Stow of Wedale Town Hall | |
---|---|
![]() Stow of Wedale Town Hall | |
Location | Earlston Road, Stow of Wedale |
Coordinates | 55°41′30″N 2°51′36″W / 55.6918°N 2.8600°W |
Built | 1857 |
Architectural style(s) | Scottish baronial style |
Listed Building – Category B | |
Official name | Townfoot, Town Hall |
Designated | 17 March 2009 |
Reference no. | LB51301 |
Stow of Wedale Town Hall is a municipal building in Earlston Road, Stow of Wedale, Scottish Borders, Scotland. The structure, which serves as a community events venue, is a Category B listed building. [1]
The building was commissioned by Captain Alexander Mitchell-Innes, [2] who, in 1839, had inherited a large country estate, which had originally been amassed by a former Deputy Governor of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Gilbert Innes. Mitchell-Innes had plans to develop Stow into a holiday destination for people living in Edinburgh. [3] The foundation stone for the new building was laid with full masonic rites, with Mitchell-Innes presiding as acting grand master, on 21 February 1854. [4] It was designed in the Scottish baronial style, built in rubble masonry with ashlar stone dressings and was completed in 1857. [5] [6] [7]
The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage of five bays facing Earlston Road. The central section of three bays formed an arcade with three openings on the ground floor, a carved panel depicting the coat of arms of Alexander Mitchell-Innes above the central opening, and three square-shaped windows on the first floor. Above the windows, there was a machicolated parapet, three water spouts shaped to resemble cannons, a central gablet and a fleur-de-lis finial. The left hand bay was curved on the ground floor and corbeled on the first floor with sash windows on both floors and a stepped gable above. The right-hand bay was fenestrated with sash windows on both floors with a stepped gable above: it was flanked by bartizans on both sides although the left-hand bartizan was corbelled out at a lower level than the right-hand one and was octagonal rather than circular in its upper stage. Internally, the principal rooms were the reading room on the left-hand side on the ground floor and the main assembly hall on the first floor. [1]
Mitchell-Innes continued to develop the town and commissioned the Church of St Mary of Wedale in 1876. [8] However, following the collapse of the City of Glasgow Bank in 1878, most of the proposed housing was never built. [3] The town hall continued to serve as a community events venue throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century. [9] The reading room was adapted to form a local history museum and archive, managed by the Gala Water History and Heritage Association, in 2005. [10] [11]
Stow of Wedale Town Hall | |
---|---|
![]() Stow of Wedale Town Hall | |
Location | Earlston Road, Stow of Wedale |
Coordinates | 55°41′30″N 2°51′36″W / 55.6918°N 2.8600°W |
Built | 1857 |
Architectural style(s) | Scottish baronial style |
Listed Building – Category B | |
Official name | Townfoot, Town Hall |
Designated | 17 March 2009 |
Reference no. | LB51301 |
Stow of Wedale Town Hall is a municipal building in Earlston Road, Stow of Wedale, Scottish Borders, Scotland. The structure, which serves as a community events venue, is a Category B listed building. [1]
The building was commissioned by Captain Alexander Mitchell-Innes, [2] who, in 1839, had inherited a large country estate, which had originally been amassed by a former Deputy Governor of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Gilbert Innes. Mitchell-Innes had plans to develop Stow into a holiday destination for people living in Edinburgh. [3] The foundation stone for the new building was laid with full masonic rites, with Mitchell-Innes presiding as acting grand master, on 21 February 1854. [4] It was designed in the Scottish baronial style, built in rubble masonry with ashlar stone dressings and was completed in 1857. [5] [6] [7]
The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage of five bays facing Earlston Road. The central section of three bays formed an arcade with three openings on the ground floor, a carved panel depicting the coat of arms of Alexander Mitchell-Innes above the central opening, and three square-shaped windows on the first floor. Above the windows, there was a machicolated parapet, three water spouts shaped to resemble cannons, a central gablet and a fleur-de-lis finial. The left hand bay was curved on the ground floor and corbeled on the first floor with sash windows on both floors and a stepped gable above. The right-hand bay was fenestrated with sash windows on both floors with a stepped gable above: it was flanked by bartizans on both sides although the left-hand bartizan was corbelled out at a lower level than the right-hand one and was octagonal rather than circular in its upper stage. Internally, the principal rooms were the reading room on the left-hand side on the ground floor and the main assembly hall on the first floor. [1]
Mitchell-Innes continued to develop the town and commissioned the Church of St Mary of Wedale in 1876. [8] However, following the collapse of the City of Glasgow Bank in 1878, most of the proposed housing was never built. [3] The town hall continued to serve as a community events venue throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century. [9] The reading room was adapted to form a local history museum and archive, managed by the Gala Water History and Heritage Association, in 2005. [10] [11]