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

The former Northern Bank at Trevor Hill is an imposing three-storey granite building constructed in 1923 by the Northern Banking Company Limited in Edwardian freestyle. The building is significant both for its high quality of granite detailing and composition, and as an important element of the character of Trevor Hill.

The building sits on the east side of Trevor Hill with a pitched natural slate roof featuring overhanging eaves. Single cement render chimneys rise from each gable and one from the rear pitch. Semicircular profiled metal rainwater goods with three downpipes serve the facade.

The facade is articulated by three slightly projecting bays to the end and centre, each with raised gables. The centre bay has a pediment, whilst the end bays feature semicircular heads. The central bay is bow fronted to ground and first floors. Walls to the facade are smooth granite ashlar in rusticated bands at ground floor level and squared coursed rubble to upper floors, with all details executed in smooth ashlar granite.

The main entrance is to the ground floor left, comprising a pair of modern timber doors set below a segmental headed plain transom light. The door stands within a deeply recessed opening with banded rustication to the reveals and head. Above the doorway is an enlarged projecting keystone supporting the apex of a projecting broken pediment forming a porch, which 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 with mirrored bottom pane and segmental head, its keystone decorated with flat carved foliage. The central bow fronted bay contains three fixed 1/1 timber windows, each separated by a banded rustication mullion. Remaining walls between the central and side bays each have a similar window. All openings have chamfered reveals resting on a continuous plain granite cill.

Above the window heads runs 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. Walls between the central and side bays are blank rock faced granite with an ashlar band linking each bay at window head level. Three 1/1 sliding sash windows are set to each bay within chamfered openings with granite mullions between each window, all having 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 above 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, though the central bay is not bowed. Each side bay has an ashlar pier rising at each corner, extending above eaves level and supporting a semicircular capped gable with foliated carved ashlar blocks at the spring of each arch. The central bay has stepped ashlar quoins at each corner of its projection, resting on scrolled blocks below cill level which themselves rest on the first floor bow roof. The quoins rise above eaves level and support a panelled block upon which rests a capped gable. Walls between the bays are plain with a dentilled projecting eaves course.

The rear elevation is cement rendered with a raised eaves course. At first floor are two 1/1 sliding sash windows, one to left and one to right, with a metal escape door to centre leading onto the flat roof of a modern rear extension. At second floor right, in line with the first floor opening, is a 1/1 sliding sash window, and centred between the first floor window and door is another 1/1 sliding sash.

A rear return to the left of the main elevation is L-shaped and formerly enclosed a small yard. A modern single storey extension now infills the rear yard, wraps around the return and projects into the rear garden. The rear return has a hipped L-shaped roof with terracotta ridge and lead dressings. 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 to left at first floor 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, partially abutted at 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 extension.

At first floor of the rear wall are four openings: to the left, over steps to ground floor, is a pair of 1/1 sliding sash windows in a single opening; the second from left is a sheet metal escape door leading to the roof of the single storey extension; third from left is a pair of 1/1 sliding sash windows in a single opening; and to the right is a single 1/1 sliding sash window with an extractor vent in the top sash. All windows have grills. At second floor are four openings in line with the first floor openings: the two left openings are small 1/1 sliding sashes, 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 to the rear has a large decorative dome to its roof, positioned over the infilled yard area. Its rear wall has five equally spaced openings, all 1/1 sliding sashes except the extreme left opening, which is a modern sheet metal escape door.

The Northern Bank had occupied this site since approximately 1867, initially in a house shown on the 1835 map. A photograph from 1894 shows the earlier building comprised a manager's house to the left and banking hall to the right, with a facade bearing no resemblance to the existing structure. Date stones on the facade confirm construction of the present building in 1923 by the Northern Banking Company Limited, which accords with contemporary valuation book entries. The absence of 19th-century internal fittings suggests the entire site was rebuilt, not merely the facade.

Although the banking hall has been remodelled, most of the interior survives, including the original glazed dome, a classic banking hall feature. The building is now within a conservation area and remains in commercial banking use.