Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB16/08/027

Address :
Northern Bank 28 Church Square Rathfriland Newry Co Down BT34 5PT

Townland:
Cross

---

Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
22/09/1981 00:00:00

Date of De-listing:

Current Use:
Bank

Former Use
Bank

Conservation Area:
No

Industrial Archaeology:
No

Vernacular:
No

Thatched:
No

Monument:
No

Derelict:
No

---

OS Map No:
253/3

IG Ref:
J1998 3361

---

Owner Category

Financial

Exterior Description And Setting

Three and a half storey detached early 20thC Bank on E side of Church Square. Five openings wide. Incorporates manager’s house to upper floors. Constructed in red brick with faience detailing, the left and right bays advance forward slightly and the façade is symmetrical. Hipped natural slate roof across central block with lower hipped roofs extending forward over right and left advanced bays. To centre of front pitch is flat roofed dormer, 3 panes wide, with central one a side hung casement. Dormer is in timber with leaded roof and cheeks. There is a similar dormer on rear pitch. The low ridges extending to gable to form lower roofs over bays are terminated by chimneys which rise from each side elevation (see later). Faience eaves cornice is moulded and dentilled, with leaded gutters, and carrying fretted parapets and pinnacles over the left and right bays (see later). Front elevation is W facing. It has a four course ashlar granite basecourse (in Newry granite) and a faience ground floor. Upper floors are red brick (Flemish bond), flush pointed, with faience dressings. Ground floor left bay is filled by current entrance to building. The small paved area between it and the street is green and grey terrazzo with black margin (as floor in banking hall). Entrance consists of a pair of large ornate Free-style doors. Each have three vertical bottom panels, two horizontal middle panels and a large segmental headed main panel with moulded coping to its head. Over are two small top panels filling the spandrels over the segmental headed main panel. All panels (except the top two) are concave moulded. Abutting at the join between main panel and top panels is an advanced rectangular block. It has a moulded cornice and is decorated with two interlocking Bs (representing the Belfast Bank) set in a foliated relief. Over the doors is a four panelled leaded transom, all in obscured glass with applied moulded lead panels (Art Noveau in style). The doors and transom are deeply set within a rectangular opening with plain architrave to the granite basecourse and elaborate run and eared architrave over (in faience). Plain key stone to flat head. On either side, large plain brackets support a flat headed canopy with moulded flat headed roof. The right bay at ground floor is identical to the left (described above), with the exception that there are no doors. These have been removed and the opening infilled with granite blocks (to match existing). Over is a rectangular fixed window which advances beyond the line of the transoms. The void between the two has a small leaded flat roof. The three central bays at ground floor each contain single window opening. The left and right ones consist of a fixed square main light with smaller rectangular transom over, separated by a moulded timber rail. The top course of the granite basecourse forms the chamfered flush cill. The central window was once as the others, but was opened up as a doorway in the 1970s, before being infilled again. The cill is raised by 2 courses, and all the granite is a lighter colour. The repair work to the faience is in an inappropriate cement render. Smaller, horizontal divided windows with ATM machine in granite below. Over the three central windows, forming their lintels is an elaborate, advanced entablature (incorporating the bank fascia) supported on 4 brackets (as those to door canopies) which are set to either side of windows. Modern plastic ‘Northern Bank’ sign now set within fascia. The moulded faience cornice forms the cill course of first floor windows. The first floor windows of central block are in line with ground floor windows but narrower. Each is timber framed with a side hung steel casement to left and a matching fixed light to right, transom over, with moulded rail between it and the lower casements. Each window has a flat head with faience lintels formed by interlocking voussoirs. Advanced left and right bays at first floor have faience quoin blocks (four to each side) set between five brick courses. There is a single window (as central block) to each of these advanced bays, with narrow sandstone cills. Below window on the right bay is a modern (internally lit) bank sign and a security alarm box. Starting at first floor window head level on the left and right bays are projecting corner pilasters, rising up to roof cornice. These are supported on square projecting blocks and have a moulded string course at second floor window cill level. At second floor level, recessed between each pilaster is a canted bay window. Cheeks have fixed lights (horizontal divided with smaller top pane). Central pane is a steel casement, with a fixed transom over. The window cill is moulded and continues across each bay breaking the clasping pilaster. The splayed brick reveals have half attached faience columns (with Ionic capitals) at the join with clasping pilasters, resting on the cill course. This cill course has single course of plain faience below and continues across the three central bays of the facade. Each of the central bays has a canted bay window detailed as those to left and right bays but slightly wider, with a pair of casements to front face. Splayed brick reveals as side bays. On main wall flanking the central window are half attached faience columns (as before). At left and right, at join with advancing bays, are similar ¾ attached columns. All columns support the eaves cornice and over each window is a plain faience eaves soffit. The clasping pilasters to left and right bays rise above the eaves in square blocks with moulded top parapet. Above this line are octagonal pinnacle blocks with jaunty caps and tall dish topped copper finials. The parapet to front consists of four open segmental headed arches with moulded copings. On inner cheek of each advanced side bay is an additional parapet arch, and each outer cheek has four, terminating at the