Ulster Bank, 22 Frances Street, Newtownards, Co Down, BT23 3DN

The Ulster Bank, located at 22 Frances Street, Newtownards, is a three-storey bank constructed around 1925. It occupies a position within a terrace along the north side of Frances Street, near Newtownards’ market house. The building was established in January 1926, replacing an earlier bank founded in 1865, which was demolished in 1923. A temporary branch operated on High Street during the interim.

The bank's front facade is built with rusticated Portland stone, demonstrating a free classical style frequently adopted for banks of this era. The southern facade features an entrance on the far right, with a sturdy, timber-panelled door displaying decorative carvings, including the bank’s coat of arms. To the left of the entrance are three mullioned and transomed windows, the leftmost being narrower than the others. Pilaster-like piers, topped with decorative garlands and ribbons, flank the door and windows, supporting a dentilled entablature with a cornice and decorative end brackets. The entablature displays the bank’s name in bronze sans serif lettering. The outer pilasters extend upwards to the full height of the facade. The first floor presents two broad tripartite windows with thick, pier-like mullions, while the second floor has similar, slightly shorter windows, also supported by decorative brackets. The Ulster Bank crest, carved in Portland stone, is positioned between these windows. A dentilled cornice, also supported on end brackets, tops the facade, followed by a parapet with two dentilled pediments. The exposed gables are of plain Portland stone. The rear is difficult to view due to surrounding buildings, and the rear facade has been altered several times, resulting in a modern, functional, and architecturally untidy appearance. A gabled roof, obscured by the parapet, covers the building, with the roof covering not visible. Two gable chimney stacks, also in Portland stone and featuring corbelling, are present. The window frames are now PVC. The bank’s original branch was established in December 1865.