Sleep Behind a Tuscan-Columned Portico, Inside Stafford's 1914 Carnegie Library
There are a few hundred 1914 Carnegie-funded library buildings still standing in Britain, and exactly two of them now sleep up to four people behind the original Tuscan-columned portico. Step off Lichfield Road onto the V-shaped traffic island the locals call 'The Green' and you are looking at one of them: The Old Borough Library, restored in 2023 into two contemporary one-bedroom apartments. Push through the original front door and you do not walk into a museum hush, you walk into a clean-lined, contemporary apartment with parquet hardwood floors underfoot, soundproofing baffles overhead and an integrated kitchen against the retained 1914 walls. Two distinctive one-bedroom apartments live behind the portico today, both sleeping up to four on a double bed in the bedroom plus a sofa bed in the living room, both with full kitchens, air conditioning and flat-screen TVs. The building itself opened in 1914 as the town's Carnegie-funded lending library and the architect who drew the plans, Arnold Thornely, would later design the Parliament Buildings at Stormont in Belfast.
The library served Stafford as its lending and reference library, museum and art gallery for more than eighty years before closing in 1998. The building sat empty for over two decades, was added to The Victorian Society's Top Ten Endangered Buildings list in 2016, and was finally converted to ten apartments approved in October 2019. The interior fit-out is therefore less than four years old.
From Carnegie Library to Apartments, The Heritage Story
The library served Stafford as its lending and reference library, museum and art gallery for more than 80 years from 1914 until its closure in 1998. The building then sat empty for over two decades and was added to The Victorian Society's Top Ten Endangered Buildings list in 2016. Conversion approval followed in October 2019 for 'ten apartments and a bar and restaurant,' and HM Land Registry records show the ten flats at 'The Old Library, Lichfield Road, ST17 4JX' first selling in February 2022.
The architect, Arnold Thornely, later designed the Parliament Buildings at Stormont, Belfast, a verifiable, citable credit that adds a different kind of credential to this stay. The interior fit-out is therefore less than four years old: modern decor, air conditioning, soundproofing baffles, integrated kitchens, parquet/hardwood flooring set against the retained 1914 walls. Guest reviews keep returning to the same word, 'spacious, well renovated, historically interesting.' The exterior is Edwardian Baroque brick and stone with a semi-circular Tuscan-columned portico; step through the front door and you walk into a clean-lined, design-led contemporary apartment.
Warmly Reviewed, Small Sample, Honest About It
The property's guest feedback deserves an honest line. The reviews are exceptional, but they rest on a small sample at the time of writing, a real signal, yet one bad future review can swing the average meaningfully. With that caveat noted, the pattern across recent reviews is consistent: cleanliness, comfort, location, staff, facilities and value all sit at the top of the bracket. The property carries a couples badge, with two-person trips rating the location especially highly.
The one area that clearly lags is Free Wi-Fi, and at least one recent reviewer described it as 'sporadic.' Fine for browsing, email and standard streaming; not guaranteed for heavy video calls. The other consistent caveat is no on-site parking, easily solved by the Waterfront Multi-Storey four minutes away (£1.20 flat after 6pm and all day Sunday). There is also no reception, no on-site restaurant, no concierge and no lift, upper floors are reached by one flight of stairs. Book the place understanding it's an apartment let, not a hotel.
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Interesting Points About The Old Borough Library
- Grade II-listed Carnegie library that opened in 1914 on Stafford's 'The Green' V-shaped traffic island, designed by Liverpool architects Briggs, Wolstenholme & Thornely and part-funded by Andrew Carnegie's library grant programme; a heritage-classification combination (statutory listing plus Carnegie-foundation provenance) the standard apartment listing template never surfaces.
- Listed in 2016 on The Victorian Society's Top Ten Endangered Buildings, the building was rescued from 18 years of vacancy by a 2019 planning approval that converted the original lending hall behind the Tuscan-columned portico into 10 apartments (the first sold in February 2022); this was a documented rescue of a building on the brink, not a quick cosmetic refresh, and you sleep inside the result.
- The property carries a Couples Top Pick badge, with two-person stays giving it the warmest possible feedback; the review count is still small, so treat that glowing headline as directional rather than settled, but every part of the stay except the Wi-Fi draws warm praise, with comfort and location the clear standouts.
