Pleasley Hill library

Brief description

The architect was John E Goodacre.  From the website linked below: “Thomas Smith was a Mansfield Town Councillor who lived at 18 Bagshaw Street. By profession he was a builder and donated a piece of land further along the street on which the Free Library was built. …. When the Library was closed, Mansfield Borough Council, as it then was, put the building up for sale for £575. It was bought by a local butcher, Alf Fensome, who had it converted into a bungalow, in which state it still exists today.”

Current status: Library closed in 1941. As described on the website linked below, it is now residential. (2020)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant: £750
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 1907

Photo of library in 2020 :

Former library. 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?

Not yet

Web links:

• Our Mansfield: License to drive

Aberystwyth library

Brief description

Described as being in the Edwardian classical style, the building was designed by Walter G Payton of London. The foundation stone was laid on 28 July 1905 by David Davies of Llandinam (the founder of Barry Docks).

Awarded Grade II listing in 1987

Current status: Closed in 2012, and since 2016, when it was sold, there have been ongoing plans for redevelopment, but no work has yet taken place [2019].

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant: £3,000
• Year opened (and by who – if known): April 1906 by Mrs Vaughan Davies of Tanybwlch.

Photo of library today (2019):

Thanks to geograph user Colin Cheesman (published under cc licence)

Details

Although I didn’t take any photos, I have found this one on flickr, which shows the lovely art nouveau tiles.

flickr user: Emily. Published under cc licence

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet

Visited?

Many times, when I was a student. But as far as I know, I didn’t take a single photo!

Web links:

• Entry on the listed buildings register
• News item: Plans to convert library into flats delayed (2018)

Colne library

Brief description

Originally built as a private house for wealthy cotton mill owner, Nicholas England.

In 1907 it was converted to become the Colne Carnegie library and a date stone of 1907 was placed above the main entrance.  Closed as a library in 1972, and the building was taken over by the Providence Independent Methodist church. They moved out in 2012, and the building was sold. Proposal put forward in 2015 to convert it into flats (and advert seen on Right Move website, 2018).

Current status: Residential

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant:
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 1907

Photo of building today (2009):

cc-by-sa/2.0 – © John Tomlinson – geograph.org.uk/p/40433

Old photos of library (postcards):

And showing the war memorial in front:

 

Web links:

• Entry on the waymarking site
• Article in Colne Life: All change at Providence

Crompton library, Oldham

Brief description

Built on Beal Lane. aka Shaw and Crompton library. Architect was Jesse Horsfall

Current status: No longer a public library (closed in 1989), the building has been redeveloped into apartments.

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant:
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 2 February 1907, by JW Cockroft, former chair of Crompton UDC

Photo of library today (2016):

Photo credit: flickr user Jeff Carr (with permission)

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet

Visited?

Not yet

Web links:

• Crompton booklet: a celebration of 150 years of local government in Shaw and Crompton (pdf)

Rednal library

Brief description

The land was given by Messrs Edward and George Cadbury. The architect was Benjamin Bower, the building was designed in the arts and crafts style.

Awarded Grade II listing in 1982.

Current status: Library closed in the mid 1990s. Now a private house (2017)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant:
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 1909

Photo of library today (2017):

Photo credit: Zoe – on this blog post

Details:

Photo credit: Zoe – on this blog post

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet

Visited?

Not yet

Web links:

• Entry on the listed buildings register
• Arts and Crafts architecture in Birmingham: an arts and crafts (former) library
• Blog post by Zoe: Playing by the book – Ghost libraries < contains some wonderfully evocative photos of former libraries, which author kindly allowed me to reuse here.

Rawmarsh library

Brief description

The present building dates from 1904, a fact noted on the commemorative plaque outside the front entrance. It is a traditional red brick building on the main Parkgate and Rawmarsh Road. Carnegie offered £3,000 to Rawmarsh Urban District Council in 1903, and a further £72 in 1906. The architect was Joseph Platts.

Current status: After closure (2011?), it was used as council offices, then news in 2016 confirmed plans to convert it to accommodation for ‘vulnerable young people’. (2017)

• Year grant given (if known): 1903
• Amount of grant: £3000
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 5 June 1905

Photo of library today (2008):

From Geograph:  © Copyright Alan Murray-Rust and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Details:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet

Visited?

Not yet

Web links:

• News: Fears for the future of Rawmarsh’s carnegie library (2011)
• News: Plans for Rawmarsh home for ‘vulnerable youngsters’ approved (2016)

Swinton library

Brief description

The library opened in 1906 and contained the living quarters for the librarian.  The design also incorporated a lecture room for educational purposes.  The library was re-modelled and re-furnished in 1932 (details and photos in the web link below).

Its use as a library was discontinued in 1990s when a new community library was opened in the shopping centre up the hill. ‘Carnegie House’ is now a series of flats. The florally embellished ‘Free Library’ lettering high up on the corner is still clearly seen.

Current status: Residential (2021)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant: £3000
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 25 June 1906 by Sir William Holland MP

Photo of library in 2005:

From geograph: © Copyright George Middleton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Old photo of library (postcard):

Visited?

Not yet

Web links:

• Website: Swinton heritage society
• Links to some of the apartments which can be rented (contain lots of photos): The Bronte apartment – in what was the reading room, the Shakespeare apartment, and the Austen apartment  – in what was part of the large conference room, in the rounded end of the building.

Stourbridge library

Brief description

Built during 1903-4 and extended 1908-9. Designed by Frederick Woodward, Netherlandish Renaissance style. Isaac Nash laid the foundation stone in February 1904.

Carnegie contributed £3,000 to the library’s foundation and a further £700 to the 1908 newsroom extension.

Became Stourbridge College of Art.

Awarded Grade II listing in 1989, largely for its art nouveau stained glass.

Current status: Possibly converted to apartments – ref on (undated) blog  (2017)

• Year grant given (if known):
• Amount of grant: £3000
• Year opened (and by who – if known):

Photo of library today (2015):

From Geograph: © Copyright Stephen Craven and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Details:

Old photo of library (postcard):

Visited?

Not yet

Web links:

• Entry on the listed buildings register