Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB16/12/028

Address :
Northern Bank 1 Queen Street Warrenpoint Newry Co Down BT34 3HZ

Townland:
Ringmackilroy

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Survey 2:
Record Only

Date of Listing:

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Bank

Former Use
Bank

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
277/9 SE

IG Ref:
J1447 1815

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Owner Category

Financial

Exterior Description And Setting

Large two and a half storey/ double pile bank on NE corner of Queen Street and Great George’s Street. This early 20thC building incorporates the manager’s residence. Steeply pitched natural slate roof is double pile to main block with a returning roof at rear right. Abutting its gable is a two-stage return, which diminishes at each stage. All rear gables have plain painted timber bargeboards. All front gables have pitched red sandstone copings with plain kneelers, raised decorative blocks half way up each pitch and foliated finials. All chimneys are decorative red brick with moulded red sandstone chimneys. There is one to each gable of the front pile, one at each end of the rear returning roof (rear one on its NW pitch), and another on the end gable of the lowest rear return. All roofs have overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails carrying cast-iron rainwater goods attached to wall by decorative iron brackets. Single wall-head dormer on front pitch of main block. It has a hipped natural slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles and ball-topped finial. Its front has a pair of casement windows; its left and right cheeks are slate hung and blank. Walls are red brick, laid in Flemish bond with chamfered brick basecourse. Most detailing is in red sandstone. There is a prominent moulded sandstone stringcourse between each floor of all but the rear elevation of the main block. They are terminated by foliated stops to the NW end of the side elevations. A lesser stringcourse, seven brick courses below the stringcourse between ground and first floors, frames a plain frieze. All stringcourses wrap around the corner tower and loop over the down-pipes. All window openings have chamfered reveals, splayed sandstone cills and chamfered sandstone lintels. Each window is typically an original flush timber casement with top-hung transoms. Some have masonry transoms and mullions (see each opening for detail). 1. SW elevation (to Queen St) This, the principal elevation, is two and half storey/ two bay. Its left corner is clasped from first floor level by a three-stage octagonal tower, which is supported at ground floor by a narrow slightly advanced brick pier to SW and NW elevations. Their piers carry a corbelled sandstone base at frieze course level (between ground and first floors) of the facade. The first and second stages of the tower each have five full and two half faces exposed. Each of these has a narrow casement window to its SW and NW faces. The remaining exposed faces are blank. The third stage of the tower is free standing. It is shorter than the other stages and is constructed entirely of red sandstone. Each face has louvred deep chamfered lancet. Tower roof rests on a projecting moulded cornice. Conical roof has eight faces and is in coursed sandstone blockwork (each course advances slightly proud of the course below), with foliated finial on square shaft. The remainder of the left bay of the SW elevation contains the main entrance within an elaborate red sandstone doorcase. Five dressed granite steps, the bottom one with curved ends, rise to the front doors which are set within a semi-elliptical headed opening. Pair of narrow panelled storm doors, the heads of which curve with the doorway. Each door has eight chamfered panels. The chamfered doorcase has stepped reveals and moulded bases. The spandrels over the doors are foliated and above is a glazed transom. It has three glazed and leaded round-headed windows, all with masonry mullions, incised spandrels and chamfered reveals. The left and right sides of the transom are flanked by octagonal attached colonettes resting on foliated corbelled stops. Over the transoms the wall is blank until frieze level between ground and first floors. Here the doorcase head advances as a shallow ogee parapet. Its curving front frieze reads “BELFAST BANKING CO/ LIMITED” in raised letters, it is framed to left and right by brackets, which rest on the colonettes and support its cornice and leaded parapet. On wall to immediate left of entrance is a modern ATM machine. The left bay at first floor (over entrance) has a pair of casement windows (with transoms) in a shared opening. Right bay is finished as a large gable with pitched natural slate roof. Its ground floor has a central two-staged buttress with sandstone copings, the top of which supports the base of a first floor oriel (see later). To either side of the buttress is a transom and mullion window containing two side-hung casements with top hung transoms. First floor oriel window has a corbelled sandstone base as tower (rising from the buttress) at frieze level between ground and first floor. Its front face has a large fixed window with transom and its cheeks have similar narrower windows. It also has a masonry head and a steeply swept lead roof. On wall to either side of the oriel is a narrow casement window with transom. The gable has a pair of casements (with transoms) in a common opening. Above in gable apex is a blank sandstone shield. 