Old Bank
Former bank premises, now converted to flats; designed in 1885 and built in about 1886 by J and J S Edmeston for the London and South West Bank Ltd.
Red brick and buff terracotta in a baronial style, a rectangular comer building of two narrow bays to front and three and half bays to side, three storeys and attic. Ground-floor entirely clad in buff terracotta with projecting base, falling with slope of Friendly Street to side. Pilaster strips ascend to first floor, where form arcade with voussoirs set into a plain band in the manner of a Gibbs surround. Broad sill band under second floor, from which sprout bartizans. Heavily-modelled modillion cornice below parapet, gable and dormers. Single gable to Lewisham Way with pair of dormers to Friendly Street, all with inverted volutes and much ornamentation in the Serlian manner. Smaller dormer behind parapet with hipped slate roof and iron cresting. Terracotta copings to gables and dormers, whilst the bartizans are finished with terracotta spirelets. All windows are casements with mullions and transoms set in terracotta architrave surrounds with banded decoration. Projecting terracotta porch with ornamented pediment, and frieze bearing epitet 'BANK', supported on extended openwork consoles. Second floor has 'BANK BUILDINGS' inscribed into cut-brick cartouche. Area railings to Friendly Street.
The cache
Black film canister. Hip height. Mind the drivers stopped because of the traffic lights.
This place came to my mind, because of it's beauty. And also because a few days ago just saw a nice post of it on social media. The post was about London oddities! Yes, this old Bank building is quite odd. Isn't it?
Let me know what you think of it on your logs.
You must bring a pencil or ballpoint pen to sign the logbook.
Be discreet in removing and replacing the cache.
After signing, you are asked to place the logbook inside the bag.
Carefully close the container.
Place the cache exactly where you found it.
Please comply with the guidelines, thus helping to ensure cache longevity.
I hope you enjoyed visiting this place.
Continuation of "Happy Hunts"!