'Britain's most beautiful bank' opposite Royal Courts of Justice could be turned into a giant Wetherspoon pub

The building was converted into a branch of Lloyds bank in 1895
Maggie Jones
Tom Powell27 May 2018

A historic building on the Strand previously dubbed ‘Britain’s most beautiful bank’ could be turned into a Wetherspoon pub.

The pub giant has submitted an application to take over the large premises located directly opposite the Royal Courts of Justice.

While previously occupied by Lloyds Bank, the branch gained a reputation for its ornate interior, intricately carved pillars and elegant fountain.

Amateur photographers flocked to the central London bank, at No. 222 Strand, which became known as the most beautiful in the country.

The branch developed a reputation as "Britain's most beautiful bank' before it was closed in 2017
Maggie Jones

The branch was closed last year as part of Lloyds’ national overhaul of its services.

But it could now be brought back to life as the latest pub in the Wetherspoon portfolio – which includes more than 900 premises across the UK.

Wetherspoon has a history of reviving architectural gems as pubs
Maggie Jones

Plans submitted to Westminster Council show the firm wants to convert the ground floor and basement into a new pub.

In the application, Wetherspoon highlighted its previous successes around the country in reviving abandoned architectural gems such as cinemas and opera houses.

Diagrams submitted show the chain plans to place dozens of tables and chairs on the ground floor and mezzanine, along with several cosy alcoves.

Westminster’s planners are now considering the conversion, with no date set yet for a decision.

The inside of the building is filled with ornate decorations, mirrors and a fountain
Maggie Jones

In the 17th century, the site was occupied by the Palsgrave Head Tavern, a favourite drinking spot of poet and playwright Ben Johnson.

It was demolished in 1883 to make way for a restaurant for the Royal Courts of Justice, which had been completed a year earlier.

The premises was originally built as a restaurant for the Royal Courts of Justice
Maggie Jones

The restaurant, designed by Guymour Cuthbert and William Wimble, closed after just three years and remained empty until 1895 – when it was converted into a Lloyds branch.

It is claimed that the original dining room was ventilated by a pair of bellows, powered by two women riding a tandem bicycle.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in