Eccles Central Library

Eccles Central Library is a public library built in 1907, with single-storey additions made in 1971. Designed by Edward Potts, the library is constructed of brick with terra-cotta dressings and features a stone slate roof. It has four bays and two storeys, with a fifth bay set back to the right and the 1971 additions located at the rear and left. The building showcases a mixed Renaissance style.

The main entrance features double doors in the second bay, topped with a fanlight and an open pediment supported by Ionic three-quarter columns, which frame a coat of arms. Wide flat pilasters on either side support an enriched cornice and parapet, adorned with scrolled coping and enriched panels. The tripartite windows are set below semi-circular arches, with bold radiating voussoirs. The first floor has paired windows separated by Ionic columns. A prominent feature of the library is the elaborate canted bay window, which includes a swag frieze at first floor level and an octagonal belvedere with a domed roof set back behind a balustrade.

The right return and rear of the building incorporate similar architectural details, though to a lesser extent. Inside, the library boasts a large two-storey hall with full-height round-arched arcades on each side, two of which are blind, leading to a walkway at first floor level. The vaulted ceiling includes a clerestory, and the interior features stained glass along with some original timber and iron fittings. The 20th-century additions are not considered of special interest.