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Lancashire &
Yorkshire Bank - Spring Gardens
This creation of Charles Heathcote is described by
Pevsner as "Free Renaissance .... the first two
storeys rusticated with a window grid recessed
between rusticated piers." and adds "A
tall Baroque turret gives emphasis to the
principal entrance bay." Inside was a "huge and
splendid banking hall with twin saucer domes,
polished granite columns and marble lined walls."  The published history of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank has an account of the opening of this building in December of 1889 as reported in "The City News". " The opening
of the new Head Offices of The Lancashire and
Yorkshire Bank marks an important epoch in the
history of a prosperous business concern.
Established seventeen years ago the Bank has shown
steady and continuous progress from that time till
now. The old Head Offices in King Street, have for
some years past been far too small for the
convenient carrying on of the business, and so the
strikingly handsome building in Spring Gardens, at
the head of and looking down King Street, has been
provided. Business began there on Monday last.
.... 
.... Everything
about the place is good and substantial and
pleasing to the eye. The Banking Chamber has a
remarkably fine appearance. It is lighted by two
domes with stained glass of floral design. The
domes rest on columns of red granite and the walls
are lined with jasper and Pavonazza marbles, all
giving a rich glow of colour to the interior. The
fittings are of fumigated oak and the waiting and
other rooms have high quaint oak panels. Bullion
and other strong rooms, clerks' general room,
dining hall, etc. are in the basement and the
banking chamber contains the usual hydraulic
lifts. ... 
.... The
building occupies a commanding site, and there
will be a still better view when the Improvements
Committee of the Corporation are in a position to
widen King Street opposite the Reform Club. The
front is in the style of the Italian Renaissance,
treated with a certain boldness of freedom. As the
light is completely free from interference, and
not affected by any neighbouring property,
advantage was taken to obtain some broad effects
in light and shade. Messrs. Broome, Murray &
Co., Chartered Accountants, occupy all the upper
portion of the new building. The principal entrance to the Bank is at the northern end of the front under a lofty tower, and there is another entrance for the public in Concert Lane. ....
..... The whole
of the ground floor is taken up by the Bank.
Messrs. Heathcote & Rawle, Architects,
Manchester, designed all the work, fittings and
furniture, and everything was carried out under
their superintendence.”
In more recent times
the building has been home to a restaurant &
bar. The image below was taken when it was
known as The Establishment.
 The present occupant is a restaurant and bar called "Rosso"  The published history of the
Lancashire & Yorkshire Bank explains that, "...
In 1880 the Directors secured for the future
use of the Bank the site at the head of King
Street, Manchester, occupied by the building
of the old Bridgewater Club. 'On
this site it is intended on the termination of
the lease to erect a Bank of ample size, and
in a position second to none in the city. In
the meantime it is an agreeable feature of the
purchase- that the property is yielding to the
Bank a fair investment rate of interest.'
The site occupied by the old Club is, more correctly, in that part of the city known as Spring Gardens. Obviously a misnomer now, it must originally have been a very suitable name for the locality. The site of the Bank was actually a rookery one hundred years ago. The issue of the "Manchester Guardian," which appeared on May 5th, 1821, contained the following note : "During the last two months some interest has been excited in this town by the establishment of a colony of rooks in the trees in a small garden at the top of King Street, belonging to Mrs. Halls. One pair of these birds made their appearance at the end of February and, after cautiously surveying the place, began to construct a nest with branches which they dexterously broke from the trees. They were speedily followed by a single bird (apparently a female) which, alone and unaided, built a nest in another tree; but when it was nearly completed, apparently not liking her situation, she demolished it and erected another immediately under the first comers. After a short interval another pair appeared and constructed a habitation, chiefly with materials purloined from the other nests. Indeed all the members of this sable republic appear to have very loose notions of meum and tuum (mine & thine), and evince as much dexterity in appropriating the effects of their neighbours as any of the worthies who have adorned the annals of the New Bailey. The poor widowed female has been particularly exposed to de-pradation: no sooner did she quit her nest to search for food, than the last comers fell to work (in which they were assisted by a number of Jackdaws) and on her return, she has more than once found her little dwelling reduced almost to its foundations. These thefts, and the frequent contests which they produce, have for sometime furnished a constant fund of amusement to the bystanders. The nest first built now contains four young ones, nearly fledged, and the owners of the last are engaged in incubation: but the poor female remains in all the misery of singleness, scarcely daring to leave her house, lest it should be demolished before her return. Food has been placed for these birds in the garden but they have never ventured to descend to it, nor have they been observed to alight on the adjacent buildings. It is difficult to conceive why they should select a situation apparently so ineligible, and so incompatible with their usual shy and cautious habits as the centre of a large town ; but we hope that they will not be molested, and that they will have no cause to repent the confidence they have thus reposed in mankind.” As one looks out of the doorway of No.43 today it is difficult to visualise the time when gardens actually bloomed in " Spring Gardens." Close Window |
