Midsteeple, High Street, Dumfries

Tobias Bachup of Alloa, based on design by John Moffat of

Liverpool. Built 1705-7; walls largely re-cased by James

Barbour, 1909. Free standing rectangular-plan 3-storey

Town House; square clock tower at E end of short N wall

rises 3 undiminishing stages higher, with louvred ogival

leaded cupola. Polished red ashlar, channelled at ground;

rusticated quoins; string courses divide floors and tower

stages; windows mostly aproned, corniced at 1st floor

and in bolection-moulded architraves; 2nd floor windows

margined; pierced wallhead parapets; square flues over

W wall-head now removed. E long wall painted above

re-cased ground floor. Main entrance on 2-bay S end wall;

pedimented 1st floor doorway - also by Barbour - replaces

circa 1830 porch and is loosely based on original design; bolection-moulded but with pilasters and frieze added;

forestair in re-entrant angle, behind balustraded low shop,

and platt (with shop below and enlarged window)

have elaborate wrought-iron ravel (balustrade) by Patrick

Sibbald of Edinburgh, smith; repaired, probably by Barbour;

2 large stone crests (Royal Arms of Scotland and St Michael)

central on S wall. Interior gutted 1970. Single adjoining

bay to N is sympathetically detaited; straggle of shops

beyond (formerly police office) excluded from listing.

Tower: forestair basket-arched door to internal wheel

stair (stair lights above); N and W elevations relatively

plain; remaining elevations with oculus in 5th stage;

square panel to each elevation of top stage, with clock

face to N and to S. Cupola now stripped of leaded crockets,

but with louvred lucarnes.