British Listed Buildings

Listing Text

MANCHESTER

SJ8498SW YORK STREET
698-1/28/445 (North side)
04/01/72 Nos.1 AND 3
former National Westminster Bank on
corner at junction with Spring
Gardens

GV II*

Bank. 1902, by Charles Heathcote,for Parr's Bank. Red
sandstone on grey granite plinth, slate roof. Rectangular plan
with splayed corner to Spring Gardens. Vigorous Edwardian
Baroque style. Three unequal storeys and attic, 1:5:1 bays to
York Street including the corner, which has a domed turret.
The ground floor, which is taller than the next 2 floors
together, has banded rectangular piers supporting coupled
Doric columns with shaped entablatures from which inverted
consoles rise (between the 1st-floor windows), and a large
round-headed window filling the width of each bay, with
moulded head, scrolled keystone, and plate-glass glazing with
enriched bronze "ferramenta" including a horizontal mid-panel,
bottom panels with stained glass, and arched upper lights with
margin panes. The 1st floor has 3-light mullioned windows with
eared architraves and triple keystones, and a prominent
enriched cornice with modillions; the 2nd floor has arcaded
segmental-arched windows with festoons between each group of
3; and the attic has 3-light dormer windows with shouldered
architraves and segmental pediments. The 6th bay (at the
right-hand end) differs: it is 4-storeyed to the same height,
breaks forward slightly, has an open semi-circular pediment, a
doorway at ground floor with emphatic Baroque architrave
including blocked coupled columns and segmental pediment, a
2-storey canted oriel above (with little windows in heavy
surrounds at 1st floor and a cross-window at 2nd floor), and a
round-headed window at 3rd floor with enriched pilastered
architrave. The splayed corner to the left has octagonal piers
framing a large round-headed doorway with enriched granite
surround, a pair of windows at 1st floor with Gibbs surrounds
and triple keystones, an elaborately-detailed 2-stage feature
above (rising into the turret) including a curved balcony with
elegant Art Nouveau railings and a broken pediment containing
a cartouche; and a cylindrical Baroque turret with projected
Ionic aedicules, prominent modillioned cornice and domed lead
roof with a lantern. Six-bay return side to Spring Gardens
matching the York Street facade. Interior: imposing and richly
decorated banking hall.


Listing NGR: SJ8408498297

Source: English Heritage

Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence.