Description

John Lessels, 1869; modern shopfronts at ground. Four storey attic and garret, eight-bay French Renaissance former hotel with shops at ground. Polished cream sandstone ashlar. Arched doorway at centre right with two-leaf panelled doors, framed by polished pink granite Corinthian columns and modillioned cornice and two urns on parapet; cornice survives to west shop (which has modern plate glass front), but modern east shop slightly built out; cast-iron balustrade survives right across. At upper floors, two-bay centrepiece slightly advanced and framed by barley twist nook-shafts up to third floor. Outer bays with canted windows rising through first and second floors (that to left timber); central bays with arched windows at first floor, architraved at second; Two centre bays at second floor with mask keystones and consoled balcony with cast-iron balustrade. Third floor with corbelled cill course and squat panelled pilastrade; segmental-headed windows. Modillioned cornice. Two centre bays with tall pavilion roof and pilastered and pedimented tripartite wallhead dormer. Wallhead dormers with segmental pediments to flanking bays, joined by cast-iron balustrade. Six arched garret dormers set back above. Timber sash and case plate glass windows. Ashlar coped skews; corniced ashlar stacks; grey slates. INTERIOR: shops modernised but very fine three-storey top-lit cast-iron galleried saloon survives to rear at No 110. Decorative cornices at first floor, with slappings through to adjoining store at 112 (Debenhams). Gladstone Memorial Library including bust of William Gladstone (1809-1898) at the first floor.

Statement of Interest

Originally the Palace Hotel, converted to the Liberal Club in 1890. The saloon at No 110 was the showroom of the cabinet makers John Taylor & Son; it is the oldest of the three cast-iron galleried types with fireproof cladding to survive in Scotland. Jenners and Wylie & Lochead's in Glasgow being the others. The upper floors are now part of Debenhams department store (see separate listing).

Listed building record updated in 2021.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17793538

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

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  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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