Cavell House National Westminster Bank

Cavell House, originally Westminster City Council Offices and now housing a National Westminster Bank, was built in 1890 by Robert Walker and enlarged in 1902 by A W Murray. It is located on St Martin's Place, its plan following the curve of the street. The building is constructed of Portland stone with a slate roof. The architectural style is free classical for the office section, with more Baroque detail in the 1902 bank extension. It is three storeys high with an attic. The facade is 19 windows wide, arranged in a rhythm of 5:1:7:1:5, with a canted corner facing St Martin’s Lane and a four-window return. A segmental arched entrance leads to the offices, positioned within the northern single bay and flanked by pilasters supporting the Westminster City arms above the arch and a balcony above. The bank’s corner entrance bows outwards, featuring a lunette carved with foliage. The ground floor office windows are articulated by rusticated pilasters, while the bank's five ground floor bays are rusticated with semi-circular arched windows featuring mask keystones. Upper floor windows are architraved, with those on the first floor having eared pediments above. The central seven-window section has a shallow break, articulated through the first and second floors by Corinthian pilasters; the flanking single bays feature rusticated pilasters with pediments that break the balustraded parapet. Entablatures are present above the ground and second floors. This building is recognised for its group value due to its prominent corner location.