1 Bank Parade, Newry, Co Down, BT34 6HP

A two-storey building in brick and granite fronting the west side of Bank Parade beside Newry Arts Centre, constructed between 1860 and 1879.

The building comprises a two-storey block aligned parallel with the street at front, a return to the rear, and a lower return on the rear gable of the latter. The front façade, which is of interest in terms of its proportion and detailing, is constructed of red brick with stepped yellow brick trimming to its quoins, doors, first floor window at left, and corbelled eaves course. A decorative band of red and yellow brick sandwiched between black bricks sits above ground floor window level, and a finely dressed granite platband runs across the façade at first floor cill level. The front building has a gabled natural slate roof with two deep bands of fish-scale slates across the front pitch, and a red brick chimney on the left gable with chamfered corners and chamfered smoothly dressed cap. Metal rainwater goods are fitted throughout.

A canted bay projects at the centre with a polygonal natural slate roof over it. The bay incorporates a window on each of its three sides on both floors. The window openings are of finely dressed granite, chamfered along the edges, shouldered at the top, and with a small roundel cut into each shoulder spandrel. All windows are vertically-divided 2/2 timber sliding sashes. A timber fascia runs around the bay above the windows and continues above the right-hand door, reading "Rural Development Partnership/ Leader/ South Down, South Armagh Local Action Group Ltd".

The ground floor door at left is deeply recessed and comprises a vertical vee and groove sheeted door in a shouldered timber frame. Above is a triangular transom light within which is a moulded quatrefoil roundel. The door opening has stop end chamfers to its stepped yellow brick edges and also has a granite keystone. The door opening at right appears to be a later addition, as its brick trimming has a slightly different colour and the profile of the head is shallower than at left. The door itself is timber sheeted with transom above. A first floor window above the left door is now infilled internally.

The left gable is plain and rendered with cement, and is devoid of openings apart from a small light at ground floor level, now blocked. The rear wall is cement rendered without openings. It is abutted at centre by a return which has a gabled natural slate roof and brick chimney on its north pitch. The walls of this return are cement rendered. There is a single timber 2/2 sliding sash window at first floor level on the south-facing wall. The opposite wall is abutted by the Arts Centre.

The rear gable has a modern metal window at ground floor level and is also abutted by a lower return. This return has a natural slate hip roof, brick chimney on north-facing pitch, and cement rendered walls. There are two windows at ground floor on the south wall and three at first floor, all 2/2 sliding sashes. On the north wall is a modern window and door at ground floor, and a modern opening with fire escape door and metal ladder at first floor. On its rear gable is the trace of a one-storey building, now gone.

Running around the south wall of the main block and two returns is a one-storey flat-roofed building with rendered walls, metal-framed windows and one door, which probably obscures the ground floor windows of the original buildings. The remainder of the building, both inside and out, is of no interest in terms of original features.

The building occupies the site of a salt works which was operational by the 1830s. The 1860s Valuation Book notes a house and garden belonging to Hugh Dalzell, proprietor of the salt works. Lawrence photographs show the site prior to 1873, the year in which the Valuation Revision book notes a "new house" and an increase in value of the premises from £9 to £21. A bayed building is shown on the accompanying valuation map which suggests that it is the same one as that now standing. During the twentieth century, Ross Thompson coal importers occupied the premises. In the early 1980s, the first floor was leased to the District Council for museum use. The Council subsequently acquired the entire building, and the ground floor is now leased out as offices. The building is situated within a conservation area.