South Shields Museum And Art Gallery

The South Shields Museum and Art Gallery, built between 1858 and 1860, was originally a public library and museum designed by architect John Wardle. The building is constructed of buff coloured brick with stone dressings and features a flat roof. It stands two storeys high with a basement and has three bays, with the central bay projecting forward and showcasing rusticated quoins. The design reflects a somewhat coarse "Italianate" quattrocento style.

The building's extremities are marked by giant pilasters, and the facade is topped with a heavy, bracketed stone cornice. The central entrance is set within a semi-circular arched opening, which is divided by a central square column that supports the arch's crown. Each outer bay is illuminated by four segmental-headed windows with plain architraves, and above these windows is a heavy floor band. The first floor is lit by three grand semi-circular headed openings with continuous cills, each divided by a central shaft into two semi-circular headed lights, with the tympanum featuring a small circular light. There is a continuous impost band and rusticated jambs on the main openings, with large keystones that meet the eaves cornice.

Originally built for the Mechanics' Institute, the building became the Public Library in 1873, with the museum added in 1876. The library moved to new premises in 1976, and the building underwent cleaning and restoration in 1978-79.