Description

Later 19th century with possible earlier fabric; later extensions to rear. 4-storey with upper breaking eaves, 7-bay (arranged 3-1-3), symmetrical rectangular-plan former hotel in French Classical style. (now converted to offices, 2006). Central bay with later widened glazed doorway rising to piended platform-roofed tower with cast-iron brattishing and French oculus dormer. Corniced and pilastered doorpieces to flanking sections, tripartite windows flanking doorways. Corniced and dentilled fascia at 2nd floor. Plain gabled dormers breaking stone ballustraded eaves, ball finialled dies to skew-ends. Narrow coursed rubble; render to SE and SW; painted stone dressings, quoins and rybats; render to SE and SW. Stop-chamfered door surrounds.

Predominantly 4-pane timber sash and case windows; Plate glass in timber sash and case tripartite windows. 20th century glazed metal doors; pitched slate roofs; large corniced gable end stacks. Square-section cast-iron gutters collecting between dormers; cast-iron downpipes recessed behind facia.

INTERIOR: remodelled to form office spaces throughout. Carved timber staircase to all floors with ornamental ram's head corbels; cornicing to 1st floor principal rooms.

Statement of Interest

The former Maxwell Hotel has an imposing façade and demonstrates good classical detailing, particularly at the roofline. It is of quality construction and massing, making an important contribution to the streetscape and particularly roofscape on entering Galashiels from the N.

The former hotel was built on the site of the smaller former Commercial Hotel that is marked on the site on the 1858 town plan of Galashiels, possibly incorporating some of the fabric of the earlier building. The 1897 map shows the rear of the hotel extending further than it does today (2006). A circa 1950s ballroom to the SE of the building was demolished to make way for car parking in the late 20th century.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17834228

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

• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
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  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2