Lloyds TSB Bank, including Lloyds Bank Chambers, Caernarfon, Gwynedd

History

Built in the early C20 and first shown on the 1918 Ordnance Survey.

Exterior

An Edwardian Freestyle bank, terracotta facing on a polished granite plinth, and slate roof behind parapets, with ashlar stacks enriched by corbelled pilasters. 3 storeyed. It has 3 bays to Turf Square, a partly splayed corner bay incorporating the main entrance, and a 4-bay elevation to Eastgate Street which incorporates the entrance to Lloyds Bank Chambers. The corner bay is splayed in the lower storey. The doorway has an elaborate surround with attached Ionic columns, a projecting, coffered round arch on foliage-enriched consoles with small pediments. The tympanum is framed by alternate stressed voussoirs and prominent keystone, and has bold stylised scallop decoration in high relief. The door, in a polished granite surround, is replaced. Above the doorway is a 2-storey oriel projecting on a massive sculpted eagle corbel. The oriel has 2-pane sash windows in both storeys, framed by Tuscan colonnettes on polygonal bases in the middle storey, and on panelled bases in the upper storey. Above is a polygonal domed roof which has a raised central cupola enriched with lions in relief below concave pediments, and with apex finial.

The 3-bay Turf Square (E) elevation is near symmetrical, with a narrower central bay. The lower-storey windows are recessed between pilasters which are panelled in the lower half beneath pediments, and fluted above with Ionic capitals. The round arched outer windows have moulded surrounds, and alternate stressed voussoirs. 3-light, with smaller panes above a dentilled transom. The wooden mullions incorporate panels and fluting and have Ionic capitals. The central bay has a single-light window with glazing bars. Above the windows is a blank entablature with dentilled cornice, which is continued to the Eastgate Street elevation. Similar bay structure to upper floors, articulated by pilaster strips terminating in ball and finials on the parapet.

First floor has has a pair of 2-pane sash windows to the left flanking an Ionic pedestal on which a sculpted winged beast carries a broad and shallow triangular upper-storey oriel window with sash of 2 over a single-pane. The gabled parapet has an attached diagonal shaft with finial. The central bay has a 2-pane sash window in the middle storey and in the upper storey a sash window of 2 over a single pane. The R-hand bay has a shallow, slightly recessed 2-storey oriel window corbelled out with anthemion enrichment. In the middle storey it has 2-pane sashes with Ionic colonnettes rusticated in the lower half. The upper storey has 2 over 1-pane sash windows with Tuscan colonnettes. The gabled parapet has an attached square shaft with finial.

The Eastgate Street elevation similarly enriched; balanced asymmetry of paired central bays flanked by narrower bays; these central bays have round-arched lower windows as before, and paired tripartite windows with colunettes, and string course forming segmental pediment. Similar windows to first floor, beneath level cornice, and gables with central shaft and finial as before. Right-hand bay has cambered arched window to ground floor, and expressed chimney in upper floors: this incorporates aedicule around carved beehive at first floor level. The left-hand bay is slightly set back, comprises the entrance and stair to Lloyds Bank Chambers, and is treated slightly differently. Rusticated ground floor with entablature enscribed by relief. The entablature has 'Lloyds Bank Chambers' in relief. The surround frames a segmental-headed doorway and narrow segmental window to its L incorporating a letter box, framed by attached Ionic half columns. The doorway has double fielded-panel doors incorporating upper glazed panels. Above the doorway are stair windows that project slightly and are set at a different level to the remaining windows in the elevation. They comprise a cross window in an architrave with cornice on deep foliage-enriched consoles to the lower landing, then a round-headed window in a keyed architrave, which has pilasters with Ionic capitals to impost level, then pedimented fluted pilasters above to a cornice continuous with the upper-storey sill band of the bays further R. Beneath the eaves is a smaller paired window with Tuscan colonnette and scrolled sides, below a deep cornice and pyramidal stone roof with pinnacle.

The L gable end to Eastgate Street is of brick with stone bands, and has a former external stack reduced beneath the eaves. The gable is coped, with apex finial. The R gable end of the Bridge Street elevation is also brick with stone bands in the upper storeys, above a rendered lower storey where former attached building has been taken down.

Interior

The banking hall has a bracketed ceiling cornice and panelled cross beam.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a flamboyant freestyle commercial building exploiting its prominent location with eye-catching detail and distinctive terracotta, and for its contribution to the historic townscape of Eastgate Street, Bangor Street and Bridge Street, which retains a distinctive commercial character.

External Links

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