Description

CARLISLE

NY4055NW ENGLISH STREET 671-1/12/132 (East side) 18/11/88 Nos.29 AND 31 Midland Bank, including railings

GV II

Bank with manager's house, now bank and offices. Dated 1898, (re-facing of the 1849 building originally for the Carlisle City and District Banking Company, by TJ Cox) for the London and Midland Bank by T Taylor-Scott, with early 1920s extension for the London Joint City and Midland Bank by the same architect. Portland stone ashlar on chamfered plinth (part of basement is original 1849 calciferous sandstone ashlar from Lanerton Quarry); columns and pilasters of polished Shap granite; rusticated quoins, modillioned eaves cornice with open balustraded parapet. Slate roof, not visible from ground; Portland stone ashlar ridge and end chimney stacks. Occupies a prominent corner site in the city centre; English Street facade of 2 storeys has original (1849) 3 bays at right, the corner bay now canted (1898) and 2 bays added at left in 1920s in same style; Bank Street facade has 2 storeys, 3 bays, but the former manager's house at right under same height balustrade is 3 storeys, 2 bays and treated differently (all of this facade incorporates the 1849 structure). Both facades for the banking hall are rusticated with large round-headed windows with original margin and radial glazing bars, divided by granite pilasters under frieze with triglyphs, modern fascia over. Above are sash windows with upper glazing bars, in rusticated surrounds, with medallions above keystones. The angle entrance bay has an elaborate porch with paired Tuscan columns aligned along the axis of the principal elevations; a recessed round-arched doorway within, under a date panel; part-balustraded parapet over porch. Above a tripartite window with Gibbsian surround and segmental parapet containing a clock which breaks the cornice, all surmounted by copper-domed cupola with open arcade and weather vane finial. The former manager's house has a left round-headed doorway with segmental pediment on brackets; round-headed ground floor window. All other windows are small sashes, those on upper floor with upper glazing bars only, in surrounds similar to the upper floor of the main facades. Area cast-iron railings around basement void are 1898 and early 1920s, broken in part for cash dispensing machines on Bank Street facade. INTERIOR: extensively altered in 1898; a blind arcade set high in the banking hall and projecting in the manner of machicolations is of this date; ribbed plaster ceilings in the banking hall have been carried into the 1920s extension. HISTORY: Carlisle Journal, (1849) records the original building and the laying out of the new street, called Bank Street after this bank. Carlisle City & District Bank were taken over by the London and Midland Bank in 1896, Carlisle Journal (1896). Planned alterations were discussed in Carlisle Journal (1897). The alteration plans are in Cumbria County Record Office, Ca/E4/12846, dated 1897. The Carlisle Journal (1899) records the reopening after the alterations. For illustration of the bank before alteration see Perriam (1988). Directories show that in 1920 No.29 English Street was vacant and in 1921 it formed part of the bank address, which suggests that this is when the extension was made. Wall and railings included in the listing. (Carlisle Journal: 21 December 1849; Carlisle Journal: 31 July/28 August 1986; Carlisle Journal: 26 February 1897; Carlisle Journal: 23 June 1899; Perriam DR: Carlisle in Camera: 1988-: P.20).

Listing NGR: NY4012855853

External Links

• Wikidata Q26491433

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