Description

David Cousin, 1874, for British Linen Bank. 3-storey; rectangular-plan; Italianate former bank with Doric entrance porch to High Street elevation and elaborately consoled cornices to 1st floor windows. Polished sandstone ashlar to street elevations; coursed stugged sandstone elsewhere. Base course; semi-rusticated ground floor with frieze and moulded cornice; band course linking 1st floor windows at cill level; pair of band courses to 2nd floor, upper one forming frieze below moulded eaves cornice; to street elevations. Architraved openings to street elevations; segmental-headed windows to each floor (except for canted window); keystones and elaborately consoled cornices to 2nd floor windows; bracketed cills to 2nd floor windows.

S (HIGHT STREET) ELEVATION: 3-bay. Entrance with shallow Doric porch (entablature supported on pair of columns with pilasters set back to either side of doorcase) to left; round-arched doorway with flanking pilasters; earlier 20th century 2-leaf panelled timber door with fanlight. Canted 3-light window to outer right; window to centre. Regular fenestration (window to each bay) to 1st and 2nd floors. Balconies with balustraded parapets to outer 1st floor bays (that to left over porch, that to right over canted ground floor window); flush balustrade to central window.

E (DOUGLAS STREET) ELEVATION: 5-bay. entrance to outer right with ornately scrolled brackets supporting flat hood; segmental-headed doorway with 6-panel timber door. Window to left to each bay (that immediately to left is blocked). 4 bays to right regularly fenestrated to upper floors. Aediculed niche with shell-headed pediment to outer left of 1st floor; rectangular panel with moulded sides above.

N AND W ELEVATIONS: irregularly fenestrated.

Mainly 2-pane timber sash and case windows. Gablehead stacks with band courses and moulded coping, one to each of N, E and W sides; that to E has scrolled shoulders; that to N is gablehead.

INTERIOR: only partially inspected (1988). Entrance to Douglas Street gives onto vestibule with inner doorcase screen; panelled timber door with glazed upper panel of etched glass; narrow flanking lights and rectangular overlight; quarter-turn stone staircase with cast-iron balustrade with decorative pendant bases to rails.

Statement of Interest

Designed by David Cousin, a pupil of David Bryce, as an Italianate banking house for the British Linen Bank.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17816432

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
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  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
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  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)