Hither Green Library

Hither Green Library is a public library built in 1907 by Henry Hopton. It is constructed of red Leicestershire brick with grey terracotta dressing from Doulton. The building features a slate roof and is a single storey with a central tower. The front has three symmetrical bays, with central double panelled doors beneath a fanlight and voussoirs, flanked by banded Ionic columns that support a lintel inscribed 'PUBLIC LIBRARY'. On either side of the entrance are gabled bays with Venetian windows that include cartouches in the tympanum below consoles. Above the entrance is a domed octagonal tower topped with a pinnacle, featuring concave faces and sharply projecting dentil cornices, along with eight-light windows on four sides and scrolled brackets with scallop finials on the other four sides. The side elevation has six bays, with a central pair of gables and a parapet balustrade; the windows have columnar mullions. Inside, there is a circular entrance hall under a dome, along with original screens and coloured glass. This library is an unusual small branch library that showcases fine terracotta work and represents a unique example of Roman Baroque-inspired design in the tower. It is particularly complete.