Heritage Open Day Old Library Tour

Have a tour round the Old Library and see how this beautiful old building has changed. 

Find out about this iconic Carnegie building, listen to some stories about Newbury's first public Library and see its transformation into a new arts hub.

We reopened the Old Library earlier in 2026 having repurposed and refurbished this wonderful local heritage building. The Old Library has now become a vibrant and flexible arts hub for the local community and is now officially open for workshops, classes and performances.

Local historian and former Librarian Sue Ellis will guide you round the building and talk about its history , the inner workings of the library and tell some interesting tales. You will also see the new performance and community spaces and hear about what goes on in the building now.

The Old Library Café Bar will be open before and after the tour, from 9.30am - 12pm for you to sit back and take in the space with some delicious refreshments.