Ashton Public Library

Ashton Public Library, located in Ashton-under-Lyne, was built between 1891 and 1893 by John Eaton and Sons. This library, which was formerly a school, is constructed of ashlar stone and features a slate roof. The building has an asymmetrical plan with two and three storeys that step back to fit the site, and it includes a seven-bay, one-storey wing to the left. Designed in the Gothic style, the library is dominated by a large tower topped with a pyramidal roof.

The entrance features three arches supported by columns with naturalistic capitals, beneath a pierced parapet and an enriched gable. The second floor has a mullion and transom window set beneath an arch with a carved tympanum, which is complemented by a pierced balcony. To the right, an octagonal stair turret with lancet windows and a conical roof is balanced by tourelles at the other corners, and decorative vanes enhance the distinctive skyline.

The bays flanking the tower contain various oriel windows, segmental-headed windows, and blind cusped openings, with the left bay showcasing a coped gable topped with a decorative finial. The left wing, originally the school, features weathered gableted buttresses and segmental-headed windows within arched recesses. The first bay concludes the composition with a gabled projection that has an oriel window flanked by cusped niches.

Inside, the original features are largely intact, including mosaic floors, glazed tiles, plasterwork, and glazed doors and screens. The library itself is situated in a spacious room with a gallery on all four sides, supported by enriched cast-iron columns and adorned with a decorative balustrade.