Norwich city centre Santander to get refurbishment.

A bid has been submitted to City Hall to rebuild a bank branch in the city centre in order to ensure its future.

Santander plans to carefully restore its Orford Hill branch to prevent “further degradation or eventual collapse of parts of the property.”

The repairs are necessary for the building’s preservation and will involve window maintenance, damp proofing, re-plastering and a fresh coat of paint.

The Bell Hotel also has a Wetherspoons. The location is grade II listed as part of the Bell Hotel and is in the city centre conservation area, so the bank must be careful not to drastically alter the building’s appearance or character. The specifications clarify:

“Due to its listing as a grade II listed building for its special architectural / historic interest, it is important that the repair works proposed are carried out in a sensitive manner to prevent further degradation or eventual collapse of parts of the property and also to allow Santander employees to operate comfortably and Santander customers visiting the branch.”

Norwich City Council will now review the plans. The Bell Hotel The Bell Hotel in Orford Hill is one of the oldest buildings in the UK to hold a Wetherspoon bar, dating back to the fifteenth century.

It is supposed to have been established in 1485 as one of the city’s most important coaching inns, where horse-drawn carriages could be changed.

The Bell Hotel, as viewed from Red Lion Street on July 26, 1971. (Image: Archant.)

It has been known as the Bell Hotel or Blue Bell since at least 1696. During World War II, the upper floor was converted into a dormitory for the American Women’s Army Air Corps.

The city centre pub, in the shadow of Norwich Castle, was closed in 2017 for a £2.35 million renovation.

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