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Beith, Eglinton Street, Town House

Town House (19th Century)

Site Name Beith, Eglinton Street, Town House

Classification Town House (19th Century)

Alternative Name(s) The Strand

Canmore ID 112375

Site Number NS35SW 21

NGR NS 34812 53893

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/112375

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
Canmore Disclaimer. © Copyright and database right 2024.

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Administrative Areas

  • Council North Ayrshire
  • Parish Beith (Cunninghame)
  • Former Region Strathclyde
  • Former District Cunninghame
  • Former County Ayrshire

Architecture Notes

INFORMATION TAKEN FROM THE ARCHITECTURE CATALOGUE:

Built 1817

(Undated) information in NMRS.

Activities

Publication Account (1996)

Situated at the corner of Strand and Eglinton Street in the centre of Beith, the town-house was constructed in 1817 by public subscription, and was owned by the subscribers until 1838. It is said to occupy the site of a tolbooth of 17th century date which housed the parish school on the upper floor but was abandoned about 1768.

The town-house is two-storeyed and rectangular on plan, measuring 13m from E-W by 7.1m, and is constructed of sandstone ashlar. Its main (E) front is a pedimented design of three bays while the N front to Eglinton Street is of four bays. The angles of the building are marked by pilasters. While the ground-floor windows and doorways are unmoulded but have segmental heads, the first-floor windows are rectangular and have moulded surrounds rising from continuous sill-courses. The E pediment is surmounted by a round-arched bellcot, capped by an ogival dome and containing a bell 0.51m in diameter which was gifted in 1823 and cast by Thomas Mears.

Originally the ground floor contained a small cell and shops which provided public revenue from their rents. The first floor, consisting of a large hall, was used as a court-room and a public reading-room. The building retains no early internal features.

Information from ‘Tolbooths and Town-Houses: Civic Architecture in Scotland to 1833’ (1996).

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