Martins Bank, Hall Place

What became Barclays Bank was originally built by Martins Bank which was taken over by Barclays in 1969. Like many buildings on the west side of Hall Place, the site had been bombed during the war in an air raid in May 1941. As well as the bank, the building also provided offices for Royal Insurance and a "Bra Bar" for Pennington's which connected through to their main store that was in the building now occupied by Boots.

Spalding Guardian Friday 28 June 1957

SPALDING TO HAVE NEW BANK

Martins Bank Ltd are to open a branch at Spalding in the near future. This was confirmed on Friday by Mr. J. Taylor, premises manager at the area office of Martins Bank Ltd. Birmingham. 

Mr. Taylor told a reporter: "We propose to open a branch at Spalding in the near future. There is no date yet, as we are still formulating plans.

"We have bought the property at 10 Hall Place, and propose to develop the site as banking offices and to provide a shop.

The property at 10 Hall Place is a single-storey building which was built by Penningtons after their premises were destroyed during the war.
 
The property has not been in use for some time.

Spalding Guardian Friday 25 September 1959

SPALDINGS MODERN BANK

Stately new premises add dignity and prestige to the town centre

AS WE ENTER this the twentieth year since the beginning of the second world war yet one more of Spalding's comparatively minor war scars has been eradicated, and In its place a modern and beautiful building has sprung up.

For the place where Martins Bank now stands was formerly the site of a private house and shop belonging to Penningtons Ltd. which were destroyed by enemy action in the last war.

But the new building houses not only a bank. It means a new and much expanded lease of life for the Royal Globe Insurance Group, who hitherto were established in the rather cramped space of Hall Place Chambers.

It also means another shop for Messrs. Penningtons who are leasing part of the building as a lingerie salon.

Expansion

While the bank and Penningtons shop occupy the ground floor, the Royal Globe Insurance group are in possession of the top two floors.

 
For them means an expansion in their present staff from two to 20. They are in fact to become a branch in their own right.

 
In the past Martins Bank have had no representation in Spalding. and the erection of these new premises is following the Bank's Policy of opening new in important places It is their second branch In Lincolnshire. The other is at Lincoln.

 
Spalding has indeed come a long way since the dark days of the last war.

 
The new building is a re-inforced concrete framed structure, supported on a reinforced concrete raft which spans over the old and extensive cellars which were part of the original site.

 
At the front, the building is carried up three floors, whilst that at the rear is single storey, in order to provide natural daylight to the rear of the ground floor premises by means of "ferro" concrete and glass roof lights.

 
The front and sides of the framework are clad on the first and second floors with artificial stone and aluminium windows with panels of green Westmorland slate.

 
The lower portion of the front facade is divided into two with the Bank front on the one side and a shop and entrance to the offices of the Insurance company on the other.

These ground floor premises have a common fascia constructed in Roman stone with a framework in black Bon-Accord marble, which is repeated in the stall riser beneath the Bank window.

The windows

The windows are all in aluminium and this finish is repeated In the door furniture and other fittings.

The nlght safe front, is specially finished to match. The building's rear elevation is covered with "Stamford" facing bricks and has aluminium and metal windows. All windows with few exceptions are double glazed to preserve heat. They also have the effect of minimising sound from the outside.

 
In harmony

In architectural character the building is modern in conception to be in harmony with adjoining properties, the facade on the first and second floor being virtually divided to facilitate the positioning of partitions to the offices, but at the same time giving a maximum amount of natural light to these rooms.

 
Internally the design of the bank echoes the modern conception of the exterior and has been simply planned on spacious lines to allow for future expansion.

 
The banking hall runs the full depth of the property and occupies a frontage of about 25 feet. A portion of this area has been partitioned off for the managers room.

 
A spokesman for the architects, Messrs. Ruddle and Wilkinson of Spalding and Peterborough, said that work commenced in late November 1958 and continued throughout the winter.

Contractors

 
The contractors, William Moss and Sons Ltd., of Loughborough worked to a very strict time table, and despite the fact that an additional storey was added due to the Royal Insurance Company wanting additional office accommodation, and this meant the complete redesigning of the whole project, work was never interrupted and was finished in accordance with the original schedule.

 
The main entrance doors to the bank are 2 ½  inch thick solid teak. The banking hall is partially panelled in mahogany, and the counters—with tops in solid teak—have panelled fronts of specially selected and matched figured panels

All the panelling has been done by the famous firm of shop fitters and furnishers, Messrs. Waring and Glllow. The manager's office is panelled in elm.

Heating throughout the building is electrical by way of the floors and was by Messrs. L. Adlington & Sons.

Decorations were by Messrs. B. &. T. Lynch. Nothing has been missed in the design of this building.

A car park, which has been provided at the rear, is a field in which many Spalding firm's could follow in an effort to cut down parking congestion in the town.

During the past year or so branches of Martins bank have been opened at Salisbury. Oswestry. Kingston - upon - Thames. Colchester. Rochester, Truro, Stra ford-upon-Avon, Banbury Selby, Swansea. in the London area and at Leicester, where their first drive-in branch was opened in March.

Martins Bank commenced business as the Bank of Liverpool in 1831, and has grown by a process of amalgamation, absorption and the opening of new branches into an institution which today operates over 600 branches throughout England, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

Enormous

 
The amalgamation of the Bank of Liverpool with the old private bank known as Martin's Bank. which has operated under the Sign of the Grasshopper, at 68 Lombard - street. London. E.C 3 since 1583, took place in 1918.

 
With the amalgamation the Bank of Liverpool acquired a chain of useful branches in West Kent. and the business has expanded enormously since then.

 
The bank has also kept well in the forefront of modern developments by the establishment of certain specialised departments for dealing with foreign business and trustee business.

 
The highly skilled and complicated business of financing exports and imports to and from all parts of the world occupies the attention of trained stall in Overseas branches in Liverpool. Manchester and London.

Expansion

 
The Bank's trustee department has been in operation since 1908, and has grown to such an extent that separate departments have had to be set up in London, Liverpool. Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Kendal.

In addition to acting as executor and trustee under a will, the activities of these departments include acting as trustees for marriage settlements, trustees for public charitable and other institutions, as well as the administration of Trusts of other highly specialised kinds.

The Royal's long association with Spalding

PENNINGTONS MAKE STILL MORE PROGRESS