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Summary

Description

16th century tower house core, 1702 alterations, circa 1810 additional large wing to N, and extensive refurbishment 1995. 3-storey and attic, former hotel comprising 8-bay principal elevation to Tower Knowe, harled and crowstep-gabled tower house at SE corner, and 1995 addition in re-entrant angle to rear. Whinstone rubble with sandstone ashlar dressings (many renewed). Tabbed margined quoins to S (larger stones to penultimate bay to right marking 16th century tower). Principal (W) elevation with central, pilastered, shallow-arched doorpiece with side lights and plain pilaster strips extending to eaves; similar detailing to broad pend to far left. 3 Baronial-style gabled dormers breaking eaves to left; corbelled canted corner to outer right. Tower house with parapet walkway and water spouts; gunloop to ground floor; larger mid-19th century openings and reconstructed crowsteps to garret. 3-storey glazed section to rear linking tower house to new curved, rendered stair tower.

12-pane glazing pattern in timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof; ashlar-coped skews; corniced ridge and gable stacks; small rooflights. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: Great Hall with some original beams and reconstructed painted ceiling (1995); roll-moulded stone fireplace. Vaulted cellar to ground floor. 3 commercial meeting rooms to front at first floor dating from the earlier 19th century with decorative plaster cornices and chimneypieces with cast-iron grates. Extensive 1995 renovations include concrete stair with metal handrail.

Statement of Special Interest

B-Group comprises Drumlanrig's Tower and Nos 1-4 Tower Dykeside.

Drumlanrig's Tower is an important earlier-19th-century former hotel, incorporating a 16th-century tower house to the rear, which together make a strong contribution to understanding the history and development of the town. The broad 19th century elevation to the West makes a prominent contribution to the wider streetscape at the older south end of the High Street.

The original 3-storey, L-plan tower house with garret was built in the later 16th century by the Douglases of Drumlanrig as a residence and administrative centre; it is thought to be the oldest surviving building in the town. The tower was bought by the Scotts of Buccleuch in the late 16th century and it was enlarged to form a square plan by Duchess Anne Scott of Buccleuch in 1702-3. Part of the N wing was possibly added at this stage. These works may have been carried out on the advice of James Smith who was remodelling the Duchess's Dalkeith House at the time. In 1769 the building became a coaching inn on the Edinburgh-Carlisle road, and later the Tower Hotel.

The N wing was extended and the W elevation to the High Street remodelled circa 1810 with a reading room installed in 1835. In 1939 a new ballroom was installed by J P Alison and Hobkirk; this is thought to have been in the ground floor of the building immediately to the E (1 Tower Dykeside) to which it was formerly attached. The building remained a hotel until 1981 and it was sold to Roxburgh District Council in 1985.

The building underwent extensive refurbishment in 1990-5 by Jocelyn M Cunliffe of Gray, Marshall Associates to form a museum and public information centre. During the works the tower was separated from the building to the rear to which it had been connected since the early 19th century and further elements to the NE were demolished. Considerable stone indents and replacements were applied to the front elevation during renovations. List description revised following resurvey (2008).

References

Bibliography

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