- Wi-Fi is the one guest sub-score that clearly lags, the sole soft spot on an otherwise strong matrix; the practical pre-booking implication is that remote workers should plan around the Carnegie-building IT limitations (200 yards to Stafford town centre cafes is a fallback) rather than rely on in-suite connectivity for video calls.
Rooms & Accommodation at The Old Borough Library
Superior Apartment
Entire 1-bed apartment · 68 m² (732 ft²) · 1 double + sofa bed · Sleeps 4 · Full kitchen · Private bathroom
The larger of the two apartments and the entry-point on price, an entire one-bedroom apartment at 68 m² (732 ft²) sleeping up to four. The bedroom has one double bed; the living room has a sofa bed plus a sofa, dining area with table, parquet/hardwood floors and soundproofing. The full private kitchen is fitted with oven, stovetop, dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave, toaster, electric kettle and kitchenware, with cleaning products and dining table provided. The private bathroom has bath or shower, free toiletries, towels and toilet paper. Air conditioning, heating, flat-screen TV with free WiFi, wardrobe/closet, washing machine in-unit and iron with ironing facilities are all included. Comfortable beds are a recurring highlight in guest reviews. Upper floors accessible by stairs only, one flight up from the main entrance, no lift. No smoking.
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One-Bedroom Apartment
Entire 1-bed apartment · 60 m² (646 ft²) · 1 double + sofa bed · Sleeps 4 · Full kitchen · Private bathroom
The slightly smaller of the two units at 60 m² (646 ft²), sleeping up to four, bedroom with one double bed plus a sofa bed in the living room. All the same kit as the Superior Apartment: full private kitchen (oven, stovetop, dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave, toaster, kettle, kitchenware), private bathroom with bath or shower, free toiletries, towels and toilet paper, parquet/hardwood floors, soundproofing, air conditioning, heating, flat-screen TV, free WiFi, washing machine and iron in-unit. Comfortable beds are a recurring highlight in guest reviews. This unit usually sits a little above the Superior Apartment, with the difference reflecting floor location and view rather than spec. Upper floors accessible by stairs only; no lift; no smoking.
Check PricesIs The Old Borough Library Right for You?
Best Suited For
- Couples after a heritage-led town-centre stay: the property explicitly badges 'Couples particularly like the location' and rates it 10 for a two-person trip
- London-based weekenders looking for a 1h 16m direct Avanti West Coast hop from Euston rather than a long drive
- Heritage and architecture enthusiasts: this is a Grade II-listed 1914 Carnegie library, one of more than 2,500 Carnegie libraries worldwide and one of the few that has been sensitively converted into accommodation
- Self-catering travellers who want a full kitchen with oven, dishwasher, washing machine and tumble-dryer-grade laundry rather than restaurant dependency
- Families and small groups of up to four: both apartments have a double bed in the bedroom plus a sofa bed in the living room
- Theatre-goers heading to Stafford Gatehouse Theatre and Shakespeare at Stafford Castle in summer
- Day-trippers using Stafford as a West Coast Main Line base: Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham all under an hour by train
Worth Considering Alternatives If
- You need on-site parking: there is none; the Waterfront Multi-Storey is four minutes' walk and is £1.20 flat after 6pm and all day Sunday, but daytime full-day stays at nearby public car parks are quoted at around £9/day
- You can't manage one flight of stairs with luggage: 'upper floors accessible by stairs only' is on the property's data sheet and the host has confirmed there is no lift
- You depend on a reliable Wi-Fi signal for video calls: the connection is the one clearly weaker part of the stay, and one recent reviewer described the Wi-Fi as 'sporadic'
- You want hotel-style staffed service: this is a host-managed self-catering apartment with self check-in 15:00–23:00, no front desk, no daily housekeeping, no concierge and no room service
- You're travelling with pets: pets are not allowed at any age
- You're booking a hen, stag or similar party: the property does not accommodate party bookings
- You need a cot or an extra bed: neither is available, and the maximum occupancy is four bed spaces
- You're hoping to use the ground-floor 'Old Library Bar & Grill': that is a separate business and was listed as temporarily closed at the last check; do not factor it into your stay
Amenities & Facilities
In the Apartment
