Lloyds Bank

Lloyds Bank, Market Place

This large L-shaped building occupies a substantial site fronting both Market Place and Castle Street. The principal elevation to Market Place consists of five bays dating from 1869, with a matching five-bay extension to the right constructed in 1901. Both sections are executed in an elaborate debased classical style using Ham Hill stone.

The original 1869 section is three storeys tall. The ground floor features a plinth, panelled frieze and cornice, with four windows lacking glazing bars. These are framed by broad pilasters at the flanking positions and corners, with narrower pilasters between them. All pilasters are decorated with foliate band carving to their capitals. A central entrance is formed by ornate double panelled doors with a plain semi-circular fanlight, imposts and roll moulding to the arch, carved spandrels and a figured keystone.

The first floor is articulated by broad flanking pilasters with stylised anthemion capitals, three-quarter columns between windows and doubled to the centre with similar capitals. Five recessed sash windows have round-headed glazing with architrave surrounds. An entablature moulding serves as imposts to architrave arches over these windows, with blind columnar balustrades positioned below each opening.

The second floor is articulated by short pilasters panelled to the corners, with quarter pilasters added to those flanking the centre. Five sashes have camber-headed glazing bars with architrave surrounds. A panelled frieze and cornice supported on reeded brackets runs across this floor. Above rises a plain frieze and main cornice that projects as a segmental pediment over the centre. The parapet is arcaded and articulated by capped piers. Surmounting the central pediment is a plinth supporting a female sculptured group and a date tablet.

The five-bay extension of 1901 to the right is executed in the same style and is very slightly recessed from the original section.

The site extends back to Castle Street and Chipper Lane. The corner block facing Chipper Lane and Castle Street dates from 1901 and is executed in a robust Baroque style. It is two storeys tall in ashlar (Ham stone), raised on a granite plinth. A cornice with capped brackets and a parapet with blind balustered panels sit above, with a projecting string between storeys. The ground floor displays banded rustication and rusticated quoins.

To Castle Street, a wide slightly projecting bay adjoins the corner, its large pediment breaking through the parapet. This bay contains tripartite windows to both floors, the upper floor window divided by pilasters and crowned by a dentil cornice to the entablature, keystone and segmental broken pediment over the centre light, with an apron below. The ground floor features a Gibbs surround curved over the centre light. Five windows occupy the first floor and four the ground floor, all with architrave surrounds and cornices broken forward to the sides, with large stepped keystones. Ground floor windows have Gibbs surrounds with cambered heads. A doorway to the right is similarly treated.

The curved corner between rusticated quoins is slightly recessed. The Chipper Lane front is similar, containing three windows. The central first-floor window is marked by a Gibbs surround and pediment.

A slightly later extension of nine bays with a mansard slate roof adjoins the Castle Street block. It is two storeys with four segmental pedimented dormers. A cornice, frieze, stringcourse and plinth articulate the elevation. Windows have cambered heads on the first floor with large keystones. A central doorway in a Gibbs surround with segmental head is positioned above the stringcourse with a panel above.

This building forms a group with Nos 34, 35, the Chough Hotel and No 37.