Bank of Ireland, 12 Trevor Hill, Newry, Co Down, BT34 1DN

This imposing three-storey building with basement stands on the east side of Trevor Hill, constructed in Newry granite in classical revival style. The symmetrical ashlar frontage is flanked by coach arches and railings. The hipped roof is covered in natural slate with a central valley at ridge level, and a pair of small hipped roofs project over a full-height extension to the rear elevation. A parapet gutter serves the facade, whilst plastic rainwater goods are fitted to other elevations.

Five chimneys rise from the roof: two to the left side sit at right angles to the facade, two on the right run parallel with it, all rectangular in section and built of finely dressed ashlar granite with moulded copings. A fifth chimney, square in section and cement rendered, rises from the wall head at the right of the rear elevation.

The basement, side and rear elevations are built of roughly dressed ashlar Newry granite. The ground floor front facade is ashlar with V-channelled rustication, whilst the upper floors are in fine dressed ashlar. A chamfered projecting stringcourse runs between basement and ground floor on the facade and side elevations. Between ground and first floor, a plain projecting sill course with moulded throating spans the facade. The parapet is decorated with a double raised stringcourse. A modern extension in reconstituted stone abuts the full width of the ground floor at the rear, rising to the full height of the building on the left side. Side and rear elevations have plain projecting eaves courses.

Facade

Flanking each side of the facade at ground floor are a pair of segmental-headed coach arches set within smooth ashlar granite walls, both with plain projecting copings. The left arch provides vehicular and pedestrian access to the rear of the building and contains a pair of large modern sheet metal doors with wicket gate. A modern projecting Bank of Ireland sign sits over the arch. The right arch has been infilled with reconstituted stone blocks and now houses an automatic teller machine.

Seven granite steps, supported by a buttress at basement level, lead from the street to the main entrance in the centre of the facade. The doorway is set within a shallow semicircular-headed recess with voussoirs delineated by V-channelled rustication. The wall within the recess is smoothly dressed ashlar. A pair of three-fielded panelled painted replacement timber doors with modern brass furniture are set within two granite fluted Doric columns and entablature. Above this, inset to the smooth ashlar, is a fanlight with decorative lead tracery. Over the fanlight, the words "Bank of Ireland" are painted on the ashlar in gold and black letters. A modern oval bank logo is fixed to the centre of the fanlight base.

All windows to the facade are sliding sashes with recessed boxes and horns. At basement level, three equally spaced openings each have three-part lintels with keystones and granite post and block reveals. The left and centre windows are 6/3 sliding sashes with granite sills. The window to the right has been infilled with granite blocks and the sill removed.

The ground floor has two identical tripartite windows on either side of the central door, each consisting of a 6/6 window flanked on either side by a 2/2 sash window. Each has a granite sill and a moulded granite architrave with frieze and projecting cornice over. The words "Bank of Ireland" are affixed to each frieze in gold letters.

Three identical first floor 6/6 windows align with the openings below, resting on the granite sill course with similar moulded architraves and entablatures as those on the ground floor. Three horizontal metal bars are fitted to the lower part of each. The three 6/6 second floor windows, aligned with those below but diminished in height, sit on granite sills with ashlar voussoired heads flush to the facade.

Left Elevation

The walls are squared granite blocks laid in courses with stepped ashlar quoins to the right corner and a raised chamfered stringcourse between ground floor and basement. There are four openings to each floor.

At basement level, from left to right: a louvred opening (possibly a former window) with raised sill — basement paving has been raised up to its new sill level — and vents and pipes entering. Second from left is a modern sheet metal door within a narrowed larger opening (cement render to right), with steps rising to the right of this to ground level. The third and fourth openings from the left are former windows now infilled with lined cement render (the third opening is now partially obscured by the steps, and the fourth opening has a raised sill as basement paving has been raised below).

Four ground floor openings are identical 6/6 sliding sashes with granite sills, lintels broken by keystones and post and block reveals. The second from the left has had the glass painted black from the inside. All ground floor windows have modern painted metal security bars over.

First and second floor windows are identical to those at ground floor, but second floor windows are diminished in height.

Rear Elevation

The walls match those of the left elevation but are obscured at ground floor and upper floors on the left by the modern extension. The remaining original openings comprise two 6/6 sliding sashes at first and second floors, identical to those described on the left elevation.

The modern extension has a flat roof to its single storey section and vertical floor-to-ceiling windows along its rear and left elevations. A projecting modern porch in the left elevation contains a door. The right elevation of the extension has no openings. The extension stairwell, abutting the rear left of the original building, has one fixed 3/3 window on the right cheek and two on the left cheek (one each on first and second floor level), with a blank rear wall.

Right Elevation

The walls match the left elevation, with stepped ashlar quoins to the left side and a chamfered stringcourse between ground floor and basement. This elevation is three openings wide with the central bay opening to the stairwell, meaning windows are at different levels.

Basement openings to left and right have been infilled with lined cement render. The central opening has a segmental head and contains a tripartite window: the central section is a 6/3 sliding sash flanked by two 1/1 sliding sashes.

Ground floor openings from left to right: the first is partially abutted by the autobank structure and has the remaining opening infilled. The centre opening (below the half landing window) is a modern sheet metal escape door with cement surround, bridged over the basement by a modern metal fire escape stair. The third opening is a 6/6 sliding sash with no horns, granite sill and modern metal security bars.

Between ground and first floor, centred in the elevation, is a segmental-headed opening with a tripartite landing window, consisting of a 6/6 sliding sash flanked by 2/2 sashes, with modern metal security grill over.

First floor openings to left and right: the left is a blind 6/6 sliding sash with horns and glass painted black internally. To the right is a 6/6 sliding sash with horns. Centred between first and second floor is a segmental-headed opening containing a tripartite window: a 6/6 sliding sash flanked by 1/2 sashes, all with no horns.

Second floor openings from left to right: a 6/6 sliding sash with no horns; centre (over the tripartite window) a 3/3 sliding sash window with no horns; and a third 6/6 sliding sash with no horns.

A modern automatic teller machine structure links the right elevation to the right coach arch.

Outbuildings and Boundaries

The rear yard is enclosed by random rubble stone boundary walls. The east end of the yard is enclosed by a steep bank and a rubble stone wall with an arched opening providing access to an outbuilding. This is a two-storey structure with pitched natural slate roof, rubble stone walls and tongue-and-groove sheeted openings.

The railings to the facade are poor quality modern reproductions consisting of black painted vertical bars with cast spearheads, clumsily bolted onto the original chamfered granite plinth wall. A small fragment of the original cast iron railings of the facade remains at the right and appears to be the clawed foot base of a post. Railings to the side elevations are original and have plain spikes resting on chamfered base walls.