Former District Bank (West Didsbury Branch), Didsbury West, Manchester

Description

698-1/0/11226 PALATINE ROAD
19-MAY-10 WEST DIDSBURY
99
FORMER DISTRICT BANK (WEST DIDSBURY BR
ANCH)

II
Former District Bank, 1914-15, by Barker, Ellis & Jones of Manchester, brick with applied mock timber framing and cement render panels, deep pitched and half-hipped roof with Westmorland slate coverings, Tudor Revival style, mainly of two-storeys plus basement.

PLAN: Detached building occupying corner position at junction of Palatine Road and Ballbrook Avenue. Small enclosed yard to rear. Ground floor with former public space to north-west front and private spaces set behind, including manager's office and banking hall. L-shaped first floor (wrapped around banking hall roof lantern) with former stores and clerks' room.

EXTERIOR: Thin hand-made bricks in style of Tudor brickwork, substantial chimneystacks, cast-iron rainwater goods. Building set upon brick plinth reaching up to ground floor windows. Brickwork to some parts of ground floor, mock half-timberwork with cement rendered panels to rest of ground floor and whole of first floor. Mullioned windows and mullion and transom windows of varying size; all with leaded glazing and shaped brick and timber mullions. Palatine Road (north-west) elevation: Wide three-bay principal front elevation. Tall gabled bay to far left with decorative quadrant framing to first floor, close studding to jettied gable. Large 10-light timber mullioned and transomed bay window to ground floor with smaller Tudor arched upper lights incorporating stained glass design of District Bank's coat of arms and motto to central upper light, bay is jettied to each flanking side of upper lights. Timber 10-light canted oriel window surmounted by dentillated cornice to first floor above. Two bays to right set underneath deep roof. five-light brick mullioned window to brick ground floor of central bay, timber framed first floor projects out slightly and is corbelled with close studding incorporating an horizontal rail, three small square windows set within upper framing panels immediately beneath eaves. Entire right bay projects out slightly with close studding in same style as that to central bay. Main entrance set to ground floor of right bay with recessed, wide studded oak door with metal name plate above with Tudor rose reliefs flanking the word 'BANK'. Two small painted reliefs flanking door; that to left depicts ship at sea (part of District Bank's arms), that to right depicts District Bank's shield. Ballbrook Avenue (south-west) elevation: four-bays, brick ground floor to bays 1 & 2, timber framed to bays 3 & 4. Gabled bay to far left with corbelled first floor and jettied gable, two-light brick mullioned window to left of ground floor with three-light brick mullioned window to right incorporating a bull's eye to each outer light. Close studding to first floor with horizontal rails above and below a central four-light timber mullioned window, close studding to gable. two-light brick mullioned window to ground floor of bay 2. Secondary entrance (originally bank clerks' entrance) to bay 3 with studded oak door and three-light window to right with vertical studs acting as mullions, close studding to first floor of bays 2 & 3, right return with half-hipped roof and small square window. Single-storey bay 4 with close studding incorporating three-light window with vertical studs acting as mullions. Rear (south-east) elevation: two-bay single-storey rear range with jettied gable to far left, close studding incorporating horizontal rail to upper part and cross window with vertical stud acting as a central mullion. Area in front of bays 1 & 2 dug out down to basement level, C21 glazed folding doors and horizontal window inserted to basement. Narrow 1970s engineered brick infill extension attached to far right of elevation with C21 inserted patio doors. Rear elevation largely hidden from view on Ballbrook Avenue by C21 high wall of narrow handmade brick with a solid timber gate attached to main building at a right angle.

