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Summary

Description

1854-57 (dated 1855). Imposing 2-storey and garret, crowstep-gabled, corbelled and turreted Scottish-Baronial Town Hall with 3-bay, segmental-arched and balustraded arcade to recessed entrance porch occupying critical corner site at heart of village. Squared and snecked whinstone rubble with pale sandstone ashlar dressings. Coped ashlar basecourse; discontinuous roll-moulded eaves course. Long and short quoins; irregular fenestration with tabbed and roll-moulded margins. Square-cap finials to gables.

PRINCIPAL (W) ELEVATION: 3-bay entrance flanked by slightly advanced crow-step gabled outer bays with stepped drip-moulds and finials. To centre: recessed segmental-arched, balustraded entrance porch with 2-leaf timber panelled door flanked by windows within arcade. Carved date panel and elaborate monogram above. Heavily machicolated parapet with 5 'canon' waterspouts and shouldered gablet to centre with fleur-de-lys finial. Gable to right with 2 bartizans: 2-stage circular turret corbelled out above ground floor to left and corbelled to octagon at 2nd stage; round turret corbelled out at 1st floor to right with conical, ball-finialled roof. Left gable curved at ground and corbelled out to broad square at 1st floor.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: gabled 3-bay N and S elevations, both with segmental-arched windows at 1st floor and single garret window above. Rear (E) elevation: gabled outshot to right with corbelled former chimney stack to centre and later lean-to entrance addition to right. Further, single-storey slated outshot adjoins to left. Behind, late 20th century brick built lift addition with monopitch and lean-to roof sections adjoining rear central gable to main body of Hall (not visible from road). Castellated SE corner wall returning to S elevation.

INTERIOR: square stairwell to right of entrance bay with decorative cast-iron balusters and hardwood handrail. Main hall at 1st floor with giant corbels with moulded foliage design supporting arched A-frame timber ceiling. Massive 2-leaf timber door with shallow arch dividing 2 rooms at ground floor right. Reading room to ground floor left.

6, 8 and 12 pane glazing in timber sash and case windows. Grey slate in diminishing courses. Cast-iron rainwater goods with hoppers.

Statement of Special Interest

Stow Town Hall is a striking and well-detailed example of civic Scottish-Baronial architecture on an unexpectedly grand scale in relation to its small village surroundings. Its assured handling of Baronial detailing at this relatively early date is worthy of note. The building is distinguished by its busy roofline with a wealth of crowstepped gables, corner turrets and corbelling. The principal elevation is particularly bold with its distinctive parapet and basket arched entrance porch all adding to its interest. The size and massing of the building reflect the aspirations of the area during the mid 19th century when Stow was vying for increased status.

Captain Alexander Mitchell-Innes, local landowner of Stow Estates and Liberal MP, gave the ground and paid for the hall to be built at a cost of £1000. The intricate monogram design below the carved date panel contains his initials with the words 'OF STOW' beneath. The foundation stone was laid in February 1854. Three years later, he officially opened the building. The year after the hall was opened, a reading room and library were established. The town hall preceded the new 'village' of Stow by eight years. Mitchell-Innes also went on to fund the building of the impessive parish church of 1873 by Wardrop and Reid (see separate listing) which is constructed on a similarly grand scale.

The building remains substantially unchanged since construction. The most significant alterations are at roof level; the octagonal turret was originally surmounted by a ball finial and weathervane while what is now a small gable directly behind the parapet was formerly a broad and tall wallhead stack with crow-stepped offsets. The lift shaft addition to rear, concealed behind the gabled outshots, is not visible from the street.

The building is understood to have remained in the ownership of Stow Estate until around 1940 when it was gifted to the Local Authority. It currently provides accommodation for a wide range of community services.

References

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