Built to Last: Barclays Bank

Being an island steeped in history, we have more than our fair share of iconic buildings, many of which are on the Registered Buildings register.

Whilst there are over 250 buildings currently entered on the register, building registration is a continuous process.

The register exists to preserve and protect buildings and structures identified as having special architectural or historical interest (or to stop developers from carrying out works to their property, it depends on your POV really).

Unless of course said building gets de-registered, like the Palace Lido when it was decided it needed to be demolished.

In our new series looking at the register, we are going to be looking at the history of buildings that appear in the news, or occasionally just those that take our fancy. To start with this week, we look at the Barclays Bank building in Castletown.

Added to the register in 1984, the soon to be former Barclays Bank was added due to its architectural or historic importance.

Having previously been a customs house and market hall, it has always played a prominent role in town life.

The building was seemingly first used as a bank in the early 1930s when Martins Bank, which was later taken over by Barclays, moved from The Parade to Market Square.

Branch Images © Barclays Ref 0030-0575

When the building was registered, the façade treatment applied to its visible elevations was labelled as ‘strange’ while the windows and door on the front were said to give it a ‘squat proportion’.

However, what was noted is that the bank, which admittedly not having looked at it, I’d missed, was given the look of a parapet, paying more than slight lip service to the adjacent castle which was once the highest court in the island.

In recommending it for approval to the list, the planning committee said: ‘There is no doubt that the building enjoys a prominent location of civic importance.

‘Moreover as the old Custom House and Market Hall, there are clear historic overtones to the building itself.

‘It is not known however whether the original building suffered from such a paucity of architectural resolution. At risk of seeming biased it is felt that the building represented as strong a statement of indecision as is unfortunately possible on so a distinguished site.’

Upon the news breaking of the bank closing, chairman of the Castletown Town Commissioners Jamie Horton noted the historic use as a market hall and said that there is ‘nothing to suggest that the building cannot serve the community in another form for many years to come’.

One thing I did omit, but I am including now, is that of course this building is owned by MNH.

Whatever becomes of the building, it certainly won’t be a bank anymore, bringing to an end about 90 years of this chapter of its history.

Admittedly this was a tad dry to start our new series with, next week we have a plan to really wet your whistle as we explore the history of the island’s oldest pub.