Winchester Library

Winchester Library, completed in 1838 and designed by architect O B Carter, is a Grade II* listed building. The library features a one-storey street front with a central projecting portico supported by four Tuscan stone columns, accessed by a flight of stone steps. The structure has symmetrical wings and angle pavilions made of yellow stock bricks set on a stone plinth, with a moulded stone string at the springing of the window arches. It is adorned with large rusticated stone quoins and a wide flat bracketed eaves cornice. The pediment above the portico is treated similarly.

Above the portico, there is a square bell turret with a brick base, a stone string, and corner Doric stone pilasters (painted), topped with a wide eaves cornice that matches the main building. The turret features wooden painted louvres on each side, and all roofs are covered with slate. The building has a window arrangement of 1+3+2+3+1, with a doorway in the centre. The windows in the wings and pavilions have arched heads with radiating bars, although those in the wings appear to have been altered, and the stone string at the springing has been cut away.

Originally a Corn Exchange, the library exhibits a strong character reminiscent of the designs of Smirke. The exterior was restored to its original appearance in 1965, while the interior was completely remodelled.