11-80-70 Shrewsbury Cattle Market

Spurred on by the success of its farming finance policy in the North of England - where it has a large number of sub-Branches situated at Auction Marts – Martins Bank starts to add similar outlets at Cattle Markets in the South and West. A sub-Branch is opened at Shrewsbury’s Harlescott Cattle Market in 1959. It is quite common at this time for newly built cattle markets to set aside a small number of rented retail units for use by banks.

In Service: 1959 until May 1969

Image © Barclays Ref 0033-0503

Further examples of this kind of arrangement can be found on our pages for ULVERSTON AUCTION MART and at TAUNTON CATTLE MARKET, where the Branch is sited next door to the Westminster Bank. Below (right) we have another view of Shrewsbury Cattle Market sub-Branch which shows Lloyds Bank next door. Most of Martins’ cattle market branches open for perhaps one or two days a week, and even then only for a few hours - this usually coincides with specific trading days. Shrewsbury however, opens five full banking days a week, which suggests an altogether larger set-up than the Bank is normally used to. Sadly however, this sub-Branch is closed down in the months leading up to the merger with Barclays, who already have their own banking unit at the Cattle Market…