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NO TRIALS AT 62 CASTLE STREET

November 19, 2013 By Steven Horton

The boutique hotel that is 62 Castle Street may be situated in what was the Trials Hotel, but there has never been any court cases or police presence in the building, which was actually used for banking for 120 years.

The Grade II listed building at the corner of Castle Street and James Street was built in 1868 for the Alliance Bank. The architects were Lucy and Littler, who designed a building consisting of a great mass of stone, enriched with carved pilasters, cornices, balustrades, swags and rusticated arches. Prows of ships projected from the spandrels of the second floor windows. In the basement was Child’s Chop House, billed as the ‘coolest room in town’ and describing itself as a ‘restaurant, wine and smoking rooms’

Daily Post 8th September 1869

Daily Post 8th September 1869

Within just a few years The Alliance Bank was in financial difficulties and in 1871 the Liverpool branch was sold to the National Bank. They merged operations with another branch locally, but the domed banking hall was an ideal place for the relocation of the North and South Wales Bank, who had outgrown their premises in what is now the Castle Moat House building in James Street. Although the vast majority of the bank’s 80+ branches were in spread out around Welsh towns and villages, shareholders agreed that a Liverpool branch should still conduct business as the city was seen as the commercial metropolis of North Wales.

At its peak over 300 staff were based at the bank, which was managed in the 1880s by Mr R. Meredith Jones. Amongst the shareholders were eminent local gentlemen Thomas Brocklebank (a shipowner) and Sir James Allanson Picton (historian and politician). In August 1889 an employee of the Castle Street branch was a hero whilst visiting Barmouth on business. Mr R. E. Parry showed complete disregard for his own safety when he went into the sea to rescue a woman who had been swept away by waves, safely bringing her back to the shore. There were occasions though when employees complained of being paid less than at other banks and in 1893 clerk Henry Hobbs was arrested when he tried to cash a forged cheque for £17 at St John’s Market.

By the early 20th Century the North and South Wales Bank was in trouble and was eventually taken over by the Midland Bank in 1908, which meant an end to the issuing of banknotes in Wales. The Midland remained there until the early 1980s when they moved to the other end of Castle Street, occupying a building on the corner with Dale Street.

Local businessman Wayne Rose, aged just 23, took over the building in 1986 and converted it into a four star, twenty bedroomed hotel, bar and restaurant. The name ‘Trials’ was chosen as the city’s new law courts had opened on the other side of Derby Square in 1984. It remained one of the city’s poshest bars and hotels for 18 years then in 2004 was bought by Centre Island Hotels, who refurbished it into luxury boutique accommodation whilst retaining the Victorian architectural features and renaming it 62 Castle Street.

Photo by Stephen Richards

62 Castle Street – Photo by Stephen Richards

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Finance Tagged With: Alliance Bank, banks, Castle Street, hotels, Midland Bank, North and South Wales Bank, Trials

About Steven Horton

I am a local history author and tour guide based the Liverpool region, specialising in bespoke tours tailor made to suit the individual or group. Whether it be football, Victorian murders or Liverpool sites connected to the US Civil War, I can arrange something that will suit the customers needs, not go where I want to take people.
I have published seventeen books, all of which are available via the shop page. As well as writing for the Liverpool Echo and Times, I have made guest appearances on local radio and TV. Local history is a real passion of mine, if you enjoy my site please feel free to share through facebook, twitter etc and maybe leave a comment.

Comments

  1. Peter Malone says

    October 15, 2016 at 12:35 pm

    I enjoyed reading your article about Castle Moat House – very interesting.
    What inspired me to delve was the Radio Merseyside Paul Salt Saturday Breakfast program . He introduces Andy Ball & Stephen Guy at 06:53 in “Paths of Time”.

    I pause the program & the Google whatever interesting Building they talk about & then return to what they have to say. Hence I came across your interesting article.

    Have you produced any CD’s . Liverpudlians living abroad often ask me to purchase them in order to have an interesting evening with friend whilst indulging in a bit of nostalgia
    regards Peter Malone

    • Steven Horton says

      October 16, 2016 at 8:15 pm

      Hi Peter thanks for your comments, I often listen to Stephen Guy on a Saturday morning myself. I’ve not done any DVDs but have published some ebooks on Amazon, if you search Steven Horton they will some up.

ABOUT

Steven Horton has been a freelance writer for 20+ years. He is the author of 7 books has written for the Times, Liverpool Echo, numerous fanzines and websites, and also appeared on Radio Merseyside/City Talk, ITV News and Sky Sports News. ..read more

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