3, The Cross

Building: 3, The Cross, Worcester

A banking hall, now operating as a café and coffee shop, dating from 1900 with later alterations and restorations. This is a notable example of Edwardian classicism forming part of a significant architectural group at this important entrance to Worcester.

The building displays a richly classical design in Portland stone ashlar with red brick returns dressed with ashlar details and a concealed roof. A cast-iron stack rises at the rear left, and cast-iron balconies punctuate the facades.

The main Portland stone facade features extensive rusticated ashlar detailing. The plinth is rusticated, followed by horizontal rustication across the facade. Window aprons are decorated with swags. The rustication is drawn into voussoirs with stepped keystones over windows, and the keystones interrupt an egg and dart frieze. The first-floor band is surmounted by end pillars with horizontal rustication and two half-engaged Ionic columns in antis with quarter-engaged Ionic column responds. An egg and dart frieze and cornice with modillions run above, topped by a balustrade featuring bulbous vase balusters.

On the ground floor, the entrance comprises an 8-panel double door at the left. Above this sits a multi-pane oculus window surrounded by carved laurel wreath and a cartouche. Two further windows with segmental arches are fitted with wooden transoms and upper mullions.

The first floor contains 6/6 sash windows with fruit and drapery swags to their aprons. These are set in eared architraves with moulded sills and stepped keystones.

The left (north) return contains seven first-floor windows. The left bay incorporates three staircase windows: one 1/1 sash and two 6/6 sashes in ashlar breakforward with eared architraves and keystones. The second, fourth, fifth and sixth windows are 6/6 sashes on brick aprons rising from the first-floor band, also with eared architraves, moulded sills and keystones. The third and seventh windows differ, comprising multi-pane lights and overlights in channelled ashlar surrounds with cavetto moulding and swags, topped by cartouches. These windows are crowned by cornices on scrolled consoles with swags. Above the third and seventh bays run egg and dart moulding, modillions and balustrades; the remaining sections have a pulvinated frieze and cornice (except the left two bays) and a blind parapet and cornice.

On the ground floor of the north return, the second, third and seventh windows are round-arched; the remainder are segmental-arched. The second window features a brick head and stepped tall keystone. The third and seventh bays display lower, rough-hewn rustication, with aprons decorated with swags and horizontally rusticated breakfronts around the windows. The rustication is drawn into voussoirs with an egg and dart frieze. A central scrolled corbel with acanthus moulding supports a shallow bowed balcony. Both balconies have bowed bars and end urn finials.

The right (south) return to Trinity Passage follows a similar arrangement but with less ashlar detailing.

Internally, a dogleg staircase at the rear left is fitted with a cast-iron balustrade. Plasterwork and joinery survive on the ground floor, including architraves with keystones, panelling and cornices. The remainder of the interior was not inspected.

The building forms part of an important visual group of listed buildings including premises occupied by Lloyds Bank, premises occupied by Bradford and Bingley Building Society, the former Church of St Nicholas, and numbers 20, 21, 28 and 31 on The Cross, all of which together frame this significant entrance to the city.