Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB17/06/028

Address :
The Post Office 3 Scarva Street Banbridge Co Down BT32 3DB

Townland:
Ballyvally

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Survey 2:
B2

Date of Listing:
08/06/1993 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Post Office

Former Use
Post Office

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
220/8

IG Ref:
J1250 4583

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Owner Category

Commercial

Exterior Description And Setting

A symmetrical three-storey three-bay former Post Office, now sorting office, in Neo-Georgian style; built 1939 to designs by T.F.O Rippingham and located to the north side of Scarva Street in Banbridge town centre. Rectangular plan with full-height return, single-storey office extension to north. Pitched pantile roof with dentilled cornice, projecting eaves and broken pediment to gables. Cast-iron ogee rainwater goods on projecting eaves with cast-iron downpipes and hoppers. Walling is Flemish-bonded rustic brick on a grey ashlar granite base with continuous string-course at impost level to ground floor; stone frieze punctuated by drop motif. Windows are replacement uPVC set almost flush with the wall with granite sills throughout; round-headed in brick recesses to ground floor. The principal elevation faces south and is five openings wide to each floor. To centre is a double-leaf four-panelled timber door with brass door furniture; in granite architrave with twisted rope moulding; surmounted by plain architrave, Greek key cornice and semi-circular uPVC fanlight. The west elevation has a flat-roofed stairwell extension to left lit by small rectangular windows to north. Round-headed blind opening to second floor with projecting brick base and piers on a corbel stone; uPVC window to first floor; replacement timber doors and window to right at ground floor. The north (rear) elevation has a full-height return to centre one window wide to east and west elevations; left and right bays are two windows wide. Abutted at ground floor by the single-storey office extension with double-leaf timber doors surmounted by transom light and two windows; west elevation is five uPVC windows wide. The east elevation has round-headed infill window to second floor with projecting brick base and piers on a first floor keyblock. Setting Street-facing and situated directly west of the town hall (HB17/06/009). Tarmacadam yard to rear enclosed by modern metal gates to west and by timber-panelled gate with pedestrian entrance to east. Roof: Pantile Walling: brick Windows: uPVC RWG: Cast-iron

Architects

Rippingham, T F O

Historical Information

The new post office, built to designs by TFO Rippingham, opened in 1939, a few weeks prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. The building has been called ‘neo-classical grey-brick style at its most successful’ (Brett) and was locally judged to be a very dignified and imposing addition to the streetscape on its opening. (Banbridge Chronicle) The building is not shown on historic county series maps, but first appears on the OS map edition dating from the 1960s/70s as an L-shaped structure, captioned ‘P.O.’. The official opening took place on Thursday 6th July 1939 at 3 pm and was conducted by the Right Hon JM Andrews DL MP, then Minister of Finance for Northern Ireland. Following a welcome speech by J Long, Head Postmaster at Banbridge, the proceedings were opened by E E Harper, postmaster/surveyor of Belfast. After the minister had made the first purchase of stamps, a vote of thanks to him was proposed by Mr T H Boyd CB, Assistant Director General, General Post Office, seconded by the Regional Director, H S Thompson. The architect was Mr T FO Rippingham ARIBA, Ministry of Finance NI and the contractors were Messrs Isaac Copeland & Sons, Belfast. The Clerk of Works was Captain Robert Whitsitt. (Banbridge Chronicle) The new post office was considered to be ‘an imposing structure’ which added considerably to the appearance of Scarva Street. The style was ‘modern’ and the building had a Spanish tiled roof and base courses of Mourne granite from Annalong. The walls were faced with Ruabon silver grey brick and the two side gates and entrance door were of polished teak. A distinctive feature was the Greek Doric gables. The interior of the building presented ‘a handsome appearance’. The public office was panelled with Burma teak and the floor laid with Italian terrazzo. The sorting office had an Empire maple herring bone wood block floor. A reinforced concrete staircase led to the upper storeys. Accommodation for the staff was provided on the first floor and on the second the automatic exchange and the battery room were situated. Hot and cold water and central heating were laid on which ‘should serve to make the building comfortable in the coldest weather’. (Banbridge Chronicle) The ‘Post Office, offices and yard’ enter Valuation Records in 1940 at a valuation of £250. The site chosen for the new building, behind the Town Hall, was a former butter and egg market that had fallen into disuse. Contemporary valuer’s notes recorded the post office as a large three-storey building constructed of brick with polished stone plinth and a slate roof. A large one storey back return block was of similar construction. A smaller return block had a flat asphalt roof. Wood block flooring was used throughout the ground floor and there was polished wood panelling to the Public Office. (It is possible that this survives behind modern panelling in GO2). The building was thought to be ‘imposing’ and ‘well designed’ with a ‘first class construction and finish’. A telephone exchange occupied all the second floor of the main block and was approached by a separate staircase from outside the building. The accommodation comprised, on the ground floor, an entrance vestibule, public office, postmaster’s retiring room and kitchen, instrument room, store room (for mail bags), store room for stationery etc and a large sorting office with observation corridor. On the first floor was a Postmaster’s room, two retiring rooms for women, a retiring room for men, a retiring room for messengers and a clerks’ room. Also on the first floor were kitchens and lavatory accommodation. On the second floor were an automatic telephone exchange and battery room and office. A building at the rear of the yard housed the engineers’ retiring room, a store room and lavatories. Also in the yard was a motor house valued at £2. This consisted of a lock-up garage used to house a motorcycle and sidecar, property of the telephone exchange. The associated plan and dimensions show a three-storey building with three-storey and single-storey returns, and outbuildings in the rear yard. The plan shows that the public office was then in GO2. The building continues in use by the post office as a sorting office, but the public office is no longer in use and the only public access is for parcel collection. References: Primary Sources 1. OS Map 220 – 1960s/70s 2. PRONI VAL/3/C/4/4 First General Revaluation 1933-57 3. PRONI VAL/3/D/4/2/B/19 First General Revaluation 1933-57 4. Banbridge Chronicle 14th May 1965 5. Banbridge Chronicle 15th August 1975 6. Banbridge Chronicle 7th October 1977 7. Banbridge Chronicle 22nd June 1989 Secondary Sources 1. Brett, C.E.B., Dunleath, Lady “List of Historic Buildings, Groups of Buildings, Buildings of Architectural Importance in Borough of Banbridge” Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, April-July 1969

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form

Historic Interest

V. Authorship X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A symmetrical three-storey three-bay former Post Office, now sorting office, in Neo-Georgian style; built 1939 to designs by T.F.O Rippingham. Retained for use by Royal Mail, the original design and proportions are intact and much of the character has been preserved. The interior has been fully refurbished but the original floor plan is largely unchanged. A significant building by a prominent architect, the former post office is a good example of the type.

General Comments

Date of Survey

17 January 2012