chimneys on the gables (see later). Turning left corner is left (N) elevation with walls in red brick. This elevation is slightly abutted at ground floor left by the single story rear return (see later). At ground floor left is a 6 panelled door (top two smaller) with concave mouldings and a three paned transom over. Enamel “22” door plate and large brass letterbox. To its immediate right is small 2/2 sliding sash window vertically divided with horns, sandstone cill with flat headed jack arch over. At ground floor right is much larger but similarly detailed 1/1 sash window. To first floor centre is a window similar to that at ground floor right, but with two fixed panes, top one smaller. To its left is a slightly smaller window with higher cill level containing a fixed light with 2 leaded transoms over. At first floor (right of centre) a chimney breast advances on a moulded faience base held on faience blocks. It has faience quoins and the eaves course (which continues from façade) steps around it. It is also broken by the moulded second floor cill course which also continues from façade. At second floor right this cill serves a steel framed two paned casement window with transom. Cill course terminates on the chimney breast and does not continue to rear. To left of chimney breast at second floor is a 1/1 sliding sash with horns, with a moulded faience cill. The heads of both second floor windows are formed by the faience eaves cornice. The chimney at roof level is crossed by the coping of the parapet, which continues from façade, and by two flush faience plat bands. It breaks into 3 stacks with moulded faience blocks to base each opening. Each stack has a single terracotta pot on a shared concrete coping with scotia moulded edge. Turning left corner to rear elevation. This elevation has three returns. One to left of centre is a four storeys high and shallow, rising full height of building. It has a pitched natural slate roof (tied into main roof), with timber barges (higher than main block). To extreme right is a three storey stairwell return over which main roof cat slides. Abutting all but ground floor left bay is a single storey return, aligned parallel to main block (see later). Cheeks of all returns are blank unless otherwise stated. The remaining rear wall is red brick. The eaves cornice from front elevation continues across left bay of building. Remaining eaves are timber with exposed rafter tails supporting half round cast iron gutters. All windows to rear elevation of main block are sliding sashes with horns, and dressed sandstone cills (unless otherwise stated). Ground floor left has a canted bay window with three panes to each cheek with two small later casement panes to front pane. Flat leaded roof has ogee cast iron gutters. The remainder of ground floor abutted by single story return (see later). First floor left is a 1/1 window, to its right (on four storey return) is similar shorter window with frosted glass. To its right on main wall are 2 similar but narrower windows set to left side; and set to right side is recessed canted bay window with fixed panes and transoms. To its right is 3 storey return with similar window between ground and first floors and another between first and second floors. Abutting the wall to its left is a four stage brick buttress (each stage with a small pitched natural slate roof) which rises from the single storey rear return. Second floor windows diminish in height compared with those on first floor. On left bay is 1/1 window to its right the return is blank and to right of return are two small windows set to the left. That closest to return is 1/1 and other 2/2 vertically divided sash window. Set to right of these is a 3/3 vertically divided sash window. Third floor of left return (in its gable) has 1/1 window. The single storey return is aligned parallel with main block. It is narrower at left side with an additional lean-to. It has a pitched natural slate roof. Its left gable has two sliding sash windows, left one is 1/1 and to its right is 4/4 (the latter with concrete cill and lintel). Lean-to has 3 timber doors at left-end. Those to left and right are modern but for the central one which is sheeted and 6 fixed panes over. All share a concrete lintel. The right half is L planned, and advances forward at right side. It has a gable to left and hip to right of roof. At its left side is a large modern casement window. The advanced right section has canted bay window under flat leaded roof, sharing eaves with main roof. Bay has moulded brick eaves and 1/1 window (top sash smaller) on each cheek. That to right cheek is French window with sheeted lining. Right gable of the single storey return has advanced central portion which fills its eaves overhang. To its right is 1/1 window (smaller top sash). The right end of this return advances beyond the N elevation of the main building. The exposed front facing elevation has single 1/1 sash window. To immediate rear is a paved area and beyond is a lawn with ruinous greenhouse in NE corner. High rubble stone walls to S and E, and high red brick wall to N encloses Garden. Abutting S wall is a lean-to garage with natural slate roof; red brick walls, with up-and-over door to front (W). Two 6/6 sliding sash windows to N with infilled door and t+g sheeted door to their left. Rear gable (E) has 1/1 modern casement window. Turning left from rear to S (side) elevation of main block. This is elevation shares identical chimney to that on N elevation and similar second floor front window. The remainder of this elevation is blank with the exception of advanced bay at ground floor right, under a hipped natural slate roof. To centre of bay is small three paned fixed window with flat headed brick jack arch and sandstone cill. Setting: The forecourt is enclosed by railing on ten square faience piers on a chamfered sandstone basecourse. They are all dome capped, with an advanced embrasure clasping each dome. The sandstone basecourse continues as a dwarf wall below the railings. Between the piers are gates and railings all similarly detailed with plain vertical spikes, alternate wavy dog bars, and swag topped rails. Each main vertical post (to either end) is urn topped. There are two gates to right end of frontage serving a driveway to garage. There is a pair of gates to the ATM at centre of façade and another set to main entrance on left bay.

