Midland Bank, Including Railings

Midland Bank, including railings, on English Street and Bank Street in Carlisle city centre. This is a bank with manager's house, now used as bank and offices.

The building dates from 1898 when the original 1849 structure (built for the Carlisle City and District Banking Company by TJ Cox) was refaced for the London and Midland Bank by architect T Taylor-Scott. A further extension was added in the early 1920s for the London Joint City and Midland Bank, also designed by Taylor-Scott.

The principal construction uses Portland stone ashlar on a chamfered plinth, though the basement retains part of the original 1849 calciferous sandstone ashlar from Lanerton Quarry. Columns and pilasters are polished Shap granite. The building features rusticated quoins, a modillioned eaves cornice with open balustraded parapet, slate roof, and Portland stone ashlar ridge and end chimney stacks.

The building occupies a prominent corner site. The English Street facade is 2 storeys with 3 bays from the original 1849 building on the right (now with a canted corner bay from 1898) and 2 bays added to the left in the 1920s in matching style. The Bank Street facade is 2 storeys with 3 bays for the banking hall, with the former manager's house at right being 3 storeys, 2 bays and treated differently, though incorporating the 1849 structure.

Both banking hall facades are rusticated with large round-headed windows featuring original margin and radial glazing bars, divided by granite pilasters beneath a frieze with triglyphs and modern fascia. Above are sash windows with upper glazing bars in rusticated surrounds with medallions above keystones.

The angle entrance bay contains an elaborate porch with paired Tuscan columns aligned along the principal elevations' axes. Within is a recessed round-arched doorway beneath a date panel, with part-balustraded parapet over. Above this sits a tripartite window with Gibbsian surround and segmental parapet containing a clock that breaks the cornice, all topped by a copper-domed cupola with open arcade and weather vane finial.

The former manager's house has a round-headed left doorway with segmental pediment on brackets, a round-headed ground floor window, and other small sash windows with upper glazing bars on the upper floor in similar surrounds to the main facades.

The cast-iron railings around the basement void date from 1898 and the early 1920s, though they have been broken in part for cash dispensing machines on the Bank Street facade.

Interior alterations were extensive in 1898. A blind arcade set high in the banking hall projects in the manner of machicolations. Ribbed plaster ceilings in the banking hall extend into the 1920s extension.

The Carlisle Journal recorded the original building and the laying out of the new Bank Street in 1849. The Carlisle City and District Bank was taken over by the London and Midland Bank in 1896. Planned alterations were discussed in 1897, with alteration plans held in the Cumbria County Record Office. Reopening after alterations was recorded in 1899. Directories indicate that in 1920 No.29 English Street was vacant and by 1921 formed part of the bank address, suggesting the extension was undertaken at that time.