Description

Dated 1896 with later alterations and additions. Single storey 5-bay symmetrical, rectangular-plan (additions to rear forming L-plan) Council offices with advanced gabled bay to centre. Stugged and snecked cream sandstone ashlar with polished ashlar dressings. Base course; eaves course. Chamfered reveals, stone mullions and aproned cills to windows; hollow chamfers, columnar central mullion, corniced cill and entablature to main central window; long and short quoins.

NW (VICTORIA AND PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 4-light recessed bow window in bay to centre; inscribed frieze 'COUNCIL CHAMBERS' above; recessed, corniced and pedimented square date panel to pediment above; rounded finial to gablehead. Stop-chamfered doorpiece with stone mullions to upper section in bay to left of centre; deep-set replacement timber panelled door with rectangular fanlight set behind stone mullions above. 3-light window in bay to outer left. 2 steps to stop chamfered doorpiece in bay to right of centre; 2-leaf timber panelled door with rectangular-plan fanlight above. 3-light window in bay to outer right.

NE (PERCY STREET) ELEVATION: irregular 9-bay, grouped 7-1 1. Original 2-bay elevation to right: asymmetrical gable to right with window set to left at ground; gablehead stack above. Window to lower flat-roofed bay to left; coped wallhead with raised section to left and ball finial above. Brick 7-bay additional block to outer left with 2-leaf modern doors to right of group with 4 windows, set high, flanking to left and large window to outer left; window in bay to right of block.

SW (SIDE) ELEVATION: asymmetrical gable with window set to right at ground in bay to left; gablehead stack above. Lower flat-roofed blank wall with shaped cope to right.

Replacement uPVC windows. Grey slate; slate to addition; ashlar coped stacks to NE and SW; coped skews to NE and SW with blocked skewputts; coped central gable with downswept, stylised ?hook? skewputts; cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative brackets and hoppers.

BOUNDARY WALL, GATE, GATEPIERS AND RAILINGS: square-plan channelled cream sandstone ashlar gatepiers sited to left of centre; tapered and truncated square cap with raised, shouldered panels to each side. Pair of similar taller, red sandstone piers to right of centre. Low stugged and snecked cream sandstone wall around front of building with curved ashlar cope; Art Nouveau railings with stylised heads; foliate panel to pedestrian gates to right.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77771055

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

• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  The Shredded Chef: 120 Recipes for Building Muscle, Getting Lean, and Staying Healthy
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback