Lloyds Bank, Lowther Street

Lloyds Bank is located at No. 6, Lowther Street, Carlisle. The building dates from 1840. It was originally an Athenaeum with a lecture theatre, museum, library, exhibition and concert rooms. The building, designed by Arthur and George Williams of Liverpool, built for subscribers, opened on the 28th April 1840. Carlisle Mechanics' Institute, established 1824 in Castle Street, moved to the new building in 1840 and remained here until 1850, when the Institute moved to Fisher Street. The interior of the Athenaeum was remodelled to become and extension for the adjacent General Post Office, which opened in January 1874. Later the building became part of the Gretna Tavern in 1916, and was the first State Managed public house in Carlisle. The front part of the building was converted by JH Martindale for use as a branch of the Carlisle Savings Bank, which opened in July 1929 (Carlisle Savings Bank had been established in February 1818, originally opening in the Town Hall. In 1971 the bank was renamed the Cumbrian Trustee Savings Bank. Then, following the Trustee Saving Bank (TSB) Act of 1976, the bank was subsumed into the new regional structure of TSBs to form part of the TSB of Lancashire & Cumbria). The interior of the building was entirely gutted in 1988. The building currently hosts Lloyds Bank (the TSB merged with Lloyds Bank in 1995). No. 6, Lowther Street (including the entrance to Gretna Hall) is Grade II* listed on the National Heritage List for England.