2. Left (NW) elevation This elevation is three bays wide. The left bay is the narrowest and the right bay the widest. The central and right bays are finished in large gables and the left one has eaves as SW elevation. The extreme right corner is abutted by the clasping tower (see above). The left bay contains a doorway to former manager’s house. The stringcourses do not extend to this bay and lower ceiling heights can accommodate three floors below eaves level. Ground floor has a 3x3 panelled door set within a chamfered brick surround. It has bolection moulded panels (the top three are smaller) with modern aluminium letterbox. Narrow leaded transom light over. To left of the doorway is a narrow casement window, with transom over. To each upper floor there is a pair of similar windows in a common opening; that to the second floor is diminished in height. The centre bay has a transom and mullion window (masonry transoms and mullions) with transom light at ground floor. First floor has a similar tripartite window. Aligned above to attic level is a pair of timber casements in a common opening. Plain sandstone shield in gable apex. At ground floor of the right bay there are a pair of transom and mullion windows (as ground floor of central bay). To centre there is an advanced chimney stack resting on brick corbelled base (at frieze level between ground and first floors). To its left on each upper floor is a single casement window with transom (that to attic is wider than that to first floor). 3. NE elevation The rear elevation is in two stages: the left part is set back and the right part advances under the returning roof. The left part is abutted by a single storey return with pitched natural slate roof. It is in brick and has three segmental headed windows wide on its SE face, which is flush with the SE (right) gable of the main block. Rest not inspected. The right part of this elevation has an end gable that faces NE. It is abutted by a lower two-storey return and has a 2/2 (vertically divided) sash window to left of the exposed section of wall. Return has hipped natural slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles and ball-topped hip knob. Eaves and rainwater goods as main block. Floor levels are as main block with a sandstone stringcourse between ground and first floors. Its right (NW) elevation (onto Great George’s Street) has a timber framed tripartite window in a common opening to ground floor and a pair of casement windows with transoms in a common opening to first floor. Its left (SE) elevation was not inspected. Its end (NE) wall is blank and abutted by a lower single-storey return. Single storey return has pitched natural slate roof with terracotta ridge tiles and chimneystack to end gable. Plain bargeboard and exposed rafter tails. Its right (NW) elevation has two pairs of casement windows, each in a common opening. Its left (SE) cheek was not inspected. Its end (NE) gable is blank. 4. SE Elevation (to Great George’s Street). Right (SE) elevation of the main block is two bays wide. Left bay is gabled and wider than the plainer right one. Between the two bays is has a narrow chimneybreast rising to a slender stack with three terracotta pots. Left bay only has sandstone stringcourse, which wrap around from the façade and terminate on the chimneybreast. Ground floor has a transom and mullion window (masonry framed) to the right end. To first floor is a wide timber casement window with transom over. Attic level has two small casement windows with transoms. The right bay is plainly built in brick with no detailing. It has a small circular four-paned window at ground floor. There is a segmental headed sash window to each upper floor. That to first floor is 1/1 and that to attic is 2/2 and slightly diminished in height. Setting: Boundary to Queen Street and Great George’s Street is enclosed by a red brick dwarf wall with red sandstone coping. Wall has been raised slightly in brick (presumably when railings were removed during WW2). Modern wrought iron gate serves doorway on Great George’s Street. Rear yard has a brick wall with t+g sheeted door to Great George’s Street.

Architects

Close, Samuel P, & Son

Historical Information

Erected in 1914 for the Belfast Banking Company. First appears in the 1916 Valuation revision book, being described as a bank office and manager’s house, all valued at £120. Primary sources 1. Valuation revision book (PRONI: VAL 12B/22/23G, p.94). 2. HMBB survey card (undated).

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation J. Setting

Historic Interest

X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Large two and a half storey/ double pile bank. This large prominently situated bank with manager’s house, is a well detailed and impressive structure, which is externally little altered. A full evaluation can only be completed when internally inspection has been done.

General Comments

Date of Survey

01 November 1999