Former Barclays Bank

A mid-C19 town hall, altered and repurposed as a bank in the early-C20

MATERIALS: red brick with stucco details. Hipped L-shaped slate roof.

PLAN: roughly rectangular on plan with its principal elevation facing east.

EXTERIOR: the south (Market Place) elevation is of two bays, with the left-hand bay projecting slightly forwards. The corners of the upper floors have stucco quoins. The ground floor is decorated with banded stucco above a plain stucco plinth, with string courses at the level of the windows sills and window headers. Above each of the ground-floor windows is a slim semi-circular arch with a central keystone incised with a flower motif. The arches themselves have been infilled and stuccoed. The ground-floor windows have narrow glazing bars arranged in three rows, with the lowest row one large pane flanked with two narrow panes, and six panes above. The right-hand window has a simply decorated cornice inset into the window opening above the panes. At first floor level the left-hand window is smaller than the right, but both have a stucco ornament above them with angled headers and a central keystone. The left-hand window contains two small two-over-two sashes with a central mullion, the right-hand window contains a uPVC window with applied glazing bars. At second floor there are a pair of small two-over-two windows on the left-hand side, and a blind window with sill on the right.

The east (The Borough) elevation is of five bays, in an even, symmetrical design. As with the south elevation the corners of the upper floors have stucco quoins, and the ground floor is decorated with banded stucco above a plain stucco above a plain stucco plinth. The left-hand bay contains the entrance door which has a simple timber doorcase with entablature. All of the openings have semi-circular arches with a central keystone incised with a flower motif. At first floor level five, evenly-spaced, square-headed windows each have stucco ornament with angled headers and central keystones. All of the windows have been replaced. At second floor level there are no windows on the east elevation. Instead, there is an even row of five blind recesses which reach up to the eaves of the roof. Four pattress plates (three at ground level and one in line with the upper windows) are sited on the east elevation.