In one corner of the Butts area of central Rochdale there is a cluster of three very different buildings.  The largest, seen above, was originally a family home built around 1800.  In its original form it was constructed of bricks and featured a central doorway with an elaborate door casing.  In 1819 the private bank of John, William & Christopher Rawson moved into the house and conducted their business from an annex.  Thomas Lawson, the bank manager lived in the house with his family.  In 1872 the business was sold to Clement Royds, a member of the wealthy and influential wool manufacturing Royds family of Falinge.  Royds sold the bank to Williams Deacon and Manchester & Salford Bank in 1881.  In 1913-14 the house was converted into a bank and the brick facade was replaced with a classical design faced in Portland stone.  The central door was replaced with a semi-circular portica.



To the immediate left of the house is a narrow two-storey staircase block with the elaborate door case that used to be on the house.  Further to the left is a single-storey building in the Greek Revival Style.  Above the door you can see a relief panel reading BANK.

The image below was taken circa 2002 at which time the building was a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland.