Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

SCOTTS PLACE, VICTORIA HALLS WITH BOUNDARY WALL, GATEPIERS, RAILINGS AND FOUNTAINLB43811

Status: Designated

Documents

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Summary

Category
B
Date Added
11/12/1996
Local Authority
Scottish Borders
Planning Authority
Scottish Borders
Burgh
Selkirk
NGR
NT 47185 28755
Coordinates
347185, 628755

Description

Hippolyte J Blanc, 1895 with later additions (including in 1975, kitchen at ground of NE; addition at ground of NW, 1991) and alterations. 2-storey with attic 3-bay classical public halls; used and designed as theatre/ hall. Red sandstone- squared and snecked with polished ashlar dressings to SE and also to SE end of side elevations; harled with red sandstone polished ashlar dressings to NW end of side elevations; modern addition to NW. Base course; moulded string course between ground and 1st floor; entablature at wallhead above 1st floor with dentilled cornice and Baroque balustrading to parapet; pilaster quoins to SE.

SE (HIGH STREET) ELEVATION: pedimented bay to centre slightly advanced with full-height Ionic pilasters. Open-pedimented portico at ground with Ionic columns on pedestals; 2-leaf panelled and pilaster- ornamented deep-set door with semicircular radial fanlight above; keystone to round-arched doorway; Selkirk Coat-of-Arms carved to pediment, above doorway; Venetian window at 1st floor above; oculus tympanum. Window at ground of each flanking bay; paired windows at 1st floor above with dividing Ionic engaged column and flanking pilasters supporting entablature.

SW ELEVATION: 9-bay grouped 3-4-2. 3-bay and 4-bay groups each harled with red sandstone dressings. 4-bay group to centre slightly set back from outer bay groups with segmental-arched tall window to each bay, with keystone, except round keystoned window to outer left with single storey addition at ground with deep-set 2-leaf panelled door. Platformed 3-bay group to outer left, continuation of advanced addition at ground of outer left bay of 4-bay group; window to each bay near wallhead. Red sandstone squared and snecked ashlar with polished ashlar dressings to 2-bay group to outer right with flush long and short quoins and tails to openings. Advanced pedimented bay to left with 2-leaf panelled door at ground to right with corniced doorpiece; small window to left; paired window at 1st floor above, as to SE elevation. 2 windows at ground of bay to right; Venetian window at 1st floor above, as to centre of SE elevation with polished ashlar to entablature. Full-height tower in re-entrant angle with window to SE and SW at ground; small window to 2nd stage; polished ashlar to 3rd stage, above entablature with small window to SE, SW and S.

12-pane timber sash and case windows at ground of SE elevation and to 3-bay group to SW. 10-pane windows to paired windows at 1st floor of SE and to flanking lights of Venetian windows. 8-pane timber sash and case windows at ground of bay to outer right and to ground of tower of SW. 24-pane timber sash and case windows to 4-bay group to SW. U-plan steep-pitched slate piended roof to SE; slate roof with raised ashlar coped skews to hall (4-bay group to SW); slightly ogeed slate roof to tower to SW with cast-iron weathervane. Ashlar coped shouldered wallhead stack about outer bay to right of SW and outer bay to left of NE elevations.

INTERIOR: good classical decorative scheme surviving. 2-leaf vestibule door with panelled lower and glazed upper with semicircular radial fanlight above. Panelled hall with dentilled cornice; egg and dart plasterwork; mosaic bordered floor; ornamental cast-iron radiators; plaque commemorating the opening of the building by the Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry on 6th May 1897; glazed and panelled partition between hall and principal hall. PRINCIPAL HALL: parquet floor; boarded dado; cornice at spring-point of coving; further cornice and broad entablature to central broad panelled and ribbed coved ceiling. Ribs of ceiling supported by pilasters, corbelled at dado rail. Balcony to SW with panelled front, bust of Queen Victoria to centre; supported on composite-capitalled plaster columns; raked original seating. Later proscenium arch and raked stage to NW (paid for by the Association of Selkirk Clubs and Societies, soon after building of building). Stone steps to NE and SW with wrought-iron balustrade and timber handrail to banister. SECOND HALL: boarded dado. compartmentalised ceiling with dentilled, egg and dart plasterwork. Boarded floor. ATTIC: used and designed as caretaker?s flat.

BOUNDARY WALL, GATEPIERS AND RAILINGS: bull-faced sandstone with moulded coping. Wrought-iron railings. Square-plan rendered piers with ball finials.

FOUNTAIN: (see Notes). Val d'Osne Foundry, France. Sculptor, Hubert Lavigne. Curvilinear ashlar coped pond to SW of hall; painted cast-iron fountain and bowls surmounted by draped figure with grape-laden casket-cum-spout.

Statement of Special Interest

The site used by this building was formerly part of Viewfield's garden and also was partly owned by a Mr Maben (see separate listing of Viewfield). The name was chosen to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. The building was constructed by a local building firm called Linton, with money raised by local subscription. The fountain was formerly part of the Philiphaugh estate and was donated to the halls garden soon after its construction. The single storey addition, comprising kitchen, bar and lavatories to NE was added in 1975. The addition to the rear (NW) was added in 1991 and make up the dressing rooms for performers. Blanc designed a similar but more boldly Renaissance building in 1892, originally a church but which converted well to public halls/theatre, namely the Churchill Theatre, Edinburgh.

Reference and information about fountain updated December 2011.

References

Bibliography

C A Strang BORDERS AND BERWICK (1994). Appears on 3rd edition OS map (1897). J M Gilbert (ed) FLOWER OF THE FOREST - SELKIRK: A NEW HISTORY (1985), p143.

www.fontesart.org/ressources-documentaires/bibliographie/catalogues-en-lin/1207-visionnez-lalbum-du-val-dosne-nd2 (accessed 24-10-11) image 204, plate 55A.

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

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Printed: 29/03/2024 12:00