Crumpsall And Cheetham District Library, With Attached Railings

MANCHESTER

SD80SW CHEETHAM HILL ROAD, Cheetham 698-1/2/562 (East side) 03/10/74 Crumpsall and Cheetham District Library, with attached railings

II

Public library, now office and community centre. 1909-11, by Henry Price (the City Architect); altered. Red brick and white limestone with dressings of the same (roof concealed). Rectangular plan on corner site. Edwardian Baroque style. High single storey over basement, 3 wide bays, symmetrical, consisting of projected wings embracing a central entrance lobby with projected porch; with basement of heavily rock-faced masonry, stone quoins to the wings, and high stepped stone parapet. The centre, of limestone ashlar, has a rectangular porch with channelled rustication, a round-headed doorway with voluted keystone and open-pedimented architrave with coupled columns, and semi-spherical roof; the wings have modillioned open pediments, broad quoined pilasters with cartouches lettered "SCOTT" and "MILTON" (left wing) "SHAKESPEARE" and "DICKENS" (right wing), and modillioned friezes and pediments, and in the centre of each wing a tall round-headed window with limestone surround including carved apron and elongated triple keystone. Five-bay left return wall in simpler style, with segmental-headed windows. Basement area protected by wrought-iron railings with limestone piers, geometrical open-work standards, bar railings with attached swags and festoons, and flaming-urn finials. Interior: segmental arcades (blocked); segmental-vaulted ceiling; otherwise altered.

Listing NGR: SD8388501686