Building of the Month July 2024: Former Stoke Library, London Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4

Building of the Month July 2024: Former Stoke Library, London Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4

Built as a library and Shakespeare Institute for the town of Stoke to the designs of Charles Lynam in 1878, this fabulously individual building is grade II listed (LEN: 1220603).  Can there be another library anywhere that looks like this?

Built in red and white brick with cream tiles and mosaic.  Shakespeare is depicted on a central panel with flowers in urns at the side.  The raised first floor has round windows reminiscent of portholes and the second floor has continuous casement windows presumably to bring light to the reading room or library itself.  It is an utterly charming and unique building.

It is now disused and is on the market for £295,000 through agents Rory Mack but does not have any permissions for alternative uses as yet.