- Full private kitchen, oven, stovetop, dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave, toaster, electric kettle, kitchenware
- Cleaning products and dining table provided in every kitchen
- Washing machine in-unit · iron and ironing facilities
- Private bathroom in every apartment, bath or shower, free toiletries, towels, toilet paper, hairdryer
- 1 double bed in the bedroom plus 1 sofa bed in the living room (every unit, both apartments)
- Comfortable beds are a recurring highlight in guest reviews
- Parquet/hardwood floors throughout · soundproofing
- Air conditioning and heating · flat-screen TV · free WiFi
- Wardrobe or closet · seating area · sofa · separate dining area
Food & Drink
- Self-catering in the fully equipped kitchen, the natural way to feed yourselves at this address
- Patties & Ting (5A Lichfield Road, ST17 4JX), Jamaican Caribbean street food immediately adjacent · Wed–Sat 12:00–20:00
- Peppers and Oriental Kitchen, both within metres of the door per the property's data sheet
- The Swan Hotel, town-centre coaching inn with a popular bar and restaurant, short walk
- The Post House, contemporary town-centre eatery recommended by Visit Staffordshire
- Bean Encounter, independent café for coffee and cakes
- Wetherspoon's Picture House, landmark pub in the converted former cinema on Bridge Street
- Town-centre supermarkets a couple of minutes' walk for kitchen self-catering top-ups
- Not available: On-site restaurant (the ground-floor Old Library Bar & Grill is a separate business, do not factor it in)
- Not available: On-site bar
- Not available: Breakfast service
Property-Wide
- Free WiFi throughout (the weakest-reviewed feature; one reviewer flagged sporadic signal)
- Private entrance to each apartment
- Grade II-listed 1914 Carnegie library building (National Heritage List for England entry 1428554)
- Non-smoking throughout
- Not available: Reception or front desk
- Not available: Lift / elevator, upper floors accessible by one flight of stairs only
- Not available: Daily housekeeping
- Not available: Luggage storage / concierge / tour desk
- Not available: Pool · gym · spa · garden or terrace · business centre
Parking & Transport
- Waterfront Multi-Storey Car Park (Waterfront Way, ST16 2HQ) ~4-min walk · open 06:30–midnight Mon–Sat / 09:00–midnight Sun · £1.20 flat after 6pm Mon–Sat and all day Sunday
- Public parking nearby: ~£9 per day for daytime stays (no reservation needed)
- Stafford station, 500 yd · ~5–8-min walk · West Coast Main Line · ~4 Avanti West Coast trains an hour to London Euston (fastest 1h 16m, ~117 services/day)
- Penkridge station, 6 mi south
- Birmingham Airport (BHX), 31 mi · ~45-min drive · closest airport
- East Midlands Airport (EMA), 39 mi
- Manchester Airport (MAN), 45 mi
- Not available: On-site parking
- Not available: Airport shuttle
Policies
- Check-in 15:00–23:00 by advance notice; check-out 10:00–11:00
- Self-check-in apartment, no traditional 24/7 reception
- Damage policy: up to £263
- Children of any age welcome (18+ counted as adults)
- No smoking anywhere on the property
- No pets
- No hen, stag or similar parties
- Payment handled on behalf of the property
- Not available: Cots or extra beds
The Green, Stafford, 200 yd to Town Centre, 500 yd to the Station
The Old Borough Library sits on The Green, the V-shaped traffic island at the junction of Newport Road, Bridge Street, Lichfield Road and Bailey Street, on the south side of Stafford town centre. The address is Newport Road, Stafford, ST17 4JX, in the West Midlands region of England.
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, a market town of around 70,000 people with Anglo-Saxon roots, a medieval Norman castle, an Elizabethan timber-framed townhouse and a riverside park, all within walking distance of the property. From the front door, Stafford town centre is 200 yd / ~3-min walk, the pedestrianised high street and Market Square sit at the top of Bridge Street, and the Guildhall Shopping Centre is the same five-minute reach. Stafford station is 500 yd / ~5–8-min walk, on the West Coast Main Line, putting London Euston roughly 1h 16m away on the fastest Avanti West Coast service.
The wider geography matters too. Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester are all within an hour by train, so Stafford works as a quiet, characterful base for day-trip Midlands and North West coverage. Stafford Castle, a ruined Norman motte-and-bailey castle on a wooded hill above the town, is 1.4 mi west; Shugborough Estate, the National Trust mansion and ancestral home of the Earls of Lichfield, is 3.8 mi east; and Alton Towers is a 45-minute drive north. Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Trentham Gardens are both within 13 mi.
