Basic Site Details

Name: Peebles Hydropathic
Town, district or village: Peebles
City or county: Peeblesshire
Country: Scotland
Parish:  
Status: B listed
Grid ref:
Notes: Cost of original building (by John Starforth) £70,000. This building was burnt down and replaced by James Miller's hotel building.

PEEBLES. - The new Hotel - Hydropathic at Peebles, erected to replace the building destroyed by fire in July, 1905, was opened on Friday night. It occupies the old site east of the town, set high on the north bank of the Tweed. Designed by Mr J. Miller ARSA, Glasgow, it is in the Georgian style, and in that respect presents a marked contrast to the building it has replaced, which was Scots Baronial. The chief elevation shows an H-planned main block with two projecting wings, the total frontage being 210 feet. The accommodation includes a basement and four floors, two of which are placed in the high-pitched roof. In the centre of the main block a bay has been thrown out and balconies formed on first and second floors. It is crowned by a pedimented roof. The main entrance is protected by a domed porte-cochere. On each side of the doorway at the terrace level is a loggia of five arches. The piers of the arcade carry at the first-floor level of the main block a balcony, its sloping glass roof supported by light Doric columns with entablature and dentil blocks. The two wings have oriel windows, with mullions and transoms. Their roofs are of pavilion pattern. The whole of the walls are roughcast, harled, the woodwork is in pure white, and the roof-tiles are of orange red. At the east end, separated by a passage 12 feet in width, bridged over at the first-floor level, is an annexe which contains the dining-hall with kitchen accommodation, and at the back are other annexes for bedrooms and administrative purposes. Marble has been used for the entrance stair and floor of the main corridor, and the woodwork is of Australian Kauri pine stained. A corridor, 2l0 feet long and 13ft. wide, runs the length of the building, communicating at the west end with the conservatory, and at the east end with the dining-hall. The recreation-hall is 100 feet long by 40 ft., with stage at one end. The dining-room is pillared, 80 feet. by 40ft., and 18 feet high, with panelled ceiling. The bedrooms, numbering 200, are on the second and two upper floors. The cost of the building and furnishings has been £70.000. [Building News 29 March 1907 page 452]

Alternative Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:
 NameCurrent name?Notes
Item 1 of 2Peebles Hotel HydroYes 
Item 2 of 2Peebles Hydropathic HotelYesRebuilt as hotel after original building burnt down

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Hotel  

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 418781881Build/constructionOriginal building
Item 2 of 419051907ReconstructionNew building after fire - rebuilt as hotel by James Miller
Item 3 of 41935  Extensions
Item 4 of 4After 1945Before 1955RehabilitationReinstatement after occupation by War Office

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 7John Starforth  18781881Original building - some rubble survives at rear
Item 2 of 7James Miller A19051907New building after fire - rebuilt as hotel
Item 3 of 7James Miller B1935 Extensions
Item 4 of 7Carver, Symon & Ross (or Ross & Partners) D1946 Reinstatement after occupation by War Office
Item 5 of 7Donald (F?) Ross D1946 Reinstatement after occupation by WO
Item 6 of 7James Watson Ritchie D1946 Reinstatement after occupation by WO
Item 7 of 7William Glashan D1946 As senior assistant with Carver Symon & Ross - reinstatement after occupation by WO

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

Child Structures

This structure or site has the following component or child structures (click on an item to view details):
 Building NameNotes
Item 1 of 1Peebles Hydropathic, lodgeDates vary in sources (1881: HS List; 1888: Buildings of Scotland).

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Cruft, Kitty, Dunbar, John and Fawcett, Richard2006Borders (The Buildings of Scotland) New Haven and London: Yale University Presspp 77 & 620
Item 2 of 2Strang, Charles Alexander1994Borders and Berwick: An Illustrated Architectural Guide  pp229-30

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Building News29 March 1907  p452
Item 2 of 3Dundee Advertiser27 March 1893  Starforth work
Item 3 of 3Peterhead Sentinel    

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 3DMW ArchiveJames Miller Typed List of Works by Audrey Sloan  
Item 2 of 3Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register39220 
Item 3 of 3RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers James Watson Ritchie: F no5191 (Combined Box 62)