Exchange Street

About Exchange Street

Here you will find Numbers 3-5, formerly a bank. Designed in 1868 by David Rhind as a branch of the C o m m e r c i a l Bank, the upper floors were designed as a flat for the m a n a g e r . Notice how the central window at first floor level is a smaller version of the entrance. Further along, Number 11,West Port House, was designed in 1899 by the renowned Borders architect J. P. Alison, of Hawick, as commercial premises for the Co-operative Society. The design displays early use of ‘curtain walling’, in other words, the majority of the wall is glass and in this, it is quite exceptional. Notice also the carved shields on each of the piers at first floor level. There would have been a port -an entrance -to the town here, not far from the junction of Exchange Street, Friarsgate and next to the Skiprunning Burn, which still flows underground at this point.