The Scottish Borders town of Greenlaw has one of the highest concentration of Category A listed buildings in Scotland, including a parish church dating from before 1147, while the spacious green or market place is an unusual feature in a Borders town. We carried out a detailed conservation area character appraisal of the outstanding conservation area as part of a successful Townscape Heritage Initiative stage 2 grant bid, making management recommendations and obtaining budget costs for a wide range of private and public realm conservation works.

The most prominent building is John Cunningham's Greek Revival style Town Hall and Sheriff Courthouse (above) which has dominated the green since its construction in 1831. Since it became redundant in 1903 when the courts were transferred back to Duns, many attempts have been made to find a sustainable use for it, the most recent being an appearance in the TV 'Restoration' series; but it remains disused and is now falling into ruin, a dangerous 'building at risk' adversely affecting the character and appearance of the whole village and depressing property values. The setting of an historic building is usually an important part of its cultural value but in this special case, exceptionally, we have suggested the possibility of taking it down and moving it to a more suitable location, where it could be converted into a fine country house. Such a solution could provide much-needed funding for the local community as well as the restoration of the spacious green, with the market cross restored to its original position at the centre.