Barclays Bank

Barclays Bank, built in 1893 by William Dent of Nelson, is a branch bank with chambers above, originally constructed for the Craven Bank. The building features sandstone ashlar and polished pink granite with a green slate roof. It occupies a triangular site between two roads at the top of a sloping area, highlighted by a circular staircase tower topped with a conical roof that emphasizes the corner. The design is in a Free Italianate style, consisting of two storeys and five bays, which are articulated by entablatures and pilasters. The ground floor showcases chamfered rustication and pediments above the entablature, while the first floor features reeding beneath sunk panels. Most windows are double and have square heads, with granite surrounds on the ground floor. A balustrade runs along the top, with most dies carrying cartouches. The upper two storeys of the stair tower are adorned with engaged granite columns featuring Corinthian capitals between windows that have semi-circular heads. The doorcase includes rusticated pilasters, carved consoles supporting an entablature and pediment, and a tympanum richly decorated with various Renaissance motifs. Inside, the banking hall has a panelled dado around the walls and beneath the counter, a mosaic floor bordered with arabesques, and original windows painted with arabesques and the initials CBLD. This building is a fine example of late Victorian street architecture.