1, Commercial Road

GLOUCESTER

SO8318SW COMMERCIAL ROAD 844-1/12/93 (South side) 12/03/73 No.1 (Formerly Listed as: COMMERCIAL ROAD (South side) No.2 County Office of WRVS)

GV II

Shown on OS map as No.2. The Gloucester Savings Bank, now office. 1849-50. By Hamilton and Medland. Ashlar, slate roof, ashlar stack. Italianate style. Designed for the triangular site on the south-east corner at the junction of Commercial Road and Southgate Street with a canted angle facing the street intersection. EXTERIOR: three storeys and cellar with unified elevations to both streets comprising five bays in Commercial Road, one splayed bay facing the intersection, and two bays in Southgate Street; the ground floor designed as a rusticated arcade with chamfered offset plinths and raised imposts, on the keystones of the semicircular arches sculpted heads, vermiculated quoins at each corner of the building, and a raised band at first-floor level; the upper floors of plain ashlar with raised chamfered quoins at the corners, a moulded string at first-floor sill level, and moulded brackets supporting the crowning cornice with blocking course above. On the ground floor in the central bay of the front facing Commercial Road the entrance doorway with a plain semicircular fanlight and panelled double doors framed by Roman Doric pilasters and entablature, in the recessed panel within each arcade bay a plain, semicircular arched sash in opening with projecting stone sill. On the first floor in each bay a plain sash framed by moulded architrave with entablature, a pediment on console brackets above the central window in Commercial Road and above the window in the canted bay. On the second floor shorter sashes and a blind window in the canted bay, all framed by moulded, eared architraves and projecting sills supported on moulded brackets at each end. Above the crowning cornice on the Southgate Street front a tall chimney-stack with offset plinth, recessed panels on each face, and crowning cornice supported on moulded brackets. INTERIOR: not inspected. (BOE: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Vale and the Forest of Dean: London: 1976-: 251).

Listing NGR: SO8300418368