Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB01/19/039

Address :
Danske Bank 6 Shipquay Place Londonderry County Londonderry BT48 6DF

Townland:
Londonderry

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Survey 2:
B+

Date of Listing:
26/02/1979 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Bank

Former Use
Bank

Conservation Area:
Yes

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

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OS Map No:
36-4SW

IG Ref:
C4355 1689

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Owner Category

Exterior Description And Setting

Palazzo-style Scottish sandstone three-storey bank building of 1866 with round-headed windows to the ground floor and square-headed windows to the first and second floors. Wide decorative frieze with rosettes below a projecting dentilled cornice and balustrate parapet with slated hipped roof behind. Principal elevation faces West onto Shipquay Place, six-bay frontage divided by wide piers between windows with carved head keystones to main banking hall, banded rustication with verniculated panel on stone plinth below. Shoulder-headed entrance door to each end with 'Northern Banking Company' plaque and carving above on ground floor. Coursed plain ashlar on floors above with grouped Ionic pilasters and guilloche patterned panels to chamfered corners, surmounted by chimneys. Large Roman aedicules with segimental pediments to first floor sash windows and plain recessed window bays to the second floor with decorative lattice stone carving sill-course. North elevation faces onto Custom House Street, four bay with gated arched entry to rear courtyard. Fenestration and window style as West elevation. East elevation of smooth render abuts No. 1 Guildhall Street (HB01/19/040B). South elevation faces onto Guildhall Street overlooking Shipquay Place. Five bay with entrance door five steps up to East end. Fenestration and window style same as that of North and West elevations. Stonework to all elevations has been repointed with lime putty. The original hipped slate roof has been replaced with slate and lead. Setting: Set within Shipquay Place below the Northeast face of the city walls on an island site bounded by Guildhall to the South end and Northern Counties to the North end. Materials: Roof: Natural Slate Rainwater goods: Cast-iron Walling; Sandstone Windows: Casements to ground floor. Timber sliding sash to upper floors. Door: Original timber panel.

Architects

Turner & Williamson

Historical Information

The Northern Bank at No. 6 Shipquay Place, a three-storey six-bay Palazzo-style building, was constructed in 1866-67. The bank was constructed on land reclaimed from the river; prior to the reclamation, the waters of the Foyle extended almost to the city walls. The Londonderry branch of the Northern Banking Co. was designed by Turner & Williamson, an architectural partnership formed between Thomas Turner and Richard Williamson. Between 1860 and 1874 the partnership was primarily engaged with contracts in Derry, although the Dictionary of Irish Architects suggests that the majority of the Derry work can be attributed to Williamson (who had been appointed County Surveyor in 1860) as Turner was largely engaged in Glasgow and Belfast. The Northern Bank may have been one of Turner’s few contributions as the building exhibits a contemporary Scottish feel. Rowan believed Turner was chiefly responsible, stating that the bank ‘breathes an air of Glasgow rather than Derry’ whilst the Natural Stone Database notes that the architect primarily employed imported Scottish Giffnock Sandstone as a building material. The Italianate bank was built by James Connor of Belfast whilst the carvings, which included keystones of Greek gods and coats of arms, were carried out by the local sculptor’s firm of Doherty & Kell. The Irish Builder records that the Northern Bank was completed by July 1867 (Irish Builder, p. 186; DIA; NSD). No. 6 Shipquay Place was the Northern Banking Company’s sole branch in the city and, since 1867, the building has continued to be occupied by the Northern Bank (now Danske Bank). The majority of the building was occupied by the offices of the bank but, from 1867 onwards, a number of the upper offices were utilised by local Insurance and solicitors firms (Ulster Town Directories). When originally completed the Northern Bank was valued at £407. The total rateable value of the building was increased to £603 under the First Revaluation of property in Northern Ireland (1935), and further raised to £999 by the end of the Second Revaluation (1956-72). In 1970 the Northern Banking Co. was amalgamated with the Belfast Banking Co. to form Northern Bank Ltd. A branch of the Belfast Bank was located at No. 39 Shipquay Street (see HB01/19/036), but, as a result of the acquisition, this branch was closed and the two offices merged at the Shipquay Place bank. The Northern Bank at Shipquay Place was listed in 1979. The NIEA HB Records note that the façade of the building was severely damaged following two bomb explosions in 1979 and 1980; the sandstone façade was repaired in 1981. There have been few major changes to the bank in recent years, but in c. 2005 a disabled access ramp was added to the south-west entrance of the building (NIEA HB Records). References Primary Sources 1. PRONI OS/6/5/20/1 – First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1830) 2. PRONI OS/6/5/20/2 – Second Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1853) 3. PRONI VAL/12/E/157/1/11 – Annual Revisions Town Plan (c. 1873) 4. PRONI VAL/12/B/32/11E-11ZD – Annual Revisions (1867-1897) 5. PRONI VAL/12/B/33/2A-1E – Annual Revisions (1897-1931) 6. PRONI VAL/3/B/6/4 – First General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1935) 7. PRONI VAL/4/B5/14 – Second General Revaluation of Property in Northern Ireland (1956-72) 8. Irish Builder (15 Jul 1867) 9. Ulster Town Directories (1861-1943) 10. First Survey Record – HB01/19/039 (1970) 11. First Survey Image – HB01/19/039 (No Date) 12. NIEA HB Records – HB01/19/039 Secondary Sources 1. Calley, D., ‘City of Derry: An historical gazetteer to the buildings of Londonderry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 2013. 2. Ferguson, W. S; Rowan, A. J; Tracey, J. J., ‘List of historic buildings, groups of buildings, areas of architectural importance in and near the city of Derry’ Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1970. 3. Rowan, A. J., ‘The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster’ London: Yale University Press, 2003. Online Resources 1. Dictionary of Irish Architects - http://www.dia.ie/ 2. Natural Stone Database - http://www.stonedatabase.com//stone_types.cfm?stc=45

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

R. Age S. Authenticity T. Historic Importance V. Authorship W. Northern Ireland/International Interest

Evaluation

A six bay by five bay, three-storey Palazzo-style Scottish sandstone bank, 1866, built to designs of Turner & Williamson. Built on reclaimed land, it occupies a prominent site to the Northeast corner of the city walls and is the dominant building on Shipquay Place, sitting forward of the Guildhall and with the City Wall, framing the passage to Waterloo Place to the North West. Its regular facade of well crafted sandstone incorporates classical elements such as the Ionic pilasters, colonnettes and pediments. Although alterations internally have diminished its internal character, the ornate interior is still of considerable interest, especially within the entrance lobby to the front and staircase and lobby to the rear.

General Comments

Additional listing criteria apply - R-Age, S-Authenticity & T-Historic Importance

Date of Survey

13 February 2014