Some “gap-filling” in the London Area further consolidates Martins’ position as a NATIONAL bank, especially when daring to have your Head Office outside London is seen as something of an act of defiance. Martins does of course boast the oldest banking service in the country, which started in London on the site of 68 lombard Street Office back in 1563. Garrick Street, which opens for business in 1955 is also known as “Covent Garden” branch, because of its close proximity to same, and in similar fashion, the Bank’s Branch at Bruton Street is more often than not referred to as Berkeley Square Branch.

In service: 1955 – 30 September 1971

Image © Martins Bank Archive Collection

Not long after the opening of Garrick Street, Martins Bank Magazine pays a visit to see what the new branch is like, and as usual to pick up on the “human” aspect of setting up another arm of the business…

In a publication of this nature we are concerned with people rather than with bricks and mortar and we do not select branches to visit because of their architectural interest alone. We have recently decided, however, in view of the fact that the new branches are of great interest to our readers, to feature each one as it is opened and to catch up on as many of the recently opened ones as possible. It has to be admitted, therefore, that many of the new buildings are architecturally interesting and no visit would be complete which did not attempt to inform readers of current developments in bank architecture.

Branch Interior Images © Barclays Ref 30/1043

Many of our branch buildings are very much out of date and, while representative of the period in which they were built, it would be quite wrong to perpetuate their style in our new buildings. Each generation owes it to posterity to keep up with its own times and to make its legacy the best possible example of the period in which it lived. As will be seen in the photographs the elevation of our Garrick Street branch is in the form of a grille composed of sculptured, closely-set vertical rods set against the glazing, the whole within a white marble inner mount and a black granite outer frame. A sculptured relief in bronze by Geoffrey Clarke, illustrating by cryptograms the activities of Covent Garden Market, traverses the whole elevation. Some might think it looks rather forbidding and overpowering but it is certainly unique so far as our new buildings are concerned. Inside, the walls are panelled with Indian silver-grey wood panelling, and doors have the same veneer.

A suspended acoustic ceiling masks the beams supporting the first floor. A series of attractive paintings, illustrative of the various facets of activity in Covent Garden — fruit selling, flower selling, printing, and so on, adorn the walls of the customers' space. The artist is Sally Holliday, a third-year student of the Graphic Design School at the Royal College of Art.

A picture by Sir Hugh Casson, the architect of the building, hangs on the wall of the manager's room.We visited the branch on May 25th and were surprised to see what a busy little place it has become in such a short time. Mr. C. J. Carpenter, the Manager, is enjoying his new branch in spite of the necessity of putting in the much longer hours which a new branch demands. He entered the Bank in 1925 and his previous service has been at 68 Lombard Street, Fenchurch Street, London District Office, Kingsway and since 1948 at Tothill Street as Pro Manager. His second-in-command is Mr. N. G. Willis who commenced his service in 1940 at Southampton and came to London in 1949 to District Office. Number three is Mr. J. E. Seabrook who forsook the Civil Service for the banking profession, as also did Mr. M. J. Handford, who is at present attached to the branch. The only girl is Miss P. A. Hollis, a young lady whose work is of a high standard. She entered the Bank at Garrick Street last year. Because of its situation the customers are widely representative of different countries and classes, and we were pleased to entertain Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter at the Arts Theatre Club, which is quite a good way of getting a bit of the atmosphere of Covent Garden.

As Martins Bank Magazine has decided that Garrick Street Branch is a building “of Architectural Interest”, is it fitting publicity for the Bank that in 1955, the trade magazine Architectural Review chooses to publish a feature about it and amongst other things, we are treated to a photograph of Geoffrey Clarke’s bronze relief depicting the activities of Covent Garden. The article features a number of interior photographs, and there is a superb image of the exterior, which is shown above, and replaces the very grainy picture originally featured in Martins Bank Magazine’s branch visit.

The Manager’s Office

Image © Martins Bank Archive Collection

The basement and ground floor of 23, Garrick Street have been converted to make a branch office of Martins Bank, consisting of banking hall with clerks’ and cashiers’ working space, manager’s office with ante-room, strong room, cloakroom with cleaner’s store, and a boiler room. The wooden stair serving basement, ground and first floors, which was on the west side of the plan facing the front entrance, was taken out and a reinforced concrete one, in two straight flights between the half landings, inserted in its place between ground and basement only, together with a bullion hoist. The public entrance was carried across to the east side, leading straight into the banking hall, from which the manager’s office is approached through a waiting area. The ground-to-basement flight of a second stairway at the rear has been sealed off, the remainder now affording sole access to the upper floors. A reinforced concrete floor replaced the previous wood floor, and the wall piers were cut back and replaced by new piers and concrete underpinning.

Customer Waiting Area

Image © Martins Bank Archive Collection

The stair-well is trimmed off by a 9-inch brick wall, supporting a trimmer for the first floor. Otherwise all internal partitions are breeze. The only other structural alteration was the removal of an intermediate stanchion in the main ground floor elevation, to give a clear span: twin reinforced steel joists were put in, supported on existing but strengthened piers. The elevation is in the form of a grille composed of sculptured, closely-set vertical rods set against the glazing, the whole within a white marble inner ‘mount’ and a black granite outer frame, which carries the lettering above. A sculptured relief in bronze by Geoffrey Clarke, illustrating by cryptograms the activities of Covent Garden Market, traverses the whole elevation. The irregularities of the internal wall faces were masked by 1-inch ply Indian silver-grey wood panelling; the flush doors have same veneer. A suspended acoustic ceiling masks the beams supporting the first floor. Door linings, recess trims and built-in furniture are in Honduras mahogany. The banking hall floor is white cork carpet. A plinth of the same material in black protects the wall panelling. Heating convectors, served by a gas-fired boiler in the basement, are set within panelling and furniture. Beside suspended fluorescent lighting for the cashiers and a desk light fitting for each clerk, the hall is lighted by tungsten fittings shining on the ceiling

Front Elevation showing Geoffrey Clarke Sculpture

Image © Martins Bank Archive Collection

Front Elevation showing Geoffrey Clarke Sculpture

Image © Martins Bank Archive Collection

(Some images are the copyright of Architectural Review).

Mr J L Hollands Joined the Bank Here 1955 to 1955	Mr N G Willis On the Staff 1955 to 1959	Mr C J Carpenter Manager 1955 to 1962	Miss P A Hollis Joined the Bank Here 1955	Mr N P Bray On the Staff 1956	Mr D G Harris Manager 1962 to 1965
Irene Wheatley Cashier 1965	Mr D J Hill Manager 1965

Title:

Type:

Address:

Index Number and District:

Hours:

Telephone:

Services:

Manager:

11-92-30 London Garrick Street

Full Branch

23 Garrick St London WC2

470 London

Mon to Fri 1000-1500

Saturday 0900-1500

01 240 3361/2

Nightsafe Installed

Mr D J Hill Manager

Garrick Street is included in Martins’ London Account Number Allocation, where Branches due for automation are given “significant digits” to identify them by account numbers issued at the London Computer Centre. The Branch Customer Accounts will be identified by the significant digits 24.

1955

15 December 1969

30 September 1971

Opened by Martins Bank Limited

Barclays Bank Limited 20-33-44 Garrick Street

Closed