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Summary

Description

John Melvin and Sons, 1877; basement and ground floor altered 1903-4 and wing heightened 1907 by James Thomson; alterations 1923 possibly by John A W Lamb (see Notes). Single and 2-storey with basement, 5-bay bank converted to municipal building and hotel, in irregular terrace. Painted ashlar and roughly coursed rubble with ashlar margins and quoin strips. Raised base course, deep frieze and eaves cornice. Decorative doorpiece; architraved, corniced and keystoned openings to NW.

NW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical at ground. Basement with blocked openings. Ramp access with ironwork balusters from both sides leading to centre bay at ground with keystoned round headed door in corniced, pilastered and decoratively-consoled doorpiece; deep-set 2-leaf panelled timber door and semicircular plate glass fanlight, windows in flanking bays, those to right possibly altered above cornice. 3 windows to left of centre at 1st floor with stone pediments breaking eaves; 2 single storey bays to right with dominant wallhead stack and steeply-pitched piended roof.

NE ELEVATION: asymmetrically-fenestrated elevation with windows grouped to centre and left, and 2 wallhead stacks.

12-pane glazing pattern to upper sashes over plate glass lower in timber sash and case windows to NE, plate glass glazing elsewhere. Grey slates. Banded, coped ashlar stacks with square cans, that to NW with decorative detail (remains of balustrade?). Cast-iron square-section downpipes with decorative rainwater hoppers.

INTERIOR: decorative plasterwork cornices, architraved doors, dado rails, panelled timber shutters. 2 rooms to single storey wing with altered (walk-through) opening to concave-bowed walls at centre, broad flanking doors with pilasters, carved frieze and cornice; fine plasterwork frieze with medallions depicting various animals and trades to front room, walk-in safe to rear room. Timber dog-leg staircase with decorative cast-iron balusters and timber handrail; small timber-balustered stair to attic. Basement (possibly earlier) with stone staircase with panelled walls and timber handrail, some decorative plasterwork, moulded fire surround with border-carved overmantel and stone urinals.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATEPIER: brick boundary wall to rear. Coped square-section ashlar gatepier.

Statement of Special Interest

Formerly the Clydesdale Bank, the building was converted to a hotel, subsequently used as Burgh Chambers some time during the mid 20th century and converted back to hotel premises during the late 1990s. Currently (2003) unoccupied. The owner has been told that the rear extension, probably that indicated in the 1923 drawings, was oak-panelled. The new Clydesdale Bank in Market Street was opened in 1904, and this date coincides with 1903 and 1904 Dean of Guild warrants for James Clark. The 1923 Dean of Guild entry is a proposed reconstruction for Mrs Jeffrey, by an Edinburgh architect, possibly A W Lamb (the signature is unclear) at 3 Thistle Court. Clearly this did not take place, but some of the intended demolition to 'Hall, Ante Room and Lounge' at the rear of the building appear to have been completed. These same drawings indicate the layout of the rooms which remain, the back-to-back bowed room being sitting and dining rooms with a hotel bar to the E, and public bar now a separate adjacent building to the W. The basement was reinforced for use as an ARP shelter during World War II.

References

Bibliography

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