Description

PLYMOUTH

SX4854 NORTH HILL, Plymouth
740-1/58/385 (East side)
01/05/75 Library and Museum
(Formerly Listed as:
TAVISTOCK ROAD, Plymouth
Library and Museum)

GV II

Library and museum. 1907 by Thornely and Rooke. Damaged during
the Blitz and subsequently restored. Plymouth limestone ashlar
with limestone dressings; dry slate roofs behind tall parapet
with modillion cornice and moulded entablature and pediments
to the projecting bays; dressed stone stacks with moulded
entablature. Edwardian Baroque style. Very long plan
articulated at the front.
EXTERIOR: single-storey, over basement to museum (1st floor
lit by roof lights); 2-storey entrance and stair projections.
Museum has symmetrical 1:3:3:3:1-bay front; library has
symmetrical 3:1:3-bay front plus bay on the right, all with
plinth or basement as plinth. The single bays are broken
forward and surmounted by pediments with modillion cornices
like the parapet cornice.
The projecting central bays of the museum have a stepped
parapet with central Diocletian window with stepped keys and
with swagged festoons to the spandrels; narrow flanking bays
broken forward and with panels to parapet, all with modillion
cornice like the main parapet. Below the parapet entablature
is a recessed central bay with a giant order of distyle
composite columns in antis. Between the columns is a moulded
3-light mullioned window over a round-arched recessed doorway
with moulded keyblock and moulded inner and outer imposts. The
arch and the festooned spandrels have channelled rustication
and this is carried on 2 orders of Tuscan pilasters.
Channelled rustication to flanking bays, each bay with a tall
1st-floor window with elaborate architrave over a square
2-light window within a moulded architrave, both with aprons.
The flanking groups of 3 bays have paired composite columns
flanking the bays which contain tripartite windows with
central open pediment over entablature and attached Tuscan
columns. These bays stand on a basement with channelled
rustication and there are keyed segmental-arched openings to
the right-hand basement. Each of the narrow end bays of the
museum has a triangular pediment over a 3-light mullioned
window with apron. Pavement-level doorway has and open and
broken pediment framing a panel within a moulded architrave.

Library has projecting central bay with stepped parapet with
open pediment on giant order of paired square composite
columns. There is a Venetian window with composite columns
rising into the festooned pediment, and there is an
open-pedimented Tuscan doorway with cartouche above scene
depicting the ship Mayflower within the tympanum of the
round-arched inner doorway. Each group of 3 flanking bays has
central window with open segmental pediment and flanking
windows with open triangular pediment, all on attached
columns. The bay at far right has channelled rustication and a
cartouche over a tripartite window with an open segmental
pediment.
INTERIOR: restored in 1954 and contains some good features to
the main entrance including a cantilevered stone staircase and
stained glass celebrating literary figures by Morris & Co,
1925.
A very confident example of a public building in this
characteristic Edwardian style.
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Devon: London: 1989-:
657).

Listing NGR: SX4808754895

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26666015

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas