Historic Building Details

HB Ref No:
HB06/12/019

Address :
Ulster Bank 9 Upper Cross Street Larne Co Antrim BT40 1SZ

Townland:
Town Parks

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Survey 2:
B1

Date of Listing:
22/02/1994 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

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OS Map No:
70/8 SW

IG Ref:
D3994 0259

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Owner Category

Financial

Exterior Description And Setting

A one and two-storey building on a corner site in a free Classical style, with hipped roofs of green slate, and walls of cream coloured ceramic cladding with a moulded granite plinth. Main entrance placed at angled corner of building facing south-east, but main elevation of building faces directly south. South elevation comprises a two-storey bank house laid out on an L-shaped plan with a single-storey banking hall extending to the right, set in the angle of the two-storey house. South elevation of two-storey house asymmetrical: consists of a two-storey canted bay to the left of a central entrance bay with a rectangular two-storey bay projecting to the right. Hipped roofs of green Westmoreland slates in diminishing courses. Moulded cast iron gutters on projecting eaves course carried on brackets, all in faience. Canted bay to left has three rectangular windows each floor, one in each face of bay; windows timber sliding sash, vertically hung, 1 over 1, with horns; projecting cills to first floor, splayed cills to ground floor. Panelled surrounds to first floor windows with raised circular moulding to each top corner; roll moulded surrounds to ground floor windows; central window on ground floor has autobank installation set in obscured lower pane with segmental canopy attached. Central entrance bay has a large rectangular window divided into six panes and containing leaded glazing; surround as previous to first floor. Projecting below, a single-storey porch in angle with rectangular bay to right hand side; porch contains recessed segmental arched entrance with original panelled door in varnished oak to right of a small rectangular window containing leaded glazing; original brass letterboxes inscribed ‘Ulster Bank Ltd’. Moulded dentil cornice with balustraded parapet, all in faience. To left hand side, rectangular cast iron downpipe with rectangular hopper. Three granite steps up to doorway of house with granite plinth wall extending across front of house to left, surmounted by original iron railings; corner pier to right, square section, of concrete; plinth and railings return back to centre of canted bay to contain two concrete paved steps up to autobank installation. Railings terminate to left in large square pier smooth cement rendered, lined, and blocked, on granite base; pier one of a pair containing ledged timber gate screen; cement repairs to broken corners of pier bases. To left of gateway, a short length of smooth rendered wall terminating in large concrete pier of rusticated design. Projecting forward to right of central entrance bay, a rectangular bay two windows wide to each floor. First floor windows as previous to first floor; ground floor windows as previous to ground floor but surmounted by triangular pediments with dentil courses. Extending to right, and set back slightly, single-storey banking hall with entrance at angled corner to right hand side. Flat roof covered with lead sheet behind parapet. Faience cladding to walls with channelled rustication; modillion cornice with balustraded parapet above, to south face. Wide rectangular four-light window with recessed square colonnettes to sides; splayed cill. Windows metal framed, later painted, arranged as two pairs around central panelled mullion; rectangular fixed lights with rectangular transom lights which contain ornamental arcading incorporating radiating spindles and diminutive laurel wreaths to spandrel grilles, highly unusual detailing. Bead and reel ornament to transoms. To left hand side of window a circular cast iron downpipe with large ornamented brackets and curvilinear hopper decorated with a leafy design in shallow relief. At right hand side of window, a modern bank sign attached; to right of that, wall angled on corner to contain main entrance. Rectangular doorway within angled recess with portico attached; partly fluted Doric columns supporting a triangular pediment which contains a shield bearing the ‘red hand’ symbol which is coloured red. Pediment has modillion courses. Behind pediment of portico, parapet steps up to centre; no balustrading. Main face of frieze has modern plastic panel attached bearing name and symbol of bank in raised letters. Doorway has moulded surround with fascicle ornamentation, flanked each side by partly fluted Doric pilasters which correspond with portico columns. Datestone inscribed ‘1931’ in head of doorway; panelled reveals all round. Granite pedestals to columns and pilasters, in line with plinth around building; four granite steps up to doorway, with similar doorstep; bottom step of curved plan embracing column pedestals. Modern tubular steel handrails each side of steps. West elevation: west wall of bank house two-storey, three windows wide each floor; three rectangular sashed windows to first floor as previous to south front, three rectangular sashed windows with splayed cills to ground floor as previous to south front, with iron bars attached, the window to extreme right surmounted by triangular pediment; moulded cast iron gutter with cast iron downpipes including trefoil brackets; one chimney, centrally placed, with projecting string course and cornice, all in faience; original red terracotta pots. To left, a short screen wall containing a timber ledged door, abutting front gable of single-storey garage projecting at right angles to left hand extremity. Garage gable facing south has large rectangular doorway with four folding ledged timber doors incorporating four glazed panes of translucent glass each leaf, recent replacement doors presumably to original pattern; west side of garage block with circular section cast iron downpipe, cracked. Through yard screen doorway into enclosed yard: to west within yard, west wall of east wing of house, two-storey with two rectangular sashed windows to first floor as previous, with two rectangular sashed windows to ground floor, continuous projecting cill; to left of that, ledged timber door, four glazed panels translucent glass, integral with glazed sidelight and fanlight screen; to extreme left ledged timber door with single translucent glazed pane, opening into former toilet with white glazed tiles to internal walls. Moulded cast iron gutter with polygonal cast iron hopper and circular downpipe. To south within enclosed yard, rear or south wall of house, two-storey, two windows to first floor rectangular sashed as previous, but one on left has plain unmoulded surround; moulded cast iron gutter and polygonal hopper as previous, cast iron downpipe. To west within enclosed yard: east side of garage, green Westmoreland slates in regular courses; rectangular ledged timber door and rectangular window, timber fixed light with top hung vent, translucent glass; PVC hopper and PVC downpipe. To north within enclosed yard: single-storey store, exposed brick walls to interior, reinforced concrete roof covered with loose stones; ceramic finish to exterior walls; one window timber rectangular fixed light with top hung vent, translucent glass, PVC gutter and downpipe; entrance in west side in covered area of yard, rectangular timber ledged door; covered area floored in concrete with hipped rooflight over. Finishes of boundary walling in yard: to south; smooth cement rendered wall, lined and blocked with square piers similar finish on granite base; double doors to yard, ledged timber dark stained. To east, tongued and grooved dark stained fence incorporating small tongued and grooved wicket gate. To west: rendered wall, dry dash finish of small blackstone chippings with buttresses at intervals, rusticated concrete pier to left hand extremity. To north, similar dry dashed wall abutting rear of garage. East elevation of building facing street comprises single-storey banking hall to left with two-storey end wall of east wing of banking house to right. East face of banking hall similar to south face with identical four-light metal window, but with one extra window, similarly detailed, to its right separated from main window by a rusticated pier; to right hand side of single window, an original downpipe with ornamented brackets and decoratively treated hopper as previous. Stepping forward slightly to right, two-storey end wall of east wing of house, two windows wide to each floor. Windows similar to rectangular bay on entrance front. To right hand extremity, a single-storey doorscreen in faience cladding containing a ledged timber door. Behind banking hall, east wall of main house with steep pitched hipped roof and prominent square chimney, detailed as previous. To right, south wall of east wing of house, also set back behind banking hall; similar character, with similar chimney. North face of east wing clad in faience with dentil cornice and cast iron guttering as previous; original polygonal hopper and cast iron downpipe. Setting: The building stands on a corner site facing the main street in the built-up area of the town, with a listed town hall facing its east elevation. It is flanked to the north by a two-storey public house, and to the west by a two-storey shop.

Architects

Henry, T W

Historical Information

Built in 1931; architect, T.W. Henry of Belfast; contractors; F.B. McKee & Co of Belfast; partly refurbished internally c 1991. References - Primary 1. Irish Builder, 20 June 1931, p 555.

Criteria for Listing

Architectural Interest

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

Historic Interest

V. Authorship X. Local Interest

Evaluation

This building has distinct proportions and plan form and exhibits a range of Italianate classical features along with ornamentation of Arts and crafts type. Designed by an Irish architect of some note, it exhibits a highly unusual form of glazing bar to its banking hall windows, retains some unusual tiling to the interior, has its exterior walls clad almost entirely in ceramic blocks, an unusual material for the building type, and occupies a prominent and pivotal position in the main street of the town with some distinction.

General Comments

Date of Survey

28 February 1998