History

Built in 1898 by Douglas & Minshall, architects of Chester, for the newly established Halkyn parish council. It was financed by Flintshire County Council, Halkyn Mining Co and the Duke of Westminster. The contractor was A B Lloyd. A doorway was inserted on the N side in 1951, and a small wing was added to the S side in the last decade of the C20.

Exterior

Simple Tudor style comprising the main hall and a slightly lower block under a hipped roof to the W, of rubble stone with rock-faced quoins and mullioned windows, and a slate roof with overhanging eaves. The main hall has 4-light windows. In the S elevation the 4 windows are grouped with 2 in the centre and one at each end. The 2 central windows were originally flanked by battered buttresses. The buttress on the R side is retained, while on the L side the buttress is obscured by an added small gabled wing. This small wing also partly obscures an original lateral stone stack. Against the E gable end is a lower porch, the original entrance. It has double boarded doors on the N side, a 2-light window in the gable end. Above the porch the hall has a wide 4-light window. The N wall has three 4-light windows grouped towards the centre, to the R of which is an added doorway clasped by battered buttresses supporting a concrete canopy. The lintel of the doorway is dated 1951. The doorway has double boarded doors.

The N side of the lower block has a 4-light window offset to the R side. In its W wall are a 4-light window L and boarded door under a lintel R of centre. In the S wall are three 2-light windows and a single-light window R of centre.

Interior

The main range is divided by a central moveable wood-panelled screen. Above the moveable section is a tie beam with king post and curved struts, all infilled with boarding. The main range has a 6-bay roof with trusses on wooden wall posts and concealed by a modern ceiling at collar-beam level.

Reasons for Listing

Listed for its historical interest as an exeptionally early public library by a new local authority, and for its retention of simple original character and detail in a prominent location.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29503041

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

• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6