South Library
SOUTH LIBRARY, 115 AND 117, ESSEX ROAD
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1298054
- Date first listed:
- 30-Sept-1994
- List Entry Name:
- South Library
- Statutory Address:
- SOUTH LIBRARY, 115 AND 117, ESSEX ROAD
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-07-18
- Reference:
- IOE01/00970/04
- Rights:
- © Mrs Lesley Arevalo. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1298054
- Date first listed:
- 30-Sept-1994
- List Entry Name:
- South Library
- Statutory Address 1:
- SOUTH LIBRARY, 115 AND 117, ESSEX ROAD
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:
- SOUTH LIBRARY, 115 AND 117, ESSEX ROAD
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Greater London Authority
- District:
- Islington (London Borough)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 31945 83953
Details
ISLINGTON
TQ3183NE ESSEX ROAD 635-1/59/381 (North East side) Nos.115 AND 117 South Library
II
Public library. 1915-16 by Mervyn Macartney. Portland stone, thin red brick with occasional blue brick set in English bond, and rubbed brick dressings, yellow brick to the stair tower; roof of Welsh slate. Two storeys, five-window range to Essex Road, the three inner bays flanked by four giant Composite pilasters of rubbed, cut and moulded brick, the outer bays slightly wider. Plinth of Portland stone with crisp lettering to the foundation stone. Segmental-arched entrance flanked by Corinthian columns supporting an open scrolled pediment with Borough coat of arms between; wooden doorcase of pilasters carrying entablature with pulvinated frieze and cornice. Ground-floor windows segmental-arched with eared architraves of moulded and rubbed brick, keystones, and recessed 15/15 sashes. Blank oval oculi above the three middle windows.Upper windows flat-arched with arrises of rubbed brick, frames set almost flush with the wall and 12/12 sashes; the right-hand window has a generous apron of rubbed brick. Stone entablature with pulvinated frieze and modillion cornice; brick parapet and stone coping. The treatment of the Essex Road front is continued round into Halton Cross Street for two bays between curved recessed corners; then a single-storey range on Halton Cross Street with flat-arched windows with gauged brick heads, brick band, and recessed panels to parapet; this wing ends in a five-sided canted bay with Venetian window and stepped parapet with consoles. Oval stair tower in the angle of the Essex Road and Halton Cross Street wings. INTERIOR: . Vestibule: panelled in grey-white marble with superimposed pilasters supporting three bays of domical vaulting. Staircase hall: oval in plan with black-and-white marble floor, geometrical stair and wrought iron balusters. Principal ground-floor room to Essex Road has eared architraves in hardwood to the windows, echoing the exterior, and to the doorcases which have segmental pediments. In the Halton Cross Street wing, the Venetian window has a fully-detailed architrave, curved in plan. First-floor room to Essex Road: engaged and free-standing Doric columns to all four sides supporting shallow coved roof with shallow dome and lantern; panelled dado; architraves to door and to oval oculi.
Listing NGR: TQ3194583953
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 368881
- Legacy System:
- LBS
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
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 08-Jun-2026 at 06:36:15.
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All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.