21, Galgate

No. 21 Galgate is a house that was later used as council offices and is now offices. It dates from the mid-18th century and is built of coursed squared sandstone with an ashlar plinth, quoins, and dressings. The roof is covered with renewed stone slates and features stone gable copings and chimneys.

The exterior has three storeys and a symmetrical five-window range. There are steps leading up to a central six-panel door, with the lower panels flush, set within a doorcase that has an architrave surround under a pedimented entablature supported by Tuscan half-columns on pedestals. All windows are sash style with glazing bars in architraves. On the ground floor, there are two sash windows in each of the flanking bows, which have a cornice and a high coped parapet. The top floor windows have six panes each. The building features projecting quoins and a cyma-moulded eaves gutter cornice with a moulded rain-water head located between the third and fourth windows. The roof has end gable coping and chimneys on plinths with cornices. The left return shows rubble and render patching where an adjacent house has been demolished.

The interior has not been inspected. A plaque on the right bow indicates that this was the home of Sir Robert Murchison, a geologist and explorer, in the 19th century. He served as President of the Royal Geographical Society and died in 1871.