Latitude: 55.0691 / 55°4'8"N
Longitude: -3.6107 / 3°36'38"W
OS Eastings: 297240
OS Northings: 576148
OS Grid: NX972761
Mapcode National: GBR 397T.2N
Mapcode Global: WH5WJ.HVT9
Plus Code: 9C7R399Q+MP
Entry Name: Midsteeple, High Street, Dumfries
Listing Name: High Street, Midsteeple
Listing Date: 11 July 1961
Category: A
Source: Historic Scotland
Source ID: 362752
Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB26215
Building Class: Cultural
Also known as: Dumfries, High Street, Midsteeple
ID on this website: 200362752
Location: Dumfries
County: Dumfries and Galloway
Town: Dumfries
Electoral Ward: Nith
Traditional County: Dumfriesshire
Tagged with: Townhouse
Tobias Bachup of Alloa, based on design by John Moffat of
Liverpool. Built 1705-7; walls largely re-cased by James
Barbour, 1909. Free standing rectangular-plan 3-storey
Town House; square clock tower at E end of short N wall
rises 3 undiminishing stages higher, with louvred ogival
leaded cupola. Polished red ashlar, channelled at ground;
rusticated quoins; string courses divide floors and tower
stages; windows mostly aproned, corniced at 1st floor
and in bolection-moulded architraves; 2nd floor windows
margined; pierced wallhead parapets; square flues over
W wall-head now removed. E long wall painted above
re-cased ground floor. Main entrance on 2-bay S end wall;
pedimented 1st floor doorway - also by Barbour - replaces
circa 1830 porch and is loosely based on original design; bolection-moulded but with pilasters and frieze added;
forestair in re-entrant angle, behind balustraded low shop,
and platt (with shop below and enlarged window)
have elaborate wrought-iron ravel (balustrade) by Patrick
Sibbald of Edinburgh, smith; repaired, probably by Barbour;
2 large stone crests (Royal Arms of Scotland and St Michael)
central on S wall. Interior gutted 1970. Single adjoining
bay to N is sympathetically detaited; straggle of shops
beyond (formerly police office) excluded from listing.
Tower: forestair basket-arched door to internal wheel
stair (stair lights above); N and W elevations relatively
plain; remaining elevations with oculus in 5th stage;
square panel to each elevation of top stage, with clock
face to N and to S. Cupola now stripped of leaded crockets,
but with louvred lucarnes.
The committee had first sought to engage "James Smith (or)
James Smith his nevvy" (nephew). Smith - who by then had
probably the country's premier architectural practise -
failed to appear, presumably because of work pressures
elsewhere. Moffat visited Glasgow to examine the tower there
for reference. The extent of Bachup's contribution to the
composition is uncertain; the tower and its distinctive
cupola is of the type which Moffat saw at Glasgow College,
and which Bachup appears to have already built at Stirling.
Bachup was also employed at Hopeton House in 1706.
2 inscribed stones re-set on W wall - one inscribed
"A/LOR/BURN" (Town motto) - said to be from old town jail.
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