Head Post Office

Head Post Office and BT Building

This building dates to 1887 and was designed by Henry Tanner. It is constructed of coursed sandstone with an ashlar plinth, quoins and dressings to the front and first part of the right return up to and including the side entrance. The roof is of grey slate with red ridge tiles. The rear parts of the building are later mid-20th century additions and are excluded from the listing.

The building's plan consists of a front range facing west onto Commercial Street, containing the post office on the ground floor in a rectangular form with a spur reaching back on the north side. This represents the original 1887 building; later sections to the rear are excluded from the listing.

The exterior features a steeply pitched roof with numerous tall chimneys and, behind the entrance bay, a narrow octagonal spire with an arcaded lantern and leaded roof. The front elevation displays two storeys plus attics with string courses at each floor level. A central wide bay, defined by round shafts topped by pinnacles, projects forward and terminates in a gable. The main entrance sits at the right side of this bay, with a modern door set back from a shouldered arch surround with moulded nook-shafts and a traceried overlight in a pointed arch head. A window to the left is similarly detailed. Between them is a carved shield in a spandrel with a band above inscribed "POST OFFICE" in Gothic letters. Above are three tall windows with stone transoms and moulded surrounds, and a lobed circular window in the gable with a drip mould. The bays to either side, also defined by round shafts rising from the first floor string and topped by pinnacles, each contain two arched ground floor windows and a two-light mullioned and transomed window above. The two outer bays each have two arched ground floor windows and a three-light canted oriel to the first floor, with three small arched windows under a drip mould in the attic gable.

The left return on the north side has two bays forming part of the original building. The first has no ground floor windows but a stepped string at window level and a two-light mullioned and transomed window at first floor level, above which is a gablet containing a small two-light window. The second, narrower bay is a stair tower stepped forward, featuring an entrance with steps up to an arched doorway with dripmoulds and blind tracery above the modern door. Above are two floors each with two recessed arched windows, and a third floor rising above the roofline with five narrow openings. A corbelled parapet crowns this section above a steeply pitched grey slate roof with a chimney to the side.

The interior contains the Post Office on the ground floor front, extending to but not including the stair tower. The main public area is entirely modern. Pursuant to section 1(5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, the main hall of the ground floor of the Post Office is declared not to be of special architectural or historic interest. To the left and behind are offices and store rooms, some with modern partition walls, and stairs descending to the basement. The side entrance forms part of the BT section of the building, which occupies all upper floors and the ground floor and basement to the rear. The main staircase, with a polished wooden handrail, is original. The upper floors of the 1887 part contain original features including panelled doors, glazed partitions and one fireplace with a dark marble surround. Lowered ceilings have been installed to the first and attic floors.