Architects

Watt, Tulloch and Fitzsimmons

Historical Information

The Valuation revision book notes that the present building replaced an earlier one in, or shortly before, 1911. It was purpose-built by the Belfast Banking Co. This is about he same time as the Hibernian Banking Co. built its bank on the opposite side of the square (HB16/08/026). It is said that this building is so grand because of a local man called Moses Wilson. Moses started as a junior official in the Rathfriland branch of the Belfast Bank and rose to be director of the whole company. He made a promise in his early days that if he was ever powerful he would build a magnificent branch in the town. An early post card of this building shows it to have had a large central chimney on rear pitch aligned parallel to roof ridge. The ridge ends have tall finials as those to the pinnacles. At ground floor doorways are shown at ground floor left and right, and along the fascia are the words ”Belfast Bank”. The Belfast Bank amalgamated with the Northern Bank in 1970. Information from UAHS states that the architects were Watt, Tulloch and Fitzsimmons (Belfast) c1912. The first survey slide (1979) shows a modern “Northern Bank” fascia and below, in central bay, a pair of glazed doors with the Northern Bank logo over. This central doorway is also illustrated in the Class 2A publication (1989). The interior was remodelled in the early 1990s, shifting the main access to its current position. Primary Sources: 1. EHS first survey slide held in 5-33 Hill Street. 2. PRONI, Valuation revision books, VAL 11B/22/20G, p.65. Secondary Sources: 1. P.J. Rankin “Buildings of Hilltown and Rathfriland” pp11&12 (UAHS 1978/9). 2. Class 2A “A walk in Rathfriland” (1989). 3. E.M.Clarke “Round and About Rathfriland” (Rathfriland 1980).

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

A. Style B. Proportion C. Ornamentation D. Plan Form H-. Alterations detracting from building I. Quality and survival of Interior J. Setting

Historic Interest

V. Authorship X. Local Interest

Evaluation

A large, imposing early 20thC bank building, incorporating manager’s accommodation. Executed in an eclectic Edwardian Freestyle, with an attractive entrance, early steel casement windows, a jaunty roofline and attractive boundary to front. It retains much of its original leaded glass and a number of good chimney pieces. The most prominent building in Church Square, in the heart of the town, it is a significant local landmark. The size and scale of the bank are an indication of the importance of Rathfriland as a market town in the early 20thC.

General Comments

Date of Survey

05 May 1999