North Berwick Town House

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North Berwick Town House
Town House, North Berwick (geograph 7614197).jpg
The building in 2023
LocationHigh Street, North Berwick
Coordinates 56°03′31″N2°43′02″W / 56.0586°N 2.7173°W / 56.0586; -2.7173
Built1724
Architectural style(s) Scottish medieval style
Listed Building – Category B
Official name1, High Street, Council Chambers
Designated5 February 1971
Reference no.LB38731
East Lothian UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown within East Lothian

North Berwick Town House is a municipal building in the High Street in North Berwick in East Lothian, Scotland. The building, which is now used for retail purposes, is a Category B listed building. [1]

Contents

History

The first municipal building in North Berwick was a tolbooth at the east end of the High Street, on the corner with Quality Street, dating back to the mid-16th century. By the early 18th century, the old tolbooth was dilapidated and the burgh officials decided to demolish the old tolbooth and to erect a new building on the same site. [2] [3] [4]

The new building was designed in the Scottish medieval style and built by local masons, Archibald and John Brouns, and a mason from The Heugh on Lindisfarne, Patrick Forgan. [5] It was constructed in coursed stone with a harled finish, and was completed in 1724. The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage facing onto the High Street. There were at least two openings on the ground floor and three windows on the first floor. There was an external staircase at the back and, at roof level, there was a large square bellcote with a weather vane. Internally, the principal rooms were a prison cell at the west end on the ground floor, a debtor's cell at the west end on the first floor and a council chamber at the east end on the first floor. [6]

A bell was installed in the bellcote at the expense of the Scottish writer and local laird, Sir James Dalrymple, 1st Baronet, on completion of the building. A clock made by Roger Parkinson of Richmond, North Yorkshire [7] was installed in 1735 and replaced at the expense of a member of parliament, Sir Hew Dalrymple-Hamilton, 4th Baronet in 1810. [6] In the late 18th century, the council chamber was made available for visiting companies of actors and, in the 19th century, the former debtor's cell was used as a library. In 1970, the building was refurbished, with the fireplaces being taken out. [6]

The building continued to serve as the meeting place of the burgh council for much of the 20th century but ceased to be the local seat of government when the enlarged East Lothian Council was formed in 1975. [8] The interior was subsequently converted for retail use. The east end of the building was later used as a bookshop, [9] [10] while the west end became the home of a contemporary jewellery business. [11] [12]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "1, High Street, Council Chambers (Category B Listed Building) (LB38731)" . Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  2. ↑ Tolbooths and Town-houses Civic Architecture in Scotland to 1833. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. 1996. p. 161. ISBN   978-0114957995.
  3. ↑ Hall, Derek; Bowler, David (1997). "North Berwick, East Lothian: its archaeology revisited". Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. p. 667. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  4. ↑ Simpson, Anne; Turner Stevenson, Sylivia (1981). "Historic North Berwick: The Archaeological Implications of Development". Scottish Burgh Survey. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  5. ↑ "Royal Burgh of North Berwick". Northberwick.org.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 Historic Environment Scotland. "North Berwick, 1–3 High Street, Town House (56626)". Canmore . Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  7. ↑ "Roger Parkinson". British Museum. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  8. ↑ "Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  9. ↑ "Tippecanoe Gallery". UK Bookshop. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  10. ↑ "Tippecanoe Gallery". Visit East Lothian. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  11. ↑ "Bespoke commissions". Patricia Dudgeon Designs. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  12. ↑ "Patricia Dudgeon Designs". Visit East Lothian. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
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