Public Library, 34 New Street, Randalstown, Antrim, Co Antrim, BT41 3AF

Public Library, Randalstown

This is a symmetrical public library comprising a five-bay, two-storey central block with single-bay, single-storey wings on either side. The main entrances face west.

The entrance elevation features a roof of Bangor blue slates laid in regular courses with dark-toned ridge tiles. A central octagonal cupola sits on the ridge, its copper-sheeted sides containing timber louvred rectangular openings. The cupola has clock faces to the front and north side, topped with an ogee lead dome. Two chimneys on the ridge are smooth cement rendered with plain projecting cornices. PVC gutters and downpipes have been installed.

The walling is built of squared basalt rubble with original recessed lime mortar pointing and a plain projecting plinth. The five ground floor openings are contained within semi-circular arched recesses. The three central recesses are filled with finely jointed snecked basalt in irregular courses and incorporate semi-circular arches to the windows within them. The two flanking recesses are filled with squared basalt rubble similar to the main walling and incorporate semi-circular arches to the doorways.

First floor windows are rectangular timber sliding sashes, 6 over 6 with horns, set in exposed sash boxes within cement rendered reveals; they have projecting concrete cills and flat arches to their heads. Ground floor windows are semi-circular headed sashes of similar construction. The left doorway contains a rectangular timber ledged door with modern metal letterbox, surmounted by a semi-circular radially glazed fanlight in a timber frame, with cement rendered stone base blocks and a concrete ramp to the doorstep. The right doorway is similar but with a sheeted door and concrete doorstep.

The wings are slightly set back from the main block and built of snecked basalt, finely jointed. Each contains a semi-circular arched window on the ground floor, similar to those of the central block, with projecting cills of rhyolite. They have PVC gutters with short cast iron links to the main downpipes.

The north gable of the north wing is a blank wall of roughly coursed basalt rubble with squared quoins at the extremities. Both wings and the main block feature overhanging eaves with tongued and grooved sheeted soffits and timber barge boards. The north gable of the main block is basalt rubble with squared quoining, and contains a small portion of red brick filling at the apex.

The rear elevation of the north wing is basalt rubble with roughly squared quoins to the right-hand extremity, set back slightly from the main block, and contains one window similar to that of the front elevation. The roof is slated as the entrance front, with a cast iron gutter and short link to the downpipe.

The rear elevation of the main block is five-bay, two-storey, with semi-circular arcading to the ground floor. The roof and general walling are similar to the entrance front, except that the plinth is not continuous along this elevation. Cast iron gutters and downpipes are present. The five first floor windows are similar to those on the entrance elevation, except that the second from the right has had its cill height raised to accommodate a modern small-paned metal window.

The ground floor contains five windows, with the two outer sets contained within semi-circular arched recesses filled with basalt rubble incorporating semi-circular arches. The right pair are both semi-circular headed sashes as on the entrance front, with Tardree granite cills. The second from left is similar, while the extreme left window has had its cill level raised to contain modern small-paned metal fixed lights with top-hung vents, with a smooth cement rendered tympanum and projecting concrete cill. The central bay has been partly filled with smooth cement render, lined and blocked, with a large radially glazed lunette filling the arch above.

The rear elevation of the south wing is set back slightly from the main block and similar to the north wing, except that in place of the window there is a large later rectangular garage doorway with concrete lintel and smooth rendered jambs, fitted with a timber sheeted and glazed door. The south gable of the south wing is similar to the north wing, except for a rectangular timber sheeted door in a timber frame set in a raised smooth cement surround. The south gable of the main block is similar to the north.

The building stands detached within the built-up area of the town, facing the road but set back from it with a small enclosed front area containing lawns, bounded by a low roughly coursed basalt rubble wall with large sandstone copings surmounted by original cast iron spear-headed railings, many of which have lost their heads. The railings terminate at each end in large square piers of coursed rhyolite with missing caps and modern reticulated cement pointing. Short returns of boundary walls and railings at each end of the front area are linked to short screen walls extending from the gables of the wings, which are built of snecked basalt with concrete copings.

The front boundary wall and railings contain two gateways on axis with each of the main entrances, with original cast iron gates of similar design to the railings, set in square cast iron posts. The left-hand gateway is raised on a sandstone step. Concrete paths lead from the gates to each doorway. The front area between the paths is surfaced with a concrete path bordered by crazy paving, with small grass patches at each end.

The corner pier to the north was one of a pair forming a gateway to the yard behind and is mounted with a cast iron gate of similar design to the railings; the corresponding pier is now embodied in an adjacent building, painted over but still containing the other half of the pair of gates. The corner pier to the south is also one of a pair forming a gateway, but the gates are now missing; the corresponding pier forms the corner pier to an adjacent property, the former schoolhouse.

The two gateways each lead to tarmac driveways into a large market yard at the rear, which is surfaced in tarmac and bounded by one and two-storey sheds. The centre of the yard contains a conjoined pair of large semi-circular roofed corrugated iron sheds positioned close up to the rear of the library.