Northern Bank, 29 High Street, Ballynahinch, Co Down, BT24 8AB

Northern Bank, 29 High Street, Ballynahinch

This three-storey bank was built in 1864 and occupies a prominent position within the terrace on the west side of High Street in Ballynahinch town centre. It is distinguished by an Italianate façade with ornate Baroque detailing, particularly on the first floor windows.

The asymmetrical front façade faces east. At ground floor level are three tall semicircular arched recesses. The leftmost serves as the entrance, featuring a panelled double door with a fanlight now covered by the bank's corporate logo. The other two recesses contain sash windows with panelled stall risers. To the right of the entrance, an ATM has been inserted. Each arch is decorated with a moulded archivolt and keystone, with a decorative string course linking the archivolts at springing level. Below this, the render is rusticated and terminates in a bevelled base. Between the arches are moulded roundels displaying the original intertwined letter logo of the old Northern Banking Company. (These roundels were covered between approximately 1970–71 and 1988 by the logo of the Midland Bank.)

The first floor contains three sash windows with segmental heads, smaller than those below. They are set within richly decorated surrounds featuring arched Baroque pediments, square keystones, and elaborate cartouches. The windows rest on a plain sill course with a cornice-like course and dentils beneath. Between the sill and cornice courses are decorative pierced panels aligned with each window. Above the windows is a plain string course bearing raised plastic letters spelling the bank's name. The first and second floor façade is rendered in lines with bevelled quoins.

The second floor has three smaller windows with simple shouldered and heeled surrounds and plain brackets to their sills. Above these runs a dentilled eaves cornice. The entire front façade is painted.

A projecting internally lit plastic sign is mounted to the right at ground floor level.

The rear elevation presents a stark contrast, displaying purely functional design. It is dominated by a large single and two-storey return, which is largely flat roofed and has clearly undergone substantial alteration and extension. This return is finished in plain render with modern windows and doors, a roof terrace, and a modern fire escape. The main building's rear façade has a plain sash window at first floor to the right, two smaller windows with Georgian panes at second floor, and a plain sash stairwell window between first and second floor levels on the far left. The rear is finished in plain painted render.

The exposed north and south gables contain no openings and are finished in plain painted render. The main building has a slated gabled roof with two tall gable chimney stacks with bevelled bases and cornice courses. A rubble-built two-storey outbuilding stands to the rear.