Caversham Free Public Library is a Grade II listed building in the Reading local planning authority area, England. First listed on 14 December 1978. Library. 3 related planning applications.
Caversham Free Public Library
- WRENN ID
- wild-doorway-merlin
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- Reading
- Constituency
- Reading Central MP: Matt Rodda (Lab)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 14 December 1978
- Type
- Library
- Address
- Caversham Free Public Library, Church Street, RG4 8AU
- OS grid reference
- SU 713 748
- Coordinates
- 51.46779, -0.97422
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
Caversham Free Public Library is a building established with its foundation stone laid on January 23, 1907, on a site donated by Andrew Carnegie. The architect is possibly F. W. Albury. The library is designed in an irregular style that combines red brick and stone, reminiscent of the sub-Voysey style, and features a tiled roof. It has asymmetrically arranged gables, one of which bears an inscription and the other displays the date. These gables flank an off-center tower that includes pylon corner piers and is topped with ball finials and a small copper domed stair turret. The entrance is located in the tower and is marked by large columns. Above the entrance is an Atlas figure, signed by B. L., which supports a clock. The building has three windows: one with three lights, one with one light, and another with two lights, each separated by pilasters made of alternating stone and brick, adorned with floral caps. Inside, there is a memorial tablet in the marbled lobby, and there is a three-window return to Hemdean Road. The interior has been altered.
Local climate
Caversham Free Public Library sits in a drier-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 730 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 80% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 73% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 34 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 53% of listed buildings. Of these, 14 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
Sign in or create a free account to unlock:
- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- Related listed building consents — 3 applications
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.
Similar buildings
The closest matches to this building from all 493,000 UK listed buildings, by architecture, period and materials.
this building 1 similar nearby listed buildings