Year-long library roof repairs due to start

Work to replace the roof on a Grade II listed library building will start next month and take more than a year to complete.

The roof of Kettering Library and Art Gallery in Northamptonshire was damaged during heavy rain in 2023.

North Northamptonshire Council earmarked almost £7m for the repairs and local firm Messenger will be using Collyweston slate from the county for the repairs.

The council confirmed Sheep Street will be closed for a week while a crane lifts scaffolding into place in April.

Kettering Library opened in 1904 and expanded in 1913 when an art gallery complex was built on the side of the main building.

A modern extension has been added and the whole complex, including the Manor House Museum, is now known as Cornerstone.

The roof of the original building is made of Collyweston slate, a unique limestone which is much heavier than traditional slate and is quarried near the Northamptonshire village from which it takes its name.

Messenger will use both new and, where possible, reclaimed Collyweston slates to repair the roof.

The gallery and museum have remained closed since the damage occurred, and the library has been relocated to the new wing.

In April, the authority said scaffolding would start to go up alongside a temporary roof to cover the building.

Sheep Street will reopen once scaffolding has been installed and the crane removed.

The council said access will continue for vehicles and pedestrians during the rest of the project.

Hoardings will also be installed around the building during the project.

On its website, the council said that work was expected to last just over a year.

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.