The Cross Keys, Market Street, Selkirk: Historic Building Recording

Addyman Archaeology undertook Historic Building Recording (Annotated plans and elevations, photographic survey) at the former Cross Keys Inn, Selkirk in advance of the proposed demolition of the building. The site has been unoccupied for several years and was in a state of disrepair, with structural failure on the south and west elevations. As no viable use for the structure could be found, it was decided to demolish the building. Many of the interiors were still lined out but the south and west elevations had been stripped to bare masonry and numerous repairs had been made to stabilise the structure. The interiors were recorded photographically and with annotated existing plans were annotated showing to show any exposed details of the earlier uses. The exposed masonry was largely of rubble of a consistent composition suggesting an origin from a single source rather than reuse of earlier demolished buildings. Features exposed in the stripping were largely confined to a few blocked fireplaces. In one room, some areas of an early lime plaster applied onto the masonry was seen survivingsurvived in some areas, with a timber dado panelling below noted in one room. The range of buildings investigated appeared to be of later 18th century construction,C as windows on the south elevation were built over by the construction of the courtroom to the immediate south c1804 circa 1804. Tthe ground floor was used as a public house with a bar to the west and kitchen and service areas to the east. At first floor level the space was subdivided into different uses. The western rooms appeared to be accommodation, possibly for the proprietor or maybe rooms for rent, along with the whole of the second floor. with aA tea room and associated kitchen/toilets to were in the middle of the floor and , the western rooms appeared to be along with the second floor accommodation possibly for the proprietor or maybe rooms for rent. the eastern part of the first floor was extended into a laterin the later 20th C century to form a flat extension.