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Summary

Description

Dated 1888. 3-storey with upper breaking eaves, 9-bay, vertically arranged rectangular-plan tenement blocks arranged 3-3-3, built into steep gradient site with steps to each side giving exterior access to rear at upper floors. Coped angled rubble walls with cast-iron railings to entrance steps to raised ground floors and bin stores; doors to middle floor in rear pend with walkways to top floor forming arches over. Stugged coursed ashlar; raised rybats with stop-chamfered arises; canted stone cills; coursed whinstone rubble to rear. Banded eaves course; pedimented breaking eaves stone dormers.

4-pane timber sash and case windows (boarded up at lower levels); 4-panel timber entrance doors with small fanlights; 9-pane cast-iron rooflights to rear. Grey slates; ashlar coped skews; gabletted skew putts; tall corniced ashlar end stacks with tall ventilator clay cans. Cast-iron downpipes; decorative cast-iron gutter brackets. Iron railings to all steps and stairways.

INTERIOR: Not seen due to unknown ownership.

Statement of Special Interest

The Kirk Brae tenements have fine stonework and detailing superior to other later 19th century housing in the area and are a rare survival in their original form, with an imposing presence and streetscape value.

The tenements are an important example of late mill workers housing in the town. They are a fine and unaltered example of multi-level housing designed specifically to fit on a steeply sloping narrow site; a building type particular to Galashiels due to the topography of the town and valley in which it sits. The tall appearance to the street contrasts strongly with what appears to be single storey housing to the rear. The relationship of the tenement to the rear green illustrates the relationship between shared workers housing and green space. The tenements are currently (2006) in a state of disrepair.

References

Bibliography

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