Marks and Spencer and 4-10 Smithford Way

This is a retail store designed and built for Marks and Spencer by Norman Jones Sons & Rigby between 1953 and 1955. It is a building of group value, contributing to the character of its setting.

The building is constructed on a reinforced concrete frame, with brick cladding in English bond made from Blockley City Mixture brick. Dressings are of reconstituted Clipsham stone and Westmorland slate, with concrete canopies.

The building has three storeys at the corner of the precinct and Smithford Way, lowering to two storeys behind this, with a further three-storey section at the rear of the Marks and Spencer premises.

The principal entrance facade, facing south onto the Upper Precinct and the Smithford Way elevation are symmetrical with five bays each. The ground floor has glass shop fronts beneath a continuous concrete canopy with Westmorland slate fascias, which is punctuated by glass lights to allow light to the pavement. Steps lead up on the Upper Precinct side to accommodate the sloping ground level. The display windows are divided by granite-clad mullions, and recessed entrances are located at each end of the Precinct-facing elevation. The eastern entrance features mosaic tiled flooring and bronze door frames.

Above the canopy on the Precinct elevation, the central three bays are recessed and feature two rows of nine windows within a projecting Clipsham stone surround, decorated with large coffered mouldings to its inner sides and soffit. Westmorland slate clad mullions rise through two storeys, with Travertine panels between the floors. Single square windows are positioned on either side of this central feature at each storey.

The Smithford Way elevation has single windows at each end of the upper floors, with three pairs of windows per floor in between. Projecting balconies with decorative railings are incorporated into the outer pairs of windows at first floor level. The shop units forming the northern end of the Smithford Way block have been updated with new shop fronts beneath the canopy. The first floor has Travertine panels and a row of continuous windows.

Inside the Marks and Spencer store, the interior is largely open throughout both floors, supported by square piers with dentilled cornices. Plain cornices are also visible on recessed ceiling panels. The stairs have metal balustrades with curving handrails. The staff restaurant area retains timber-panelled piers, and original handrails are present in many of the service areas.