39 Welsh Row, Nantwich
Encyclopedia
39 Welsh Row is a Victorian
former savings bank
, in Jacobean Revival
style, in Nantwich
, Cheshire
, England. It stands on the south side of Welsh Row at the junction with St Anne's Lane (at ). Dating from 1846, it is listed at grade II. Nikolaus Pevsner
describes number 39 as "the first noteworthy building" on Welsh Row, which he considers "the best street of Nantwich". The street has many listed buildings and is known for its mixture of architectural styles, including timber-framed
black-and-white cottages such as the Wilbraham's
and Widows' Almshouses
, Georgian
town houses such as Townwell House
and number 83
, and Victorian buildings such as the former Grammar School, Primitive Methodist Chapel
and Tollemache Almshouses
.
39 Welsh Row is one of three banks in the town dating from the Victorian era which are listed buildings; the others are the former District Bank
, designed by Alfred Waterhouse
, and Barclays Bank
, designed by Thomas Bower
, both of which are on Churchyard Side. Number 39 is currently used as offices.
. Savings bank
s were intended to assist the poor to save money for periods of hardship, and most deposits at that date were relatively modest, with nearly half no more than £20 (around £1,500 today), and only seven above £200 (£15,600 today). In 1850, it opened only twice monthly, on the first and third Monday of the month. It was then one of two banks in the town, the other being a branch of the Manchester and Liverpool District Bank
on the High Street. By 1874, the bank was open weekly, on Mondays between 11 and 1.
The Savings Bank was still at Welsh Row in 1914; however, by 1930 it had amalgamated with the Chester & Wrexham District Savings Bank and moved to 29 High Street. In the early 20th century the building was in a dilapidated condition. By 1971, 39 Welsh Row was used as offices for Pearl Assurance.
style, set back from the street behind railings. In red brick under a slate roof, it has decorative blue-brick diapering
and stone dressings on the Welsh Row (front) face. The central bay of the front face projects slightly and has a prominent shaped gable
, finished with a stone coping
and three triangular finial
s; the gable contains a circular stone moulding, formerly a clock face, and a stone plaque inscribed "Savings Bank erected A.D. MDCCCXLVI". The central bay has a canted bay window
surmounted by a stone balustrade with foliage decoration and cross-shaped openings. The flanking bays each have a single window, and all three windows to the front face have stone mullion
s and transoms
and hexagonal-latticed lights.
The main entrance is in a gabled porch attached to the St Anne's Lane (left) face; the doorway, reached by a short flight of stone steps, is undecorated and has a stone top. The sides of the Welsh Row face and the edges of the central bay have decorative stone quoin
s. The gable ends and the porch gable have stone corbel
s and coping, and are finished with triangular finials matching those on the central shaped gable.
.
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
former savings bank
Savings bank
A savings bank is a financial institution whose primary purpose is accepting savings deposits. It may also perform some other functions.In Europe, savings banks originated in the 19th or sometimes even the 18th century. Their original objective was to provide easily accessible savings products to...
, in Jacobean Revival
Jacobethan
Jacobethan is the style designation coined in 1933 by John Betjeman to describe the mixed national Renaissance revival style that was made popular in England from the late 1820s, which derived most of its inspiration and its repertory from the English Renaissance , with elements of Elizabethan and...
style, in Nantwich
Nantwich
Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The town gives its name to the parliamentary constituency of Crewe and Nantwich...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England. It stands on the south side of Welsh Row at the junction with St Anne's Lane (at ). Dating from 1846, it is listed at grade II. Nikolaus Pevsner
Nikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
describes number 39 as "the first noteworthy building" on Welsh Row, which he considers "the best street of Nantwich". The street has many listed buildings and is known for its mixture of architectural styles, including timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
black-and-white cottages such as the Wilbraham's
Wilbraham's Almshouses, Nantwich
The Wilbraham's Almshouses, also known as the Wilbraham Almshouses, are six former almshouses in Nantwich, Cheshire, England, located on the north side of Welsh Row at numbers 112–116 . Founded by Sir Roger Wilbraham in 1613, they were the town's earliest almshouses. They remained in use as...
and Widows' Almshouses
Widows' Almshouses, Nantwich
The Widows' Almshouses, also known as the Wilbraham or Wilbraham's Almshouses and as the Widows' Hospital, are former almshouses for six widows in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. They are located at numbers 26–30 on the north side of Welsh Row, on the junction with Second Wood Street...
, Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
town houses such as Townwell House
Townwell House, Nantwich
Townwell House is an Early Georgian town house in Nantwich, Cheshire, England, located at number 52 on the north side of Welsh Row . It dates from 1740, and is listed at grade II*; in the listing, English Heritage describes the building as "important" and highlights its "good central...
and number 83
83 Welsh Row, Nantwich
83 Welsh Row is a Georgian town house in Nantwich, Cheshire, England, dating from the late 18th century, located on the south side of Welsh Row . It is currently used as offices...
, and Victorian buildings such as the former Grammar School, Primitive Methodist Chapel
Primitive Methodist Chapel, Nantwich
The Primitive Methodist Chapel is a former Primitive Methodist church on Welsh Row in Nantwich, Cheshire, England . Built in 1840, it is listed at grade II. The chapel closed in 2001, and the building has been partially converted to residential use....
and Tollemache Almshouses
Tollemache Almshouses
The Tollemache Almshouses, also known as the Wilbraham Almshouses or Wilbraham's Almshouses, are six former almshouses in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. They are in two blocks of three cottages each, located on the north side of Welsh Row at numbers 118–128...
.
