National Westminster Bank Including Bank Chambers

BIDEFORD

SS4526 HIGH STREET 842-1/5/139 (North side) 08/11/49 No.86 National Westminster Bank incl Bank Chambers (Formerly Listed as: HIGH STREET (North side) No.86) (Formerly Listed as: THE QUAY Doctor's Surgery adjoining Bank)

GV II

Bank and offices. Early or mid C19; part of it (probably the left-hand section) probably c1853 by RD Gould of Barnstaple. Solid rendered walls. Slate roofs; left-hand section a mansard, that to right (on the corner) hipped. 3 rendered chimneys with bracketed cornices. Plan consists of 3 distinct builds: a relatively low block to left of High Street frontage, a taller corner block, and another low block at the rear, fronting King Street. 3-storeyed corner block; the others 2-storeyed. Left-hand block facing High Street is of 5-window range. Ground storey is of vermiculated blocks; round-arched windows (the middle one originally a doorway) with moulded imposts and large bearded-head keystones; 2-paned casements with 2-paned transom-lights. Upper-storey windows have rusticated architraves with triple keystones; pedestal-course below; 6-paned sashes. Modillioned eaves cornice surmounted by a balustrade. Corner block has 3-window front to High Street and 5-window front to The Quay. Horizontally-channelled ground storey; panelled double-doors in place of middle window to High Street. Second-storey windows have moulded architraves on continued bracketed sills; pulvinated friezes, cornices alternating with triangular pediments. Third-storey windows have moulded cornices on continued sills. Top entablature with bracketed eaves-cornice; frieze with circular panels. Ground and third-storey windows have barred sashes; 2 panes over 4 panes in ground storey to High Street, 6 over 6 panes to The Quay; 3 over 6 panes in the third storey. Second storey has 3-paned wood casements with 2-paned transom-lights. Rear wall has round-arched third-storey window (visible from The Quay) with moulded architrave and vermiculated keystone. Block facing King Street is 4 windows wide. Panelled double-doors with 3-paned fanlight in place of left-hand window; left jamb has attractive name-plates and bell-pushes, perhaps of the 1930s. All windows have barred sashes: 6 over 6 panes in ground storey, 3 over 6 panes in second storey. Moulded plinth in ground storey, continued sills in second storey. Tall panelled parapet, wholly concealing the roof. INTERIOR partly inspected. Ground-floor banking-hall remodelled in late C20, although lowered ceiling may conceal earlier detail. Entrance to Bank Chambers in King Street has Georgian-style wooden staircase (probably 1930s) with ramped handrail and thick square-section balusters. The builder is believed to have been EB White of Bideford. (Grant A: The Book of Bideford: 1987-: P.72; Morris: Directory of Devonshire: 1870-: P.348; Bideford Community Archive; newspaper cutting).

Listing NGR: SS4544426611