40 High Street, Royal Bank of Scotland, Banff
Description: 40 High Street, Royal Bank of Scotland
Category: B
Date Listed: 15 March 1995
Historic Scotland Building ID: 22034
OS Grid Coordinates: 368890, 864009
Latitude/Longitude: 57.6649, -2.5231
Location: Old Castlegate, Banff, Aberdeenshire AB45 1DY
Locality: Banff
County: Aberdeenshire
Country: Scotland
Postcode: AB45 1DY
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Listing Text
James McCallum, 1937. Scottish 17th century details. Asymmetrical 2-storey, 5-bay bank with return 3-bay gable to Strait Path. Varied materials; deep black polished granite basecourse below tooled ashlar sandstone 1st floor with some coursed rubble; elsewhere harled with generous use of tooled and polished ashlar dressings. Slightly advanced outer bays, at right with main bank entrance, at left with doorway to legal offices above bank. Moulded doorpieces to both entrances with carved crest of National Commercial Bank above main bank
entrance, which has flanking side lights. Irregular fenestration in
3 centre ground floor bays; bipartite in 1st floor above bank entrance. 3 ground and 2 1st floor windows in return gable to Straight Path. Margined glazing in ground floor windows; 8-pane upper lights; 1st floor windows with long and short margins, 8-pane upper lights and single pane lower lights to sash and case windows.
Pronounced moulded cornice between ground and 1st floors of right advanced bay continuing along Straight Path gable. Steeply pitched Cornish brown/grey slate roof with wallhead, ridge and mid-roof stacks 5 carved 17th and early 18th century monogrammed pediments and armorials re-set in S return gable. These from the house of Thomas Ogilvy formerly occupying site.
INTERIOR: all joinery and interior finishing woodwork by Scott Morton, Tynecastle Works, Edinburgh; plaster work by A Finnie and Co, Edinburgh. Large banking hall absorbs greater part of ground floor, lit by windows E, W and N. Uninterrupted ceiling span is supported by hexagonal polished wooden columns (all banking hall woodwork in Honduras mahogany); original panelled banking counter with small carved panels depicting hunting, shooting and fishing; original bronzed railings to counter (tellers' booths), the stiffeners with small Scottish lion and saltire finials. Deep moulded foliated plaster ceiling frieze; panelled dato; moulded doorpiece to interior face of main entrance door.
MANAGER'S OFFICE: panelled dado, dated (1937) chimneypiece and panelled cupboards, all Austrian oak.
1ST FLOOR OFFICES: panelled dadoes, doors and original chimneypieces executed in Columbian pine.
References:
A E Mahood, BANFF AND DISTRICT (1919), pp 39, 83. BANFFSHIRE JOURNAL, July 27, 1937. Further information by courtesy Archives Section, Royal Bank of Scotland, Edinburgh.
Notes:
Originally National Commercial Bank; the legal offices accommodated in 1st floor constructed for Alex Brodie, then agent for Commercial Bank and Town Clerk, and his son and partner, E A Brodie. Built on site of 17th century house of Thomas Ogilvy, later the town house of Baird of Auchmedden.
Bank designed by James McCallum, Architect and Master of Works, Commercial Bank of Scotland. Unusual survival of 2 double 1937 customers' desks (with matching chairs) in banking hall: these still used by clients.
NB. Photographer's shop facing High Street and flanked by Old Castle Gate and Castle Street, also numbered 40 High Street.
Source: Historic Scotland
Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence: PSI Click-use licence number C2008002006.