Around Preston

The Harris Library and Museum is the cultural hub of Preston - it says so on the website! It is named after  Edmund Robert Harris, a Preston lawyer, who left in his will £300,000 towards the building of a library in 1877. Building started in 1882 - the year of the Preston Guild - until 1893. A temporary library had operated from 1879. It re-opened on Sunday after being closed for refurbishment for four years, so this seemed a good time to pay a visit. It was built in a neo-classic style, with imposing columns at the front. The style continues inside, with a rotunda similarly supported by columns. The central open area extends four stories up, and they are each tall stories. The space is occupied by a pendulum, which is set swinging at regular intervals. Because of the way the planet is spinning, the swing of the pendulum slowing turns. In the photo the pendulum weight is visible towards the bottom and just right of centre. The building has a number of permanent features that b...