Leyland Free Library 98 Market Street Hindley

Library and Museum. 1886. By Thomas Worthington. Brick with stone dressings and slate roofs. 2 storeys, with basement, 6 bays, the 1st, entrance bay projects under pyramidal roof. Sill courses and string courses, top cornice and parapet. 2nd to 6th bays  have flanking half-octagonal shafts capped by finials. 3rd, 4th and 5th bays have stone  2-storey bay windows with recessed curved angles; 1:2:1-light double- chamfered-  mullioned windows with 2 transoms. 2nd and 6th bays have narrow windows with  transoms to ground floor. All windows have leaded glazing with rectangular quarries. 1st  bay has round-headed entrance with 2-bay porch; round arches on round piers, paired to  centre; angle octagonal turrets and arcaded balustrade over frieze inscribed: "THE  LEYLAND FREE LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 1886", 2 heraldic beasts to turrets support armorial  bearings. To 1st floor 2 narrow windows each with round tympanum and hood mould.  Roof has lantern stage of 5 lights to each side. Stone-coped brick basement area wall with  iron rail. Left return is similar, of 2 bays, the 1st projects under coped gable and has  2-storey canted bay window; the 2nd has small window and plaque to ground floor, paired  2-light windows with 2 mullions and round tympana, with bosses and hood moulds to 1st  floor. Interior has 1st floor room with arch-braced canted roof, the central section with  moulded beams. To one end a large book case with decorative panels, broken segmental  pediment and armorial bearing (Leyland), frieze inscribed "LEYLAND COLLECTION".  Adjoining room has moulded beams and fireplace.

Perspective published in The Architect, January 27th 1887.