Library, Museum And Art Gallery And Attached Railings

The Library, Museum and Art Gallery, along with its attached railings, was begun in 1888-89 and designed by architects W.H. Knight and Chatters. The building features ashlar stonework over a brick structure with a tiled roof, showcasing mixed Renaissance styles.

The exterior consists of two storeys set on a high plinth, divided into sections by pilasters and corner piers, creating a layout of three bays, three bays, three bays, one bay, and one bay. To the right, there is a three-stage tower topped with pepperpot corner finials and an ogee cap. A central set-back gable features a statue of Shakespeare, and a continuous stone balustrade runs along the parapet, which includes a central memorial cartouche. The windows are designed with mullions and transoms; those on the first floor have arched transom lights and pedimented cornices. The centerpiece has a keyed segmental arch above stepped windows adorned with Venetian tracery and an engaged Ionic portico in antis below, which contains an arched door flanked by windows. An additional two-window, single-storey bay is located to the right of the tower, which provides the entrance to the Art Gallery.

Inside, the building retains its original joinery and plasterwork, including panelled doors and a dogleg staircase with carved newels and shaped balusters. The library entrance hall on the left features arched openings supported by moulded imposts.

The area railings along the return to St George's Place have elongated pyramidal caps and taller stanchions with fluted bars. A modern extension to the southeast is not considered to have special architectural or historic interest.

Historically, in 1899, Baron de Ferrieres donated his collection of Old Master paintings to the town along with £1,500 to help establish an art gallery for their display. Originally, the buildings served as both a free library and the Schools of Art and Science, with the upper rooms being occupied by the Museum by 1907. The site occupies a prominent corner and is part of a distinguished group of Victorian buildings within the Regency new town, which includes the Church of St Matthew on Clarence Street, Electricity House, and Shaftesbury Hall on St George's Place.