Former Reading Room For Wolverton Railway Works

The Former Reading Room for Wolverton Railway Works is a Grade II listed building constructed in 1839, with minor alterations made in the 20th century. It was built for the London and Birmingham Railway and was empty at the time of inspection in 2003. The building is made of red brick in English Bond, featuring some stone dressings, and has a hipped slate roof with roof lights and ridge ventilators. It exhibits a restrained Classical style.

The east elevation, which faces the canal, has six first-floor windows, although some ground-floor windows are blocked by a lower addition. The west elevation faces the former locomotive shed, built in 1846, and is attached to it with later in-fill structures. The windows have steel frames with 12 lights, set under stone lintels with keyblocks.

Although the interior was not inspected, the building has historical significance. It served as a reading room for railway employees, housing 700 books and numerous periodicals. It also functioned as a Wesleyan Chapel before a dedicated chapel was built and later accommodated various light industrial uses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This 1839 brick structure is recognized as an early and significant example of social provision within a large-scale works, maintaining strong group value with other listed railway buildings at Wolverton, particularly the adjacent Former Railway Works Building.