Victorian British Library, England

This abandoned Victorian British Library has been left to decay for over twenty years. Built in brick and stone, it was one of the first public libraries in this city and is a prominent and treasured landmark.

I explored this Victorian British Library location in 2021. Despite this location being a “classic” UK urbex site, I had always put it off for “another day” so it was nice to finally photograph this one for myself.

Inside the abandoned library

The entrance foyer features circular domed skylights, with a rusted spiral staircase in the corner leading up to a mezzanine flow. The main library reading hall can be accessed from this once grand foyer. Additionally, the mezzanine floor connects with the level of the library balcony level.

The ground floor of the Victorian British Library main reading hall is partitioned. The partitioning dates back to when the building was briefly by a community group, immediatly after closing as a library. This makes the ground floor of this room not too photogenic. Moving to the upper level, the balcony level enables the architectural beauty of this space to be better appreciated.

Decorative iron railings encircle the balcony level of the huge reading room. Bookcases line the walls (sadly, long empty). Glass panels line the long barrel roof, or they did at one time, but these are now long gone. Only empty frames remain. Interesting pendant lights with domed lampshades hang from the roof. There are eight of these lights in total. In recent years, part of the balcony has collapsed due to progressive decay. As a result two bookcases fell to the ground, leaving exposed brickwork upstairs where they once stood.

Recent developments at the Victorian British Library

A local campaign group are fighting to save this iconic building, after two failed regeneration schemes. Recently, the first glimmer of hope has appeared in the form of funding for essential repairs. The award of financial support from government, will be used to repair the roof and make the internal structure safe again. Once the decay is halted, planned re-development work is scheduled to begin. Eventually this Victorian British Library might one day become a community centre, cafe and educational foundation.