39 Welsh Row is one of three banks in the town dating from the Victorian era which are listed buildings; the others are the former District Bank
1–3 Churchyard Side, Nantwich
1–3 Churchyard Side is a grade-II-listed Victorian Gothic building in Nantwich, Cheshire, England, located on the corner of Churchyard Side and Pepper Street , opposite St Mary's Church...
, designed by Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse
Alfred Waterhouse was a British architect, particularly associated with the Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. He is perhaps best known for his design for the Natural History Museum in London, and Manchester Town Hall, although he also built a wide variety of other buildings throughout the...
, and Barclays Bank
11 Churchyard Side, Nantwich
11 Churchyard Side is a Victorian bank in Gothic Revival style, in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. It stands on the town square, opposite the parish church . Dating from 1876, the bank was designed by local architect Thomas Bower as a branch of the Midland Bank, and later became a branch of Barclays...
, designed by Thomas Bower
Thomas Bower
Thomas Bower was an English architect and surveyor based in Nantwich, Cheshire. He worked in partnership with Ernest H. Edleston at the Nantwich firm, Bower & Edleston, which he founded in 1854. He is particularly associated with the Gothic Revival style of architecture.In 1883, Bower was living...
, both of which are on Churchyard Side. Number 39 is currently used as offices.
History
The Savings Bank was built in 1846, and cost an estimated £970. Two earlier independent banks had been established in the town, but had proved short-lived, failing in 1816 and 1826. By 20 November 1848, the Savings Bank had 1079 deposits, of which 1064 were private, nine were from charitable societies and six from friendly societiesFriendly society
A friendly society is a mutual association for insurance, pensions or savings and loan-like purposes, or cooperative banking. It is a mutual organization or benefit society composed of a body of people who join together for a common financial or social purpose...
. Savings bank
Savings bank
A savings bank is a financial institution whose primary purpose is accepting savings deposits. It may also perform some other functions.In Europe, savings banks originated in the 19th or sometimes even the 18th century. Their original objective was to provide easily accessible savings products to...
s were intended to assist the poor to save money for periods of hardship, and most deposits at that date were relatively modest, with nearly half no more than £20 (around £1,500 today), and only seven above £200 (£15,600 today). In 1850, it opened only twice monthly, on the first and third Monday of the month. It was then one of two banks in the town, the other being a branch of the Manchester and Liverpool District Bank
District Bank
District Bank was a British retail bank which operated in England and Wales from 1829 until its merger into the National Westminster Bank in 1970; it remains a registered company but is dormant...
on the High Street. By 1874, the bank was open weekly, on Mondays between 11 and 1.
The Savings Bank was still at Welsh Row in 1914; however, by 1930 it had amalgamated with the Chester & Wrexham District Savings Bank and moved to 29 High Street. In the early 20th century the building was in a dilapidated condition. By 1971, 39 Welsh Row was used as offices for Pearl Assurance.
Description
The former bank is a detached single-storey building in Jacobean RevivalJacobethan
Jacobethan is the style designation coined in 1933 by John Betjeman to describe the mixed national Renaissance revival style that was made popular in England from the late 1820s, which derived most of its inspiration and its repertory from the English Renaissance , with elements of Elizabethan and...
style, set back from the street behind railings. In red brick under a slate roof, it has decorative blue-brick diapering
Diapering
Diaper is any of a wide range of decorative patterns used in a variety of works of art, such as stained glass, heraldic shields, architecture, silverwork etc. Its chief use is in the enlivening of plain surfaces.-Etymology:...
and stone dressings on the Welsh Row (front) face. The central bay of the front face projects slightly and has a prominent shaped gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
, finished with a stone coping
Coping (architecture)
Coping , consists of the capping or covering of a wall.A splayed or wedge coping slopes in a single direction; a saddle coping slopes to either side of a central high point....
and three triangular finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
s; the gable contains a circular stone moulding, formerly a clock face, and a stone plaque inscribed "Savings Bank erected A.D. MDCCCXLVI". The central bay has a canted bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
surmounted by a stone balustrade with foliage decoration and cross-shaped openings. The flanking bays each have a single window, and all three windows to the front face have stone mullion
Mullion
A mullion is a vertical structural element which divides adjacent window units. The primary purpose of the mullion is as a structural support to an arch or lintel above the window opening. Its secondary purpose may be as a rigid support to the glazing of the window...
s and transoms
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
and hexagonal-latticed lights.
The main entrance is in a gabled porch attached to the St Anne's Lane (left) face; the doorway, reached by a short flight of stone steps, is undecorated and has a stone top. The sides of the Welsh Row face and the edges of the central bay have decorative stone quoin
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
s. The gable ends and the porch gable have stone corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
s and coping, and are finished with triangular finials matching those on the central shaped gable.
Modern use
As of 2010, the building is used as the offices of a recruitment agencyEmployment agency
An employment agency is an organization which matches employers to employees. In all developed countries there is a publicly funded employment agency and multiple private businesses which also act as employment agencies.-Public employment agencies:...
.
Sources
- Bavington G et al. Nantwich, Worleston & Wybunbury: A Portrait in Old Picture Postcards (Brampton Publications; 1987) (ISBN 0-9511469-6-3)
- Hall J. A History of the Town and Parish of Nantwich, or Wich Malbank, in the County Palatine of Chester (2nd edn) (E. J. Morten; 1972) (ISBN 0-901598-24-0)
- Pevsner N, Hubbard E. The Buildings of England: Cheshire (Penguin Books; 1971) (ISBN 0-14-071042-6)
- Simpson R. Crewe and Nantwich: A Pictorial History (Phillimore; 1991) (ISBN 0-85033-724-0)
- Stevenson PJ. Nantwich: A Brief History and Guide (1994)
- Vaughan D. Nantwich: It Was Like This (Nantwich Museum; 1987)