INTERIOR: Most original doors with three vertical panels survive, replaced floorings. Main entrance leads into small vestibule with quarry tiled floor, original doorway into manager's office to south-east wall of vestibule now removed and blocked up (in 1970s). Original wide opening to north-east wall of vestibule with later inserted glazed doors leads into former public space. Public space now sub-divided into two rooms by partly glazed partition wall incorporating door; both areas retain original panelled dado. North-east end of public space contains original panelled public counter to south-east wall with later top and replaced glazing above, timber window seat below large front window incorporating stained glass depiction of District Bank's shield and motto reading 'Decus Prudentiae Merces' ('honour is the reward of prudence'), timber fireplace integral to panelled dado with carved spandrels, stone Tudor-arched opening and angled hearth, and brick lining. Banking hall (behind public counter) with decorative plaster frieze at picture rail level, very large lantern roof light (not observed externally) set over multipaned skylight to centre of ceiling, applied timbers simulating shallow beams to ceiling surrounding skylight. Former strong room (door removed) to rear right of banking hall. Original window to left of strong room entrance (marked on original architect's plans) converted into doorway in 1970s and since blocked up, access to 1970s infill extension now only via building's exterior. Three original panelled doors to south-west wall of banking hall provide access into manager's office, store cupboard and small rear lobby accessing former clerks' entrance and stair hall, toilets, and basement. Former manager's office with original carved timber fire surround with eared jambs, brick lining and angled stone hearth, timber picture rail, shallow ceiling coving. Original toilets to rear right (south-west corner) of ground floor replaced by modern facilities, original layout retained, former wash basin area now a small kitchen. Stair hall/clerks' entrance vestibule contains original stair flight with turned balusters, square newel post with carved panels surmounted by a ball finial, toad's back handrail, panelled under-stair area with adjacent inserted partition wall and doorway (formerly open) leading into rear lobby and banking hall. First floor: Retains original L-shaped five room layout, two former store rooms to south and west ends of south-west range now a bathroom and kitchen respectively. Large former store room to centre of south-west range with chimneybreast (fireplace removed), later inserted doorways to south and west corners. Former clerks' room to north corner of north-west (front) range with original cast-iron fireplace, later built-in cupboards. Basement: Converted into a flat, retains original layout and some features, including coal chute and heavy metal door to former book room.

HISTORY: The West Didsbury branch of the Manchester & Liverpool District Banking Company at no.99 Palatine Road was designed by the architects Barker Ellis & Jones of Manchester in 1914 and constructed the following year. The bank opened for business on 10 August 1915. Barker Ellis & Jones was a regional firm of architects which also designed the former District Bank, Stockport (1912, listed at grade II in 2009).

The Manchester & Liverpool District Banking Company was established in 1829 as a joint-stock bank with its headquarters in Manchester, and until 1834 it issued its own notes. Each branch had its own appointed board of directors which oversaw the management of its particular branch. The Manchester & Liverpool District Banking Company purchased a number of smaller banks between 1844 and 1935, and in 1924 it was restyled as District Bank Ltd, a name by which it was already commonly known. It merged with County Bank Limited in 1935 and following its acquisition by National Provincial Bank Ltd in 1962 it subsequently became part of the National Westminster (NatWest) Bank in 1970.

During the 1970s NatWest carried out some alterations to the interior of no.99 Palatine Road and added a small rear extension. The building ceased active use as a bank in 1996 when it was sold by NatWest. It has been used as office and residential accommodation since.

SOURCES:
Barker, Ellis & Jones. Original architect's plans held by the owner. (1914)
Booker J. Temples of Mammon: The Architecture of Banking. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. (1990)
British Banking History Society. 'District Bank'. Available on HTTP: http://www.banking-history.co.uk/district.html Accessed 4 March 2010.
Hartwell C, Hyde M & Pevsner N. The Buildings of England Series. Lancashire: Manchester & the South-East. (2004), 488.
Royal Bank of Scotland Archives. 'District Bank Ltd, London, 1829-1969'. Available on HTTP: http://heritagearchives.rbs.com/wiki/District_Bank_Ltd%2C_London%2C_1829-1969 Accessed 4 March 2010.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The former District Bank at no.99 Palatine Road, designed by Barker, Ellis & Jones for the Manchester & Liverpool District Bank Ltd in 1914/15, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* External architectural quality: It possesses a distinctive and striking Tudor Revival design incorporating the use of jettied gables, mock timber framing and leaded mullioned windows
* Interior architectural quality: The Tudor Revival design of the exterior is echoed in the decorative treatment of the interior, such as applied 'beams' in the banking hall and a Tudor-arched fireplace in the public waiting area
* Intactness: Both the exterior and interior remain largely unaltered and the principal public and private spaces retain many original features, including fireplaces, the original public counter, panelled dados, and the banking hall skylight

Reasons for Listing

Yes List

External Links

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.