National Westminster Bank

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SE 1633 SW 36/832

MARKET STREET (east side) BD1 No 15 (National Westminster Bank)

II

Includes No 17 Cheapside. Built as the Bradford District Bank on the corner with Cheapside. Architects: Milnes and France, 1873. Ornate, free classical, original design with high quality crisp carving in fine Gaisby ashlar. Some late Greek Revival details slightly reminiscent of "Greek" Thomson in Glasgow. The important site is emphasised by a small dome above the bowed corner. Five windows to Cheapside, one to corner and four to Market Street. Battered deep plinth with horizontal grooving. The ground floor treated as broad pilastrade glazed in: the piers rise from moulded bases, egg and dart strings to moulded caps with central sharply carved double scrolled leaf motifs. Fluted recessed window heads, profiled consoles flanking. Patterns in frieze above pier caps with two over broader ones flanking corner entrance. The doorway has engaged fluted Roman Doric columns with incised detail to surround and to shallow relief block pediment above, incised name plaque over. The main entablature over ground floor has a bracket cornice. The two main upper floors are articulated by giant engaged Cornithian columns, doubled with pilasters to corner. In frieze above sash capital large double consoles rise up to support bracket main cornice which is broken forward over them. The parapet has an arcaded balustrade articulated by shallow scroll dies with acroterion. Above the rounded corner rises a pilastraded small drum with swags decorating the frieze; cornice with paterae crestings and pointed coffered lead dome. The balustraded parapet dies are paired to corner at base of drum, surmounted by ornate vases. The first floor windows are set in architrave surrounds, the cornices over them forming the sills of the second floor windows. These have flanking pilasters with stepped bases and incised ornament to necks; the heads break up into the deep main frieze.

Listing NGR: SE1647733169