NHER 22427 (Building record) - Bank House, King's Staithe Square

Bank House, King's Staithe Square.

December 1951. Listed Grade II*.

Mid 18th century red brick. Two storeys and attic, also three storeys in part. L-shaped. Seven windows with two storeyed canted bays at front, two windows on west wing; all sashes. Rusticated pedimented doorway. Central roof level niche with statue of Charles I as Martyr, under Baroque broken pediment with urn. Two attic dormers, timber dentilled cornice, tiled roof. Single storey wing to south, 18th century, yellow brick. Three bays at side faced in ashlar with full height Ionic pilasters with round headed window between. Pediment at end with segmental headed doorway, fanlight and Ionic pilasters. One panelled room at front with moulded plaster ceiling.
Information from 1981 Listing Description (S1).
E. Rose (NAU), 8 April 1986. Information from record card (S2).
Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 12 April 2023.

Architect's plans (S3) and press cuttings (S4) and (S5) in file.

Revised 1993 listing (S1) adds that the statue came in 1685 from the Custom House of 1630. The houses stand on the site of the 16th century port tollbooth. House built between 1680 and 1725. Listed Grade II*.
The counting house wing in Ionic style of 1782 was listed Grade II in 1951 - this is now recorded as NHER 66852.
A late 18th-century wall and railings and a 19th-century lamp standard in front of Bank House were separately listed Grade II in 1993, these are now recorded as NHER 66853.
E. Rose (NLA), 24 February 1999. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 12 April 2023.

1993 Listing (S1) also notes that the north façade and front of adjacent wing are 19th century refacings; this is correct and the join of the facing can be seen on the end wall above the counting house. The upper floors were damaged by fire in 1992 and little original remains but the Baroque panelling and doors on the first floor survive, though rearranged. Wonderful barrel vaulted cellars of the original 1720s building survive, with curving tunnel running towards Mustard Mill, all floored in brick.
[1] confirms port tollbooth was on site of counting house but queries whether the statue did come from the old custom house; for discussion of this see NHER 12918.
E. Rose (NLA), 31 October 2003.

See further detailed notes (S6) in file giving the history of the site and building and pointing out that the date of 1685 for the moving of the statue comes from the original Pevsner; his source is unknown.
E. Rose (NLA), 1 December 2003.

[2] states that the statue was originally erected on a house that faced west by a mason called Thomas Parks. Said to be visible on Bell's view
of Lynn from the west. Presumably later moved to face east, and then to Bank House by Fysh when he owned both properties.
Details via [1].
Compiled by E Rose 14 June 2005. Information from file notes (S7).
P. Watkins (HES), 12 April 2023.

May 2008.
Proposed change of use from offices to a restaurant, insertion of new door opening in west façade and conversion of part of the existing cellars to customer toilets.
See (S8) for further information.
H. White (NLA) 25 November 2008

(S5) notes that In 1618 a Tarr House and Warehouse on this site were mentioned in a will. In 1689 a mariner, Thomas Lemon, was recorded at Bank House. The ownership of Bank House between 1700 and 1745 has not been established. In 1737 Thomas Preston described King's Staithe Square with a statue of Charles I on buildings. Between 1745 and 1769 the house is occupied by James Fysh and the west wing is thought to have been built around 1750, with the bay windows added around 1765. In 1781 the property is leased to John Birkbeck. In 1782 Gurney's Bank opened in Bank House and in 1788 Gurney's Bank leased and demolished the tollbooth and rebuilds it as a Counting House. In 1869 Gurney's Bank vacated this building and moved to the former Hogge House, later Barclay's Bank.
Information from (S5).
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 22 November 2018.

Excerpt of current Listing Description:
"House, then hotel, now offices. Early 18th century. Shown on Rastrick's 1725 plan but Bell shows clear site c.1680. North façade re-worked early 19th century with two full-height canted window bays. Red brick with plain tiled roofs. North front of two storeys and dormer attic Central panelled door within stuccoed Gibbsian rusticated surround...Gabled roof carrying two hipped dormers with sashes between which is a tall stuccoed niche on scrolled consoles. Niche is framed by pilaster strips and a round arch and surmounted by a broken swan-necked pediment. In niche is a statue of Charles I, resited 1685 from former Custom House of 1630 [NHER 5479]. Internal gable end stack to east and a compound stack to west gable is shared by the three-storey wing returning north. This wing is illuminated through sashes with glazing bars and gauged skewback arches and is an early 19th-century front. Parapet conceals two hipped roofs. West elevation has large patches of English bond brickwork, is in three storeys and presents four hipped roofs to view...One stack left of centre and another immediately behind. Interior: Very extensive brick cellars are barrel-vaulted. They are entered from north-east room under a heavy bressumer. This room with large but plain bridging beams. Ground floor east room with large-frame 18th-century panelling and a shouldered and eared picture frame in the overmantel. Reeded strips separate sashes in the window bay. Ceiling in large geometric panels. The room immediately above has similar panelling. Early 19th-century staircase: open string, stick balusters, ramped and wreathed handrail. Captain Samuel Gurney Cresswell, the Arctic Explorer, was born here (1827-1867). The house was built on the former site of the 16th-century Port Tollbooth."
Information from (S1).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S1) for the full listing details.
P. Watkins (HES), 11 April 2023.