Town House, The Cross, Linlithgow

The Cross in Linlithgow is a town house and former county hall, constructed in the 17th century and significantly altered over the following centuries. The original town house was built between 1668 and 1670 under the direction of John Smith. After a fire in 1847, it was restored in 1848 by Thomas Brown. Further alterations occurred in 1962-1963, undertaken by Rowand Anderson, Kininmonth and Paul, when it was merged with the adjoining old county hall. A separate listing covers the former Old County Hall.

The building is a two-storey structure with a raised basement, and has a rectangular plan with a six-stage tower at the rear. It is constructed of coursed, cream-coloured Kingscavil sandstone, with ashlar dressings. Much of the ashlar was affected by the 1847 fire and had to be calcined, though some sections have since been restored. The front (south) elevation has a cill course at the first and second floors, an eaves course, a cornice, and a blocking course. The windows and doorcase are framed by lugged architraves and pediments, with symbolic carvings, including a crown, fleur-de-lis, thistle, and rose, in the tympani. The entrance tympanum features the burgh crest of a black greyhound chained to an oak tree.

A grand, double ashlar staircase leads up to the principal floor, featuring a base course, rusticated quoins, balusters, and dies, alongside four wrought-iron lamp standards. The central doorpiece at ground level has a moulded architrave and cornice, flanked by the staircases. Above the entrance is a frieze which reads "Destroyed by fire 1847 Restored 1848 Adam Dawson of Bonnytown Provost”.

The western side elevation has two bays, with a former entrance to a prison at street level, later used as a fire station; these openings are now blocked with windows, though the former Fire Station sign remains visible. A principal floor window on the left has been blocked. The eastern side elevation, which abuts a single-storey Masonic Hall, has two bays with a window on each floor.

The rear (north) elevation has a central tower flanked by three bays on the right; the left bays are blocked by the County Hall. A basement round-arched opening has been blocked and the upper windows restored.

The tower is six-stage in design and is constructed of coursed rubble, with the upper three stages being laid in squared stone, separated by string courses. The north facade has square-headed windows to the third stage, and round-headed windows in the upper stages, with clock faces facing south, east, and west. A blocked-up door at the second stage of the return on the right is inscribed with a record of its replacement, indicating it was initially a doorway to a debtors prison in 1792, and was subsequently built up in 1812. It has a balustraded parapet and a louvred ventilator to the roof.

The windows throughout the building are sash and case with a 12-pane glazing pattern. The roof is piended and covered in grey slate.

The interior includes a barrel-vaulted basement on the left side and retains good quality fireplaces on the first and second floors.