Monkwearmouth branch library, Sunderland

Brief description

Carnegie paid for 3 branch libraries in Sunderland: Hendon, Monkwearmouth and West Branch (Kayll Road library). All are built in red brick a similar style (Edwardian baroque) as each had to follow a basic plan produced by Sunderland librarian John Alfred Charlton Deas. Monkwearmouth branch was designed by Edward Cratney, of Wallsend and Sunderland. The site was the gift of JG Addison.

Awarded Grade II listing in 1994.

Current status: The library closed in 2013. The building was taken over by production company MCC Media  (2017). According to Shelflife project, in 2020 the building was empty.

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant: Total grant was £10,000 (originally for 2 branches, but they managed to stretch it to 3)
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 21 October 1909, by Andrew Carnegie

Photo of library in 2020:

Photo credit: Oriel Prizeman 2020. Image shared under CC license CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 Cardiff University AHRC Shelf Life project

Details:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet

Visited?

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Web links:

• News: The final chapter for Sunderland’s Carnegie libraries (2013)
• News: New chapter for Sunderland library building (2015)
• Entry on the listed buildings register