Building Name

New Bank Silver Street and Bank Street Bury

Date
1865 - 1866
Street
Silver Street
District/Town
Bury
County/Country
GMCA, England
Client
Bury Banking Company
Work
New build
Listed
Grade II
Contractor
Henry Southern & Son,

NEW BANK, BURY, LANCASHIRE -  The Bury Banking Company was established in 1836, and some years ago erected premises in Silver Street, where its business was conducted until recently, when increased accommodation became necessary and the old buildings were pulled down, and the new buildings, which form the subject of our present illustration, were erected on the same site, and were opened for business in the autumn of 1868. They provide the following accommodation for the company's own business operations: Banking‑room, 46 feet by 28 feet; manager’s room, 24 feet by 22 feet; entrance‑hall, waiting‑room, clerks' room, and residence for bank porter; three strong rooms in addition to the one containing the bullion safe, which latter is worked on the hydraulic principle.  The whole of the first floor and a portion of the ground floor are appropriated to offices (the entrance to which is in Bank Street), and these offices are let in suites to tenants as required. All the floors are of fire‑proof construction on Phillip’s principle. That over the banking room may be taken as an example, and consists of three rolled iron girders with laminated flanges supporting rolled iron joists X, on which are laid small iron bars z for the support of concrete 4 in. thick. The concrete forms an excellent, ground for the plastering, without any intermediate battens or laths.  The banking ‑room is 21 feet in height, and has a ceiling divided into four compartments, in each of which are circular and other panels, and also three centre flowers. There are double windows to tho rooms on the ground‑floor : those to the outside are of iron, and those to the inside of oak, and they are all enclosed with Clark & Co.'s patent steel shutters. The wainscotting, doors, and all other woodwork of the principal rooms, and also all the bank counters, desks, and screens, are of Dantzic oak, with pillars, mouldings, &c., of ebonised oak. Haden's warm‑air principle has been adopted for the warming of the banking‑room, safes etc., and ventilation has been secured by lateral flues formed in the curved ceilings communicating  with two vertical shafts carried up above the balustrade, and having each a small gas-stove therein for occasional use. All  the safes and  the fire-proof and burglar‑proof doors have been manufactured by Chatwood’s Patent Lock and Safe Company. The first story of the building is faced with Fletcher Bank stone (millstone-grit), and has a string course of hacked grey granite at the level of the window‑sills; and the upper story is faced with Darley Dale stone, and has polished red granite pilasters over the principal entrance. The arms of the several directors are carved in the capitals a of the angle pilasters, and the pediment over the principal entrance is filled with a sculptured group of figures, typifying the various operations in banking. The iron gates and all the gas-fittings were specially manufactured by Messrs Joseph Ratcliff & Sons, of Birmingham; and the stone carving was done by Mr Joseph Bonehill, of Manchester. The general contractors were Messrs Henry Southern & Son, of Salford. Mr James Catterall officiated as clerk of works, Messrs Blackwell Son & Booth, of Manchester and Bury, were the architects. [ The Builder 5 June 1869 Page 444]

Reference    Manchester Guardian Saturday 6 October 1866 Page 9 (Contracts)
Reference    Bury Times 13 October 1866 page 2 - contracts
Reference    The Builder 5 June 1869 Page 444

Now Barclays Bank