The visible part of the exterior
The Library is housed in an ancient building (listed Grade II) which was known until recently as the Bridget Chapel. The building is many hundreds of years old, and part of it is formed by the Great North Wall of the Abbey (listed Grade I).
The visible part of the exterior
The Library was once housed in the upstairs space in the front courtyard currently occupied by the Goddess Temple, and moved to its present home some years ago.
One of the noteworthy features of the ancient building is its extraordinary ceiling, in which one of the beams stops several feet (1m) short of the point at which it ought to join onto another. Nobody can explain this; everyone says "It's always been like that."
The walls of the chapel appear to be generally 24" solid stonework, made of the local Blue Lias limestone with a number of sandstone additions.
The main part of the Library features a window seat let into the massive stone wall (its flat outer face can be seen in the exterior picture) and a very large sandstone fireplace, which some say was part of the original building and others say was added after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, having been looted from the Abbey.
Opposite the main door of the Library is another door, usually concealed by hangings and bookcases, and always locked. In the spirit of 'narrative inevitability' (Pratchett), it connects with Messrs. Little Imps, the toyshop in Magdalene Street.
On the west side of the main library space there is an annexe, which (like many things in Glastonbury) is at a different level, connected in this case by a ramp.
The annexe was formerly the store-room of a cafe, which was in the premises currently occupied by Gallery 8. The annexe now houses the fiction and audio collections (in smart new cases), oversize books and several section shelves. It provides a small display window, which is neatly concealed by the Copper Beech tree in the garden.
Because the building is so old and heavily built it is inevitable that it should contain substantial esoteric energies. Those sensitive to these energies frequently perceive their interaction with the building and its occupants (more details on the Visioning page).
