39 High Street
The Misses Noake ran a highly regarded elementary and finishing school here from 1859, which moved to Bellevue House perhaps as early as 1862. The building then became the private residence of Mrs Harriet Price. The Wilts & Dorset Bank moved into the building from next door in 1867 and Lloyds Bank took over in 1914 – when six employees worked in the building including the manager, a Mr Taylor. They built the present building with its elegant banking hall and neo-classical plaster decoration in 1923, by which time there were 15 employees. The date ‘1925’ can still be seen on the downpipes running from the gutters down the side of the building.
Lloyds Bank has been on this site since 1914 and remains to this day. This photo taken by Frederick Drew sometime before 1923, shows its earlier façade.
