Cambridge City Council Coat-of-Arms - Wheeler Street, Cambridge, UK
N 52° 12.265 E 000° 07.164
31U E 303167 N 5787685
This building, that bears the year 1884, is located on the north west side of Wheeler Street in Cambridge. The building was extended as a library with the words "Free Library" and coat-of-arms carved above the entrance door.
Waymark Code: WMQVN7
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/01/2016
Views: 1
The coat-of-arms, in relief, are beautifully carved from the stonework of the building and is to be found over the entrance door to the former "Free Library". Today, the building is a restaurant.
The Civic Heraldry website tells us about the coat-of-arms of Cambridge City Council:
ARMS: Gules a Bridge of one arch surmounted by three Towers Or in chief a Fleur-de-Lys Gold between two Roses Argent the base barry way of the last and Azure thereon three Ships each with one mast and yardarm the sail furled also Sable.
CREST: On a Wreath Or and Gules upon a Mount Vert a Bridge in the form of a castle with two Ports and three domed Towers and between the Towers two Turrets also domed Argent.
SUPPORTERS: On either side a Sea Horse the upper parts Gules the nether part proper finned Or.
Granted 7th June 1575, and recorded at the Visitation of 1684.
The city owes its name and early development to the bridge at the farthest navigable part of the River Granta or Cante, now Cam. The ships and sea-horses are unusual for an inland town, but historically Cambridge derived much prosperity from river-borne traffic from the coast. The fleur-de-lys and roses are royal and national emblems, they emphasise the privileges granted by many kings over the centuries.
The crest, though described as a bridge in the record, is more like a castle, and perhaps the intention was to represent a fortified bridge in allusion to the fact that Cambridge Castle stood on the hill just above the point at which the bridge crossed the river.
The arms reproduce certain features of a 15th century seal bearing bridge over a stream and above the bridge two angels supporting a shield of the then Royal Arms (France and England quarterly).
The building is Grade II listed with the Historic England website telling us about this former Library:
Library and former town hall. 1862 designed by Peck and Stephens with 1884 additions designed by G MacDonell in the Italianate style. Yellow gault brick with ashlar dressings and hipped slate roofs. 2 storey. Main front, 11 bays with central single storey ashlar entrance with Ionic columns supporting an entablature, surmounted by the city coat-of-arms, and inscribed "1884, FREE LIBRARY". Round headed doorway with double panel doors and fanlight. Eitherside 5 round headed margin light sashes with moulded ashlar heads and a continuous impost band, above an ashlar cornice. Upper floor has 10 similar round headed sashes with brick coupled Doric pilasters between each window, the whole surmounted by an entablature. The junction with Peas Hill, has a canted corner bay with small flat headed sashes and round windows over, the upper floor has a loggia with 4 Ionic ashlar columns and a single round headed doorway. The Peas Hill front, 4 bays, with slightly projecting entrance bay defined by brick Doric pilasters with a round headed doorway with double panel doors and fanlight. To the left a single flat headed casement and to the right 2 round headed margin light sashes with moulded heads and continuous impost band. Above an ashlar cornice. Upper floor has 4 similar round headed sashes, with plain coupled brick Doric pilasters between except for the window over the doorway which has lightly projecting Doric pilasters, with 2 inset Ionic ashlar columns.
INTERIOR: The Central Junior Library contains a stone early/mid C16 fireplace from John Vesey's House. Library store retains original decoration including all original fitted book cases, with iron gallery, for upper access, with elegant iron balustrade and small iron spiral staircase. The rotunda has 8 tall marble columns arranged in a hexagon, with 4 extra columns, one at each corner, and pilasters on the walls. Each column has an ornate Corinthian capital, and ornately decorated sections of entablature above. The columns support 8 round arches with bracketted keystones. Above a narrow clerestory, then a shallow circular dome with plaster panels, and a central glazed cupola. Town hall is 5 bays and 2 storeys, apsidal ended, built in 1862 by Peck and Stephens. Decorated with broad pilaster strips with blank panels, those on the upper floor with round heads, projecting entablature divides floors, upper windows have balustrades over the cills, and similar entablature at impost level, with plain coved plaster ceiling above. North end has narrow upper gallery supported on iron columns with central round headed panel containing city coat-of-arms. South apsidal end has raised stage with stepped and curved seating platforms behind. Above a canted organ with elaborate wooden casing and exposed pipes.