former Northern Bank, 2-3 Trevor Hill, Newry, Co Down, BT34 1DN

Former Northern Bank, 2-3 Trevor Hill, Newry

This imposing three-storey granite building on the east side of Trevor Hill is designed in Edwardian freestyle. The pitched natural slate roof has overhanging eaves and single cement render chimneys to each gable and one to the rear pitch. Semicircular profiled metal rainwater goods with three downpipes service the facade.

The facade is organised into three slightly projecting bays at the end and centre, each with raised gables. The centre bay has a pediment, while the end bays have semicircular heads. The central bay is bow-fronted to the ground and first floors. The walls are constructed of smooth granite ashlar in rusticated bands to the ground floor and squared coursed rubble to the upper floors, with all details in smooth ashlar granite.

The main entrance to the ground floor left is formed by a pair of modern timber doors set below a segmental headed plain transom light. The door opens into a deeply recessed opening with banded rustication to the reveals and head. Above the doorway is an enlarged projecting keystone, which supports the apex of a projecting broken pediment that forms a porch over the doorway and rests on ornate granite consoles. To the ground floor right bay is an identical pedimented opening. The lower section has been infilled with modern granite walls with an ATM inset. Above is a 3/1 window (bottom pane mirror glazed) with a segmental head. The keystone of this opening is decorated with flat carved foliage. The central bow-fronted bay has three fixed 1/1 timber windows, each separated by a banded rustication mullion. The remaining walls between the central and side bays each contain a similar window. All openings have chamfered reveals and rest on a continuous plain granite cill. Above the window heads is a plat band with frieze set below the first floor cill course. Carved into the frieze and painted gold are the words "NORTHERN BANKING COMPANY LIMITED", with "Banking Company" on the curved bay, and "Northern" and "Limited" on the walls to its left and right respectively.

At first floor the side bays project slightly and the central bay is bowed. The walls between the central and side bays are blank rock-faced granite with an ashlar band linking each bay at window head level. There are three 1/1 sliding sash windows to each bay, all set within a chamfered opening with granite mullions between each window, and all have smooth ashlar surrounds. Over the windows to the left and right bays is a moulded scrolled pediment resting on small decorative corbels. The three windows to the central bay have a plat-band and frieze over, with a dentilled blocking course terminating the bow. Cills to the side bays are slightly higher and plainer than those to the central bay.

At second floor all bays project slightly, although the central bay is not bowed. Each side bay has an ashlar pier rising up each corner, rising above eaves level and supporting a semicircular coped gable with foliated carved ashlar block to the spring of the arch at each side. The central bay has stepped ashlar quoins to each corner of the projection, which rest on scrolled blocks (setting the width of the projecting bay at this level) below cill level, resting on the first floor bow roof. The quoins rise above eaves level and support a panelled block, upon which rests a coped gable. Walls between the bays are plain with a dentilled projecting eaves course.

The rear elevation is abutted to the left by an L-shaped return which originally enclosed a small yard at the rear. A modern single storey extension now infills the rear yard, wraps around the return and projects into the rear garden. The rear elevation is cement rendered with a raised eaves course. At first floor there is a 1/1 sliding sash window to the left and a similar window to the right, with a metal escape door to the centre leading onto the flat roof of the rear extension. At second floor right, in line with the first floor opening, is a 1/1 sliding sash window. Centred between the first floor window and door at second floor is another 1/1 sliding sash.

The rear return has a hipped L-shaped roof with terracotta ridge and lead dressings. Its walls are cement rendered with a raised eases course as the rear elevation. Its left cheek is rendered and blank. To the left of the right cheek the second section returns. The remainder of the right cheek has a small 1/1 stained glass sliding sash at first floor left and a stained glass transom landing window between first and second floors. To second floor left is a similar transom window. The rear wall of the return is wide and continues to the right to enclose the yard. It is partially abutted to the ground floor by the single storey extension. The remainder to the left has a modern flight of steps up to the flat roof of the single storey extension. At first floor are four openings. To the left, over the steps to the ground floor, is a pair of 1/1 sliding sash windows in a single opening. Second from left is a sheet metal escape door leading to the roof of the single storey extension. Third on the right is a pair of 1/1 sliding sash windows in a single opening and to the left is a single 1/1 sliding sash window with an extractor vent in the top sash. All windows have grills over. At second floor are four openings, all in line with the first floor openings. The two left openings are small 1/1 sliding sashes and the others are larger 1/1 sliding sashes. The right cheek of the return has a single 1/1 sliding sash at ground floor left.

The single storey kitchen extension has a large decorative dome to its roof over the infilled yard area. Its rear wall has five equally spaced openings, all 1/1 sliding sashes except for that to the extreme left which is a modern sheet metal escape door.