Lloyd'S Bank

LLOYD'S BANK, CASTLE STREET, CIRENCESTER

Bank dating from around 1780 with 19th and 20th century additions and alterations.

The building is constructed in limestone ashlar with stucco to the left side and to the right side of the 19th century rear ranges. It has a Welsh slate hipped roof with parapeted finish, ashlar right-end stack with moulded top, and a similar smaller stack to the right side of the rear range.

The main range to Castle Street is three storeys with three windows. The first floor contains three Venetian windows, each with 1/2-pane sashes flanking a 6/6-pane sash with intersecting traceried heads, retaining some crown glass. The windows have stone mullions in the form of Corinthian pilasters with flanking half-pilasters supporting an entablature with modillion cornice at the springing of the architrave around the head of the centre light, all set within a relieving arch with keystone. The centre keystone takes the form of a king's head. The ground floor has three similar windows with Ionic pilasters, dentil cornice and lions' head keystones to the relieving arches. A shallow plinth is present, with rustication extending up to the cill band to the ground floor windows. Upper mouldings of the cornice at the springing of the heads of the centre lights of windows are continued as a band across the facade. A band course over the ground floor forms the base for baluster panels below the first floor windows extending to the first floor cill band. The cornice at the springing of the centre lights of the windows continues as a band across the facade at ground floor level. A dentil cornice sits over the first floor with a pediment to the centre bay. The second floor has two 3/3-pane sashes in plain reveals, with a moulded stone eaves cornice and blocking course.

To the left, a 20th century single-storey addition features one eight-panel door and one plate glass sash window in moulded stone architraves. The ground floor rustication, cornice and band courses are continued.

The right side to Silver Street forms a three-storey two-window range with a centre bay, which is blind to the first and second floors and breaks forward. The first floor has two 6/6-pane sashes in recessed unmoulded surrounds and a similar blind round-headed window to the centre. The second floor has two 3/3-pane sashes in plain reveals and a similar blind window to the centre. The ground floor contains one 6/6-pane horned sash to the right, a 6/6-pane sash with intersecting traceried head to the centre, and a pair of 20th century eight-panel doors to the left in a moulded stone architrave with dentil cornice above. The bands and main cornices from the front elevation continue around this side.

The right side of the 19th century rear ranges to Silver Street comprises two low storeys and a single storey with 19th and 20th century 2/2-pane and plate glass sashes. Rustication to the ground floor and band courses below the first floor are continued to the two-storey range.

The main range to Castle Street has substantial one and two-storey 19th and 20th century additions to the rear.

The interior of the banking hall dates from the 19th century with 20th century alterations. It features plastered beams with panelled soffits supported on square pilasters with egg-and-dart moulded tops, and an enriched moulded cornice to each panel of the ceiling. A 20th century security screen and other alterations are present. A fireplace mentioned in Pevsner is said to have been removed during alterations in the early 1970s. Its position in the rear range and the 19th century Classical decoration of the banking hall suggest a 19th century rather than early 18th century date.