[Gone]

Visited with OneByOne...

Both the separate ‘Bank of Liverpool’ and ‘Martins Bank ‘ had merged into one to become the ‘Bank of Liverpool and Martins Ltd’ but was then shortened to ‘Martins Bank’ in 1928. The bank was then bought by Barclays Bank in 1969 when all of the Martins Banks nationwide became branches of Barclays.

Completed in 1932 the grade II listed Martins Bank Building was styled from Ancient Greece/Roman art & culture and designed by Herbert James Rowse and has been described as one of the best classical interwar buildings in the country. The bank was first used as a banking establishment by Benjamin and Arthur Heywood who became wealthy from the slave trade and set up ‘Haywood’s Bank’ to push others to do as well as they had. Through the slave trade this building was one of the best built in Liverpool.

The architect Herbert James Rowse had also designed the India Buildings, Queensway Tunnel and the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.
The bank was used to store a large amount of England’s gold in the second world war, In 1967 was the first bank in the north of England with a cash machine but also the first English bank to have its head office outside of London.

After just stumbling across this place it didn’t turn out to bad, After a failed attempt at the roof through one access point we explored the building some more eventually finding the roof.

Once out on the roof, According to OneByOne I scared the sh*t out of a grey haired office worker nearly falling out of her chair as I popped up over the edge...

Pictures;


‘Martins Bank Building’


Outer


Conference Room


Fire Place


Neoclassical


OneByOne


The Liver Building


Inside


Town Hall


Cheers for that OneByOne.


Rooftops


Panoramic

Thanks for Looking, Gone...