Manorhead Hotel, 168 Galashiels Road, Stow

1819; alterations 1852 (see Notes). Substantial 2-storey, attic and basement, 3-bay, gabled former coaching inn on gushet site with break-front road elevation and lower piend-roof wing with outshots on falling ground to SW. Coursed and squared dark whinstone with cream sandstone ashlar dressings. Long and short quoins. Regular fenestration with raised cills. Service court to N. Detached, single-story former stable to NW. Vehicular gateway with ashlar piers to E. Garden to S.

E (ROAD) ELEVATION: 3-bay; cill course; eaves course. Slightly advanced central bay with lintel course at ground; central tripartite window above surmounted by blocking course. N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: central doorway with 4-pane fanlight and mullioned sidelights. Blind window to 1st floor left. Single attic window to both N and S gables. S (GARDEN) ELEVATION: forestair at basement level rising to 1st floor with cast-iron railings; tall windows at 1st floor with decorative cast-iron balconies to left and centre bays.

SW WING: lower and narrower, 2-storey, 3-bay section of whinstone rubble with half-piended roof; entrance to 1st floor flat reached by later 20th century covered external stair addition to N elevation. Further single-storey piended section to far W with outshot entrance porch to NW angle.

STABLES COTTAGE: detached single-story and attic former stable block; random whinstone rubble with raised ashlar window dressings; irregular fenestration; 2 pitched dormers to courtyard elevation.

INTERIOR: vestibule with patterned floor tiling. Glazed partition screen leading to commodious entrance hall with polished flagstone floor. Stone staircase with cast-iron banisters, timber handrail; garland and swag plasterwork frieze. Rooms at attic level contain 4 timber panelled box-beds within eaves space. Large, multi-roomed cellar, some areas with stone wine bins.

Predominantly 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows; some plate-glass. Slated jerkin roof with stone skews to main principal section. Broad gable-end stacks; tall, thin wallhead stacks to W side and W wing. Clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

BOUNDARY WALLS, GATES AND RAILINGS: coped rubble boundary walls to gushet site. Square-capped ashlar gatepiers to NE surmounted by lanterns; wrought-iron pedestrian gateway to left leading to decorative iron railings fronting E elevation. Further vehicle entrance to W wall.