An Ionic portico and clock cupola preside over the market square while the former burgh headquarters continues in registration and ceremonial use.
Quick facts
- Date
- 1816; remodelled 1904–06
- Architect / designer
- Original architect unrecorded; remodelled by J D Swanston and Syme
- Type
- Classical and Edwardian Baroque municipal building
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB35828)
- OS grid reference
- NT 72779 33967
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
The two-storey five-bay front combines a rusticated former arcade with an Ionic portico, pedimented upper windows and a central Baroque doorway. A slated roof and octagonal clock cupola complete the civic silhouette.
Its story
The burgh built the Town Hall in 1816. Swanston and Syme enclosed the ground-floor loggia and recast the elevations in Edwardian Baroque between 1904 and 1906; local government changed in 1975, but public registration and ceremony functions remain.
Why it is included
Its position, architectural presence and continuing civic service make the Category B building central to understanding Kelso’s formal public realm.
What to notice
- Ionic first-floor portico.
- Rusticated ground floor and Baroque doorway.
- Octagonal clock cupola above the roof.
Reading the surroundings
This is a working council and ceremony building. Enter only for appointments, authorised events or advertised access, and respect ceremonies, staff offices and personal records.
Timeline
- 1816 The burgh completed a new Town Hall facing the market square.
- 1904–06 Swanston and Syme remodelled the building in Edwardian Baroque style.
- 1975 Local-government reorganisation ended its role as burgh headquarters.
- 2026 The council continues registration and civil-ceremony services here.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
Public access beyond booked appointments or ceremonies should not be assumed and must be confirmed with the council.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Kelso Town Hall, LB35828 — Designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Scottish Borders Council: registration offices — Current registration-office and ceremony use at Kelso Town House.
- Scottish Borders Council: Kelso town trail — Public heritage interpretation and Place context.
Location
OS grid reference NT 72779 33967 · Location confidence: High: the national designation supplies an official mapped National Grid Reference; the independent source confirms the Place relationship, history or current identity. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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