Greenlaw Conservation Area

The village of Greenlaw, Berwickshire, has one of the highest concentration of Category A listed buildings in Scotland, including a parish church dating from before 1147, and the impressive town hall (below) dating from 1831. Standing in a spacious village green or market place, an unusual feature in a Scottish Borders town, John Cunningham's Greek Revival style Town Hall and Sheriff Courthouse has been redundant since 1903, when the court was finally transferred to Duns, after centuries of rivalry between the two towns.

Robin Kent Architecture & Conservation were invited to carry out a detailed conservation area appraisal of the Greenlaw outstanding conservation area, as part of a successful Townscape Heritage Initiative stage 2 grant bid to repair the neglected and decaying town hall. The report included management recommendations and budget costs for a wide range of private and public realm conservation and enhancement works. After many failed attempts to repair it, including an appearance on the TV Restoration series, the town hall finally gained Historic Scotland grant aid and a comprehensive scheme of repairs is under way.