History in Structure

Douglas Hotel, 49-57 Channel Street, Galashiels

A Category C Listed Building in Galashiels, Scottish Borders

More Photos »
Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

Coordinates

Latitude: 55.6167 / 55°37'0"N

Longitude: -2.8073 / 2°48'26"W

OS Eastings: 349252

OS Northings: 636194

OS Grid: NT492361

Mapcode National: GBR 83VH.1D

Mapcode Global: WH7WN.V3D0

Plus Code: 9C7VJ58V+M3

Entry Name: Douglas Hotel, 49-57 Channel Street, Galashiels

Listing Name: 49-57 (Odd Nos), Channel Street and Douglas Bridge, Former Douglas Hotel

Listing Date: 19 January 1982

Category: C

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 373393

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB31996

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200373393

Location: Galashiels

County: Scottish Borders

Town: Galashiels

Electoral Ward: Galashiels and District

Traditional County: Selkirkshire

Tagged with: Hotel building

Find accommodation in
Galashiels

Description

J and J Hall, circa 1890. 3-storey and attic breaking eaves. 5-bays to Channel Street, canted corner bay, 3 bays to Douglas Bridge. Rectangular plan former hotel, now in commercial and residential use. Squared and snecked buff sandstone, red sandstone dressings. French Renaissance roof details, prominent mansard towers with cast iron brattishing. Pedimented timber-fronted dormer. Recessed canted bays. Base course, ground floor string course. First and second floor sill courses. Windows in raised ashlar surrounds.

CHANNEL STREET (SW) ELEVATION: symmetrical. Slightly advanced centre bay with mansard roof tower, bipartite and tripartite openings. Pilastered and corniced central entrance. Segmental-headed wide openings on ground floor. Full-height recessed canted windows to outer bays.

DOUGLAS BRIDGE (SE) ELEVATION: arched openings to ground floor. Regular fenestration above. Pedimented wallhead stack.

Predominantly timber sash and case windows; plate-glass and 4-pane. Purple slate roofs. Wallhead stacks.

INTERIOR: access was not gained to the interiors at the time of resurvey (2005). However, the mosaic floor in the stair hall with the Galashiels crest suggest other features may survive.

Statement of Interest

The Douglas Hotel is an imposing building and one of the most prominent in Galashiels Town centre, making a significant contribution to the main commercial street in the town, with features of particular interest, such as the French detailing to the roof. The hotel, which retains many of its original features, demonstrates the continuing rise in the fortunes of the town through the later 19th century.

The building is the work of J and J Hall, the foremost and most prolific of Galashiels architectural practices, whose work defines much of the late 19th and early 20th century character of Galashiels town centre. The firm, which had premises at Ladhope Vale, had its origins in the building firm of Robert Hall and company in the mid-19th century. John Hall Junior became an architect in the 1880s, when the firm became known as J and J Hall. Other notable buildings by the firm in Galashiels include the Technical College (1908) and the Co-op buildings on High Street (1888).

The hotel includes the 3-bay return to Douglas Bridge. This does not appear to be the entire hotel as built. Early maps and photographs show that there were at least 3 further bays to the lane now known as Douglas Bridge. These bays, which were faced in rubble, were removed in the later 20th century. The hotel also included a long wing extending to the rear from the northwest of the hotel, probably a service wing.

The ground floor openings were previously bipartites recessed within the existing depressed arches. The work to open these out was probably related to the conversion of the hotel into apartments.

External Links

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

Other nearby listed buildings

BritishListedBuildings.co.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact BritishListedBuildings.co.uk for any queries related to any individual listed building, planning permission related to listed buildings or the listing process itself.

British Listed Buildings is a Good Stuff website.