Description

BRISTOL

ST5872NE CORN STREET, Centre
901-1/16/561 (North side)
01/11/66 No.35

GV II*

Bank. C14/15 vault beneath 1811 bank. Possibly by John Nash.
For Miles Bank. Refronted 1879, perhaps by W Gingell.
Limestone ashlar with a hipped Welsh slate roof and central
glazed lantern.
Single-depth plan. Italian Renaissance Revival-style bank.
Single storey; 3-window range. A symmetrical front has
pilasters with faceted rustication on the ground floor, banded
above to a panelled frieze, 4 groups of triple brackets to a
cornice, and dies with patera to 3 sections of balustrade;
rusticated ground floor to a plat band. A central doorway has
octagonal plinths to Tuscan columns, with vermiculated blocks,
set in coved reveals to an entablature with inset
roll-moulding, a segmental pediment, and double 6-panel doors.
Tall windows each side rise through the plat band with blocks
to the architrave below, a small window above the door, all
with eared architraves, entablatures as the door, and
pediments; outer 9/9-pane sashes.
INTERIOR: open banking hall with an intermediate cornice,
ceiling cornice, rear open semicircular arch, and a round
lantern with panelled sides, probably with most of the
original decorative scheme.
Vaulted brick cellars beneath; beneath the street to the front
is a C14/15 vault with 3 chamfered pointed arches from street,
adjoining a straight joint marking rear of right-hand wall of
medieval tenement. In this wall are 2 wide chamfered
pointed-arched doorways to vaulted cells of 3 bays, approx 5m
wide x 6m deep; similar arch to right of rear wall; chamfered
jambs to former on left. To front on right are 4 chamfered
voussoirs of segmental arch; the vault has 3 chamfered
transverse ribs, split to form Y ribs meeting common springers
at front. HISTORICAL NOTE: the facade originally had a low
arch and 3 smaller, unmoulded windows. Nash was working at
Blaise House for Harford, who was a partner in Miles Bank, the
original client. An exceptionally fine and complete example of
an early C19 bank, which has also retained a very rare and
notable example of a late medieval vaulted undercroft. Linked
by C20 glazed lobby to c1770 Banker's House (qv) behind, the
latter being an important component of the late Georgian bank.
(Gomme A, Jenner M and Little B: Bristol, An Architectural
History: Bristol: 1979-: 352).

Listing NGR: ST5875272986

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17553320

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
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