The Cross Keys, Ancrum

The Cross Keys is a two-storey inn located in Ancrum, built in the earlier to mid-19th century, with later additions at the rear and a refacing and interior refit completed in 1906. The building features a two-bay pend entrance and a three-bay house in a terrace, with first-floor windows that break the eaves in gabled dormerheads. It is constructed of squared red sandstone with ashlar dressings, stone mullions, and chamfered arrises.

On the southeast elevation, there are three bays to the right, with a central door that has a fanlight and a panel above, dated 1906 and initialled JB. There is a small first-floor window breaking the eaves in a semi-circular dormerhead, and single windows on each floor in the bay to the left, while the bay to the right features bipartite windows. To the left, there are two bays with an elliptical carriage arch leading to the pend, flanked by a window to the right and a first-floor window. The rear of the building has additions.

The windows are timber sash and case with a four-pane glazing pattern. The roof is covered with grey slates, and there are mutual gable stacks, including one in yellow brick and two in red brick. The building has ashlar coped skews, bracketted skewputts, and decorative cast-iron rainwater goods.

Inside, the inn has a simple Edwardian interior, featuring etched glazing on the inner two-leaf lobby door and geometric tiles on the lobby floor. The passage and public bar area have timber boarding to dado height. Access to the public bar is through a sliding door, with a hatch to the bar that was originally used for off-sales. The public bar retains decor from the 1906 refurbishment, including a panelled pine bar with fluted quasi-consoles and a simple gantry with mirrors. There is also an iron mechanism for lifting beer barrels in the rear room, which was originally the storage area.