The Red Bank

The Red Bank is a substantial, four-storey bank building constructed in 1898 and designed by Silvanus Trevail for Messrs. Coode, Shilson and Co. It occupies a prominent central location in St Austell. The building is primarily red brick with terra-cotta detailing. The steeply pitched roof is covered in Delabole slate, featuring three attic gables. Each corner is surmounted by a small, very steep conical slate roof with a bellcote and ogee lead dome and finial. Dormers with casements punctuate the roof, and red clay crested ridge tiles are present. Tall, brick-panelled axial stacks and a tall lateral stack to the left-hand return, positioned over paired pilasters on the upper floors, are notable features, all featuring moulded entablatures.

The exterior presents a slightly asymmetrical 2:3:2-window configuration on the first floor, with a three-bay central section and curved corners. There are additional three-by-two window bays, a gabled bay to the left-hand angled return, and a two-window bay to the right-hand angled and gabled return. The façade incorporates a plinth, an entablature between floors, and a machicolated and moulded eaves cornice between the gables. The central gabled bay and the other gabled bays rise taller and feature pediments. The central bay of the centre elevation, and the far left gables, incorporate an acroterion with a round-arched pediment and elaborate terra-cotta detail, including pedimented hoods over the windows below and two windows within the main pediment. The remaining one-window gable has a plain triangular pediment over an elaborate frieze. All gables have panelled end acroteria on paired brackets over pilasters dividing the bays; the ground-floor pilasters are rusticated and surmounted by small pediments. Ground-floor openings are defined by keyed round arches on panelled pilasters, while other floors have moulded architraves, with the first and second floors of the gabled bays featuring keyed segmental arches and eared architraves. Ornate latticed friezes are present beneath the second-floor windows of the gabled bays and all the bays of the left-hand return. A main, pedimented doorway is located to the left of the centre front, alongside another doorway with flanking pilasters to a wider bay on the far left of the left-hand return. Shop windows occupy three bays to the right.

The interior was only partially inspected, but it includes an original open-string staircase with a ramped handrail over turned and fluted balusters. The building represents a good example of the work of Cornish architect Silvanus Trevail, reflecting the influence of contemporary architects such as Paul Waterhouse.