Details
NEWHAVEN
TQ4401SE HIGH STREET
769-1/8/12 (South side)
No.5
National Westminster Bank, railings,
wall, gatepiers and lamp overthrow
GV II
Bank building. Circa 1900. Wrenaissance style. Ashlar ground
floor, banded in 2 colours, upper stories wide banded brick in
2 shades of red, moulded brick surrounds to third floor
windows and panels, stone dressings, deep overhanging wooden
eaves with dentil cornice, steeply pitched mansard slate roof,
large brick stacks with stone copings. L-plan; on the shorter
north facade the land slopes away so the plin this continued
as a short length of wall with gatepiers forming a tiny
triangular forecourt. Three storeys plus attic, with basement
on the north front. West front 3 bays; attic 12-pane sash
windows rising from eaves, 6-light sash windows, stone swags
between; four 12-light sash windows below; ground floor 2 C20
wooden mullioned and transomed windows to left of entrance,
segmental-headed pediments to all ground floor openings,
central open pediment with coat-of-arms, door with serpentine
head, 4-panel door, fanlight. Left return: 1:1 bays, entrance
left in unlit wall, full-height canted bay right lit on each
face, attic windows on each face, upper storey of bay 6-light
sash window, stone garlands on outer faces, tall narrow
3-light windows below, ground floor segmental-headed window;
entrance with segmental-head, 8-panel door, sidelight with
decorative wrought-iron, similar to basement lights, flight of
6 steps with wrought-iron railings swept back.
Wall: a continuation of the plinth in banded stone, square
gatepiers with lamp overthrow, lamp missing.
Interior: banking hall encased, possibly gutted, with
suspended ceiling possibly concealing original work. Built for
the London and County Bank whose coat-of-arms are displayed on
the exterior. This handsome and imposing building reflects
Newhaven's importance as a port at the end of the C19 when, in
revenue terms, it was the sixth largest in the country.
Listing NGR: TQ4455001452
