Former Holbeck Public Library

The Former Holbeck Public Library, originally known as the Cambrian Public House, is located on Nineveh Road in Holbeck, Leeds. Built in 1901 by architect William Bakewell, this building features a red brick façade faced in salt-glazed Burmantofts terracotta and has a grey slate roof. It stands on a corner site with sloping ground and consists of two storeys over a basement, topped with a central tower that has an octagonal hipped roof.

The building showcases complex fenestration, including mullion windows on the Nineveh Road side, flanked by wings with transoms. There are round-arched windows beside the entrance porch, which has a segmental pediment supported by consoles. A prominent feature is the large four-light canted bay at the corner, flanked by turret-like bays, all fitted with small-pane frames. The exterior is adorned with banded and moulded wall decoration, including the Leeds coat of arms above the entrance, as well as Art Nouveau plaques and scrolls, and a balustraded parapet.

The interior has not been inspected. William Bakewell is known for designing several significant buildings in Leeds, including the 1899 extensions to the Tower Works on Globe Road. The Cambrian public house closed in 1990.