Sunderland Corporation West Branch Library

SUNDERLAND

NZ35NE KAYLL ROAD 920-1/4/134 (West side) Sunderland Corporation West Branch Library

GV II

Branch library. Dated 1909. Architect Hugh TD Hedley, contractor WB Cooper, donor of site Ald. Wm Burns J.P. Bright red stretcher bond brick with sandstone ashlar dressings; roof of Lakeland slates. Baroque style. EXTERIOR: one storey, 2:2:2 windows. Renewed side steps to central porch; panelled door, middle panels round in style of many C19 Sunderland doors, in architrave with curved projecting key to entablature with BRANCH LIBRARY incised on frieze; heavily rusticated attached columns and ogee dentilled pediment with date 1909 in carved tympanum. End pairs of windows in projections with rusticated pilasters suporting open dentilled pediments with Borough arms; single windows flank porch. All windows sashes with glazing bars, with long triple keys on lugged architraves. Dentilled cornice breaks forward to pediments and supports balustrade over recesses flanking porch, corniced panels over outer blind bays, and raised panels with cornice and blocking course over pediments. Commemorative stone at left names site donor and architect and Town Clerk; another at right names contractor, Mayor and officials. One of 3 libraries (the others Monkwearmouth (qv) and Hendon) paid for by Andrew Carnegie with »10,000 given to provide 2 libraries. (Monkwearmouth Memories: Sunderland: 1989-: 3).

Listing NGR: NZ3790656427