# Pares Bank, Leicester



## Goldie87 (Mar 16, 2010)

This fine grade 2 listed building was built 1900-1902. By S. Perkin Pick, principal architect of Everard & Pick of Leicester, for Pares' Bank. Sculpture was by CJ Allen, and plasterwork by GP Bankart. It had an extension dating from 1950 to the rear, but this was demolished around 2007. It was during later years a natwest, however they moved out many years ago now. Sometime later builders moved in, and the place was briefly in the news when one of the workers got trapped in the vault. After stripping some areas of the bank the company went bust, and the place has stood pretty much untouched since. I was very surprised how huge the place was, with endless rooms, stairways, corridors, and basements. A real shame a load of it had been stripped, but a great explore anyway  Visited with MD







Exterior





Main banking hall today





Taken from EH website, main banking hall before the builders moved in





Managers office





Nice window





A small section of the vaults, the various doors lay in a heap on the right





Corridor in upstairs offices





Office, note thickness of floor!





All of the offices had nice ceilings, which had been covered over in the past





Toilets all lined with marble





MD climbs above the dome





Rainwater hopper





Roof


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## Foxylady (Mar 16, 2010)

That's a helluva nice building with some lovely details remaining. Love the main banking hall. 
Before going bust, what were the company converting it into, do you know? It's got great potential, I reckon.
Cheers, Goldie. Fabulous find.


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## Goldie87 (Mar 16, 2010)

Foxylady said:


> That's a helluva nice building with some lovely details remaining. Love the main banking hall.
> Before going bust, what were the company converting it into, do you know? It's got great potential, I reckon.
> Cheers, Goldie. Fabulous find.



Not sure what they were going to convert it into actually. There were a lot of plans and papers around from the work, but didn't look at them closely  Will have to try and find out.


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## killergibbo (Mar 17, 2010)

nice visit mate looking the pictures mainly the second one with the yellow squared arch


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## Mr Sam (Mar 18, 2010)

ahhhh it makes sence now!!

this the one with the working bell on the outside?


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## Goldie87 (Mar 18, 2010)

Mr Sam said:


> ahhhh it makes sence now!!
> 
> this the one with the working bell on the outside?



lol nope its not the one with the bell, but I do want to get in that one too!


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## Artypie (Mar 18, 2010)

I used to go in there a lot because my first husband banked with Natwest. I was always impressed (by the building, not the husband).


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## MD (Mar 19, 2010)

coolio here are some of mine 










note the zodiac signs in the roof 




















the worlds biggest fungus thingy the other side of the wall was even bigger!





the gold vault





chubb safes 





in the main entrance






the steel work holding the dome was amazing 





stained glass 




more on my flickr..


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## Goldie87 (Mar 19, 2010)

Nice pics mate


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