Former Public Record Office
Maughan Library, Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1LR
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed building
- List Entry Number:
- 1359155
- Date first listed:
- 09-Jan-1970
- Statutory Address:
- Maughan Library, Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1LR
Location
Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.
Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.
What is the National Heritage List for England?
The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.
The list includes:
| Buildings |
| Scheduled monuments |
| Parks and gardens |
| Battlefields |
| Shipwrecks |
Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2005-04-10
- Reference:
- IOE01/14024/11
- Rights:
- © Mr Anthony Rau. Source: Historic England Archive
Local Heritage Hub
Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.
Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed building
- List Entry Number:
- 1359155
- Date first listed:
- 09-Jan-1970
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 24-Jul-1998
- Statutory Address 1:
- Maughan Library, Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1LR
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Maughan Library, Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1LR
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Greater London Authority
- District:
- City and County of the City of London (London Borough)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 31213 81287
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 26 September 2023 to amend the name and address and to reformat the text to current standards
TQ 3181 SW
61/7
CITY OF WESTMINSTER
CHANCERY LANE, WC2
Maughan Library (King's College London)
(Formerly listed as The Public Record Office)
9.1.70
G.V.
II*
Public building. Original part to east partly within City of London, Fetter Lane q.v., 1853-55 by Sir James Pennethorne, extended with frontage to Chancery Lane 1891-96 by Sir John Taylor including re-erected C13 archway of the Rolls Chapel. Pennethorne's work of Bath stone with lead roofs; Taylor's extension of Portland stone, both rock faced with ashlar dressings. Pennethorne's building is notable for its fire proof construction with individual modular document cells built of wrought iron with shallow arched brick vaults and cast iron girders; the elevations employing Perpendicular Gothic in very functional way; the Perpendicular style was continued by Taylor in a rather more elaborated fashion.
Symmetrical front to Chancery Lane with central archway in "gatehouse" and terminal polygonal turrets with stone ogee cupolas. Symmetrical east-west range with central "gatehouse" and square tower above, and a more asymmetrical range with polygonal turrets to Fetter Lane. The Pennethorne work distinguished by the sheer mullion-buttresses articulating the fully glazed window bays finished off with depressed triangular arches over the top floor below pierced parapet and crocketed finials. Similar details to Taylor extension but with closer net mullions dividing the lights. Part of the chancel arch of the demolished C13 Rolls Chapel re-erected against the rear of the Chancery Lane block at the south east end. Important Renaissance monuments from the chapel are now in the Record Office museum.
Listing NGR: TQ3121381287
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 199443
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 04-Jun-2026 at 20:33:52.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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.