Former District Bank

FORMER DISTRICT BANK, Shaw Heath

Bank, subsequently in office use. Built in 1912 by Manchester architects Barker Ellis and Jones.

The building is constructed in timber-framing with plaster panels, slate roof, and stone stack. The rear is of brick. It comprises two storeys with a basement to the front, a single-storey ancillary extension, and a yard to the rear.

The front elevation is 2 storeys and 3 bays. A wide gabled dormer projects through the low roof at the central bay. The central bay features timber-framing on a sandstone plinth with a jettied first floor supported on four giant carved brackets: the left bracket depicts a ship, the second and fourth brackets bear coats of arms, and the third bracket is carved with the date 1912. Both floors have 5-light mullion and transomed timber windows with leaded lights. The first-floor window projects on four console brackets. The narrow, recessed left bay is of stone with a band of timber framing beneath overhanging eaves and contains a tall, narrow window with a Tudor-arched head and leaded light. The recessed right bay holds a Tudor-arched stone doorway with moulded surrounds and decorated spandrels, with the word BANK in relief lettering over the lintel and timber double doors. A night safe has been inserted below the window in the central bay. The roof is steep and overhanging slate with stone coping and a wide central ridge stack.

The main entrance is a small porch with a Tudor-arched glazed door opening into an entrance lobby panelled to dado level. Doorways lead left to the manager's office and rear to the banking hall, both with vertical panelling. The banking hall has public areas panelled to two-thirds height with an inset Tudor-arched stone fireplace with carved spandrels on the south-west rear wall. A timber counter runs along the north-east wall with modern timber panelling above separating the public and staff areas. A carved relief panel of a knight's head and ship is set in a panel on the south-east side wall. The north-west side wall is now infilled above the panelling. The staff area features panelled pilasters supporting plastered rolled steel joists. The ceiling is panelled with a recessed skylight of nine large leaded lights, now lacking glass though the original glazing bars remain visible; the skylight is now divided by a partition wall over the counter. The original strong room is to the right rear of the banking hall, with a Tudor-arched opening to the left leading to a later ancillary extension containing a new strong room with a heavy metal door, possibly taken from the original strong room.

The manager's office retains its original chimneypiece, picture rail, and simple cornicing. A doorway in the north-west wall opens into a small lobby, also accessible from the banking hall through a Tudor-arched doorway now fitted with a modern door. An original metal spiral staircase in the lobby leads up to the board room and down to the basement. The board room retains its original chimneypiece and doors.

The building was constructed as the premises of the Manchester and Liverpool District Banking Company Limited. It became known as The District Bank from 1924 when the company became District Bank Limited. Following a merger, it became the Edgeley branch of the National Westminster Bank in 1970. The banking role ceased in 1996 and the building was subsequently converted to office use.