Reasons for Designation
43 Lower Hillgate is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Built as the premises of the Stockport Savings Bank, the elaborate Baroque revival exterior displays a richness of detailing not usually equated with a savings bank
* The use of white Portland stone for the front elevation differentiates the bank from the neighbouring brick-built premises, enlivening the character of the streetscape
* The carefully thought-out design seeks to unify the architectural and decorative scheme throughout the building through the echoing of certain motifs, such as shields, festoons, and geometric patterns
* The largely intact interior retains the original layout with a walk-in safe located where it is visible from the banking hall and adjacent to the manager's office, and a large first-floor board room
* The interior has a high-quality decorative scheme, which includes plasterwork to the frieze and coffered ceiling of the banking hall, mosaic flooring on the ground floor, wooden panelling, wooden staircase with tiled dado, coloured and textured glass to the stair window, and unusual hooded stone chimneypiece to the board room.
Details
STOCKPORT
701/0/10054
09-JUL-09
LOWER HILLGATE
43
II
Former Savings Bank. 1912-13. Architect Peter Pierce. Portland limestone, brick, granite, Welsh slate roof, stone stacks.
PLAN: Banking hall, manager's office, and walk-in safe on ground floor, board room on first floor, staff rooms in the basement.
EXTERIOR: Symmetrical Baroque Revival front elevation in Portland limestone, articulated into three bays with high granite plinth. Moulded string courses, frieze with FOUNDED/SAVINGS BANK/A.D.1824 cut in raised lettering, dentil cornice, balustraded parapet, and central, richly carved pediment with shield and foliate relief carving. Central bay and corner pilasters project slightly and have banded rustication. Central doorway within semi-circular surround with giant moulded keystone. Double panelled doors with glazed fanlight over. To either side is a semi-circular headed window with moulded arch, giant moulded keystone, single etched pane with geometric fret and stylised foliate design, with three panes above imposts. Etched pane protected by decorative iron railings. On the first floor are three windows, the central one with a segmental head, the outer two with flat heads. All windows are sashes with small-pane top lights set in shouldered architraves, with aprons decorated with relief carved festoons. Central window flanked by paired engaged Ionic columns.
INTERIOR: Banking hall has coffered ceiling with modillion cornices, inserted skylight. Frieze with rich relief plasterwork of shields, foliage, and festoon wreaths, and fluted ionic pilasters. Half-panelled walls. Timber and glazed lobby to entrance doorway with circular and festoon etched lower panes. Shallow, five-light bay window to rear of banking hall. Geometric mosaic flooring to front and south side of banking hall (main floor space carpeted). To south rear is the manager's office with a large five-by-three borrowed-light window, with festoon-etched lower lights, in the north wall overlooking the banking hall. Office has moulded cornice and original built-in cupboard with double panelled doors in west wall. Fireplace removed. To one side of chimney breast is a later wooden cupboard, and on the other is a recess with an original panelled door to a w.c. On the south side of the banking hall, and adjacent to manager's office, is a segmental-arched opening into a lobby with a walk-in Chatwood safe to the rear. Arched head of the opening has decorative ironwork grille incorporating roundel embossed SBS. Original panelled door on south side of banking hall opening into stair hall, with mosaic floor and tiled dado (now painted blue). Wooden dog-leg staircase with square moulded balusters, moulded handrail and newel posts with finials. Ground-floor newel post set diagonally and incorporating an ionic capital. Tall, semi-circular headed window on stair landing with symmetrical design in coloured and textured glass of shield, festoons and swags. Panelled cupboard on landing. Board room with original panelled door. Canted ceiling with ventilators, supported by two arched braces rising from stone corbels, panelled dado, parquet flooring. Painted stone chimneypiece with panelled hood in centre of north wall. Basement with w.c.s and staff rooms, altered.
HISTORY: Premises of Stockport Savings Bank, built in 1912-13 to replace the savings bank in the same location, which was demolished in 1911. The earlier bank had originated in 1824 in Turner's Buildings, Little Underbank, later moving to the Lower Hillgate location. The bank, which opened in 1913, and later became a branch of Lloyds TSB, closed in the 1980s.
SOURCES
Ref: TC/124/a/4, Lloyds TSB Group Archives, 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN
Stockport Advertiser History of Stockport, 156, interactive.stockport.gov.uk/Heritage/Astle's%20History%20Stockport/ 13/01/2009
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION
43 Lower Hillgate is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Built as the premises of the Stockport Savings Bank, the elaborate Baroque revival exterior displays a richness of detailing not usually equated with a savings bank
* The use of white Portland stone for the front elevation differentiates the bank from the neighbouring brick-built premises, enlivening the character of the streetscape
* The carefully thought-out design seeks to unify the architectural and decorative scheme throughout the building through the echoing of certain motifs, such as shields, festoons, and geometric patterns
* The largely intact interior retains the original layout with a walk-in safe located where it is visible from the banking hall and adjacent to the manager's office, and a large first-floor board room
* The interior has a high-quality decorative scheme, which includes plasterwork to the fluted pilasters, frieze and coffered ceiling of the banking hall, mosaic flooring on the ground floor, wooden panelling, wooden staircase with tiled dado, coloured and textured glass to the stair window, and unusual hooded stone chimneypiece to the board room.
