The Old Library and Attached Front Area, Wall Pier and Railings
THE OLD LIBRARY AND ATTACHED FRONT AREA, WALL PIER AND RAILINGS, 30, KING STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1282241
- Date first listed:
- 08-Jan-1959
- List Entry Name:
- The Old Library and Attached Front Area, Wall Pier and Railings
- Statutory Address:
- THE OLD LIBRARY AND ATTACHED FRONT AREA, WALL PIER AND RAILINGS, 30, KING STREET
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 1999-08-22
- Reference:
- IOE01/01552/12
- Rights:
- © Mr Peter Frederick Rushby. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1282241
- Date first listed:
- 08-Jan-1959
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 30-Dec-1994
- List Entry Name:
- The Old Library and Attached Front Area, Wall Pier and Railings
- Statutory Address 1:
- THE OLD LIBRARY AND ATTACHED FRONT AREA, WALL PIER AND RAILINGS, 30, KING STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- THE OLD LIBRARY AND ATTACHED FRONT AREA, WALL PIER AND RAILINGS, 30, KING STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- City of Bristol (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- ST 58727 72709
Details
BRISTOL
ST5872NE KING STREET, Centre 901-1/16/604 (North side) 08/01/59 No.30 The Old Library and attached front area wall, pier and railings (Formerly Listed as: KING STREET (North side) The Old Library) (Formerly Listed as: KING STREET (North side) Walls, railings and gates of The Old Library)
GV II*
Library, offices, now restaurant. 1738-40. Carving and possibly design by James Paty. Extended late C18. Limestone ashlar, Pennant rubble basement, hipped roof not visible. Double-depth plan with central stair-hall, and a left-hand projecting extension. Early Georgian Palladian style. 2 storeys and basement; 5-window range with 2-window wing. A symmetrical front with a left-hand wing, moulded plinth, banded ground floor to a plat band, banded pilaster strips to a modillion cornice and parapet with moulded coping, the pedimented 3-window centre is set forward. A shallow porch with fluted Composite columns and responds and modillion pediment, to a door with 8 raised panels. The wing has a right-hand door with blocked jambs, and a short wall to the left of the end elevation with a panel inscribed THE OLD LIBRARY above a plate-glass overlight and 6-panel door. Ground-floor windows have incised voussoirs and 6/6-pane sashes. First-floor windows have shallow aprons, raised cornices, and pediments to the outer windows, the right-hand one of the wing, and segmental to the centre, to 9/9-pane sashes with thick glazing bars. In the right return is a semicircular-arched stair window with an architrave and 6/6-pane sash with Gothick glazing bars. INTERIOR: entrance hall with a good right-hand open-well stair with rocaille carved brackets, 3 column-on-vase balusters per tread, larger matching newel to a wide curtail and moulded rail; panelled shutters, doors and moulded cornices. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: flagged front area has attached right-hand ashlar wall to a capped pier, and bud-headed wrought-iron railings and gate with dog bars across the front. The pediments flanking the centre formerly had putti reading books above, and the main pediment held a good City coat of arms, both lost in neglect and restoration. The very fine panelled reading room on the first floor, with bookcases and magnificent continued chimneypiece by Grinling Gibbons, were removed to the Central Library in 1909. Wall, railings and gate were listed on 04.03.77. (Ison W: The Georgian Buildings of Bristol: Bath: 1952-: 63, PL 14; Gomme A, Jenner M and Little B: Bristol, An Architectural History: Bristol: 1979-: 141; The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: North Somerset and Bristol: London: 1958-: 433).
Listing NGR: ST5872772709
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 379869
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: North Somerset and Bristol, (1958), 433
Gomme, A H, Jenner, M, Little, B D G, Bristol, An Architectural History, (1979), 141
Ison, W, The Georgian Buildings of Bristol, (1952), 63
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
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Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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