2 St John Street

▪ Grade II listed

▪ Built in the 18th century

▪ Distinctive curved corner

▪ First half 19th century it was a saddler and boot maker’s

▪ From mid-1860s – mid-1900’s it was a draper’s

▪ From 1909 to early 1920s it was a boot maker’s

▪ From 1925, for almost 100 years, it was a bank

▪ Since 2020, it has been the Bank cocktail bar and bistro

Number 2 is on the south side of the street at its western end on the corner with Dig Street.

The Building

The Grade II listed building is 18^th century constructed from red brick with a distinctive curved corner including the roof eaves and cornice. It has a tiled roof and is three stories high with five sash windows (on first and second floors), two facing each street and one on the corner. The glazing is late 19^th century and the lintels above the windows are trapezoidal in shape and are painted. The ground floor is stone faced with modern reproduction Georgian windows.

The History of its Occupation and Use

The earliest full census of 1841 identifies the occupant as Samuel Johnson who wasa saddler, boot and shoe maker. Based upon the commercial directories, he may have been living there from at least 1821 and until at least 1855. From the late 1850s to the early 1860s, Rupert Spooner, saddler & harness maker, was the occupant. From the mid-1860s until 1895, the Smith family (first John and then son William) ran their draper’s business from the premises and after that were succeeded by another draper, Charles Herbert Coates (see advertisements below).

By 1908, Cash & Co, boot makers had taken over the premises as the photograph below shows (right middle).

By 1925 the building became a bank, at first named Williams Deacon’s, then in 1970 Williams & Glyn’s, and then in 1985 Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).The Ashbourne RBS branch closed in 2019 and the The Bank cocktail bar & bistro opened in 2020.

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