Monument record 5702 - Bank House, Runcorn

<1> English Heritage/DCMS, Various, Notification of decision not to include on the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, Brady R, 31/05/2011 (Written Communication). SCH5393.

Constructed in c.1830/40 as the residence of John Johnson junior, a local soap manufacturer, and was originally known as Bank House. Bank House's gardens were originally located to the west side of the property, but have since been largely lost to development. An original detached section of the service range to the far rear of the property (possibly stables) was demolished after 1937, and what appear to be two glasshouses depicted on an Ordnance Survey map were demolished by the by 1896. Bank House was used as a solicitor's office after it had ceased to be used as a residence, and was known as Bank Chambers. It became the main Post Office for Runcorn during the early-mid twentieth century, and was later converted into a public house and nightclub around 1990.

It is a substantial L-shaped building of two-storeys plus basement consisting of a main square-shaped range to the front (north) with a long rear wing. The front range is constructed of local red sandstone, whilst the rear wing has sandstone facings to the original garden (west) elevation, but is of brick with sandstone dressings to the east and south elevations. The front range's shallow roof is hidden from view by a decorative balustraded parapet, and that to the rear wing is hidden by a plain parapet. The main front (north) elevation has an entrance portico in the centre which incorporates Ionic columns and a parapet depicting carved wreath reliefs and has panelled double doors set within a partly glazed surround.

The side returns of the front range have large arched alcoves/statue niches to the ground floor with blind windows above. Some original openings towards the rear of the east elevation have been blocked up and later ones inserted, and a fire escape has been constructed up to a first floor opening. The rear wing's former garden (west) elevation now overlooks a paved courtyard area; a further small raised garden area to the south of the building was originally the location of glasshouses. Windows are a mixture of original 8-over-8 sashes, and later casements and fixed pane windows. Some of the windows are blind and some are later insertions and there are two altered doorways. The rear wing's east elevation has blocked-up and altered window openings (those to the ground floor have wedge lintels) with replaced glazing. The south end elevation also has a blocked-up window and an altered doorway that was originally internal and accessed a small rear projection.

Internally the building has undergone extensive alteration with very few surviving original features. All the building's fireplaces have been removed, along with all the doors and most of the original flooring. The vast basement covers the entire footprint of the building and is accessed via a stone stair to the rear left of the rear wing (the underside of a second stair at the northern end of the rear wing is visible in the basement, but access has been blocked-up). It consists of a series of rooms linked by corridors with a mixture of stone flag and later concrete floors. Some of the spaces are vaulted. A number of cast-iron splat balusters, which could possibly have originally formed part of the main stair, are stored in one of the rooms.

<2> Hartwell C, Hyde M, Hubbard E & Pevsner N, 2011, The Buildings of England: Cheshire (2011 revision), p.563 (Book). SCH7059.

Formerly the Post Office, but now a bar. It probably dates from the mid-nineteenth century. Built for John Johnson, a soap and alkali manufacturer.