11-35-30 Ravensthorpe

Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank

Nowadays, a bank sub-branch requires only a small amount of space, this was even so to a certain extent in the late sixties – a good example is Martins Bank’s sub-Branch at CATON near Lancaster, where the old saying “no room to swing a cat” is brought to mind Some buildings seem however, to be far too large and ornate for the purpose of extending local banking facilities, and a good example of this is the former Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank sub-Branch at Ravensthorpe. Seen here in the 1960s, (and below in the days of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank) Ravensthorpe is under the control of its parent branch at Dewsbury, managed by Mr B C Lee.

In Service: 1908 until 1 August 1990

1922 Ravensthorpe Branch Exterior as L & Y Bank PA.jpg

Image © Barclays Ref 0030-2283

You do wonder how much business is conducted in such a large space as this, nevertheless it must have felt quite grand to pay in sixpence at the counter! The Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank contributes branches in many key areas across both counties and beyond, and it is acknowledged that its merger with the Bank of Liverpool and Martins creates a Bank strong enough to stay independent and out of London. This remains so for more than forty years after the merger. Following the NEXT merger, this time of Martins with Barclays in 1969, Ravensthorpe lasts a further twenty-one years, closing in 1990. We were delighted to acquire this illustration of the branch new building at Ravensthorpe which comes from a 1908 edition of The Building News. There are no plans with the image, and the Lancashire and Yorkshire Bank refers to the new building simply as “Branch Bank at Ravensthorpe Yorks”.

1959 03 MBM.jpg Not much is written about Ravensthorpe, or indeed about many of Martins’ sub-Branches, but when Martins Bank Magazine visits Dewsbury in 1959, it does find the time to pop in to Ravensthorpe, and provide this very short paragraph:

On our way to lunch at The Three Nuns outside Mirfield we called in at the sub branch at Ravensthorpe to meet once again David Lockwood who came on the Bank Party to Carinthia last year, and P. D. Bruce whom we met at the last Festival of Cricket. The sub branch rather belies its name, for it is a sizeable office which looks every bit as good as many a full branch.