later C19 bank architecture, and for its group value within the historical townscape.