- Stafford town centre: 200 yd · ~3-min walk · Pedestrianised high street, Market Square, independent shops and the Guildhall Shopping Centre.
- Stafford railway station: 500 yd · ~5–8-min walk · West Coast Main Line · ~4 Avanti West Coast trains an hour to London Euston (fastest 1h 16m, ~117 services per day).
- Ancient High House: ~0.4 mi · ~8-min walk · Reputed to be the largest surviving timber-framed Tudor townhouse in England (built c.1595); free museum where King Charles I stayed in 1642.
- Stafford Gatehouse Theatre: ~10-min walk · Year-round theatre programme and the home of Stafford's Visitor Information Centre.
- Victoria Park: Short walk via the station footbridge · Stafford's main riverside park on the River Sow, with a bowling green, glasshouse and Albert's Café.
- Stafford Castle: 1.4 mi · ~25-min walk or ~6-min drive · Ruined Norman motte-and-bailey castle on a wooded hill with a free interactive visitor centre; hosts the annual Shakespeare at Stafford Castle festival.
- Shugborough Estate: 3.8 mi east · ~12-min drive · National Trust mansion, walled garden and model farm, ancestral home of the Earls of Lichfield.
- Alton Towers Resort: 33 km · ~45-min drive north · The UK's biggest theme park, ride-and-stay weekend destination.
Getting to Key Locations
Stafford, Staffordshire
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, a 70,000-strong market town on the River Sow that has more than 1,000 years of recorded history. The Normans dropped a motte-and-bailey castle on the hill above the town; the Elizabethans left one of the largest surviving timber-framed Tudor townhouses in England on Greengate Street; and the Edwardians, with Andrew Carnegie's help, left the 1914 Carnegie library on The Green where you'll be staying. The pedestrianised core sits between the property and the river, with Stafford Castle 1.4 mi west and Shugborough Estate 3.8 mi east. The town is small enough to explore on foot in a weekend, but plugged into the West Coast Main Line so it doubles as a day-trip base for Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and even the Lake District.
View on MapHow to Get to The Old Borough Library from London Euston and the M6
- 1. From London, Euston direct on Avanti West Coast: Avanti West Coast direct services from London Euston reach Stafford in around 1h 16m on the fastest train, with roughly four trains an hour through the day and ~117 services daily. Advance singles can be as low as ~£6.50 on slower London Northwestern Railway services via Birmingham; flexible Anytime fares apply to last-minute travel. Stafford sits on the West Coast Main Line, so trains from Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Crewe all stop here too, Manchester Piccadilly is about an hour, Liverpool Lime Street the same.
- 2. Walk from Stafford station to Newport Road (500 yd · ~5–8 min): Exit Stafford station via the single main exit onto Station Road. Turn left and head east toward the town centre. Cross over to Newport Road / Lichfield Road; the apartment is in the distinctive V-shaped Grade II-listed Carnegie library building on The Green, at the junction of Newport Road, Bridge Street, Lichfield Road and Bailey Street. The original Tuscan-columned portico is the main entrance, you can't miss it.
- 3. By car, from the M6 to the Waterfront Multi-Storey: From the M6 take Junction 13 (signposted Stafford South) onto the A449 northbound. Follow signs into Stafford town centre and head for the Waterfront Multi-Storey Car Park on Waterfront Way (ST16 2HQ), about four minutes' walk from the apartment. There is no on-site parking at the property. After 6pm Monday–Saturday and all day Sunday, parking is £1.20 flat, by far the cheapest realistic option in central Stafford. Nearby public car parks quote ~£9/day for full daytime stays.
- 4. From Birmingham Airport (BHX), 31 mi: From Birmingham International Airport, taxi door-to-door is roughly 45 minutes (M42 north to M6 J7, then M6 north to J13). Alternatively, take a free Air-Rail Link shuttle to Birmingham International rail station (next to the airport) and board a direct train to Stafford on the West Coast Main Line, roughly 30 minutes' journey, with regular CrossCountry and London Northwestern services through the day.
- 5. On arrival, let the host know your ETA in advance: Check-in is 15:00–23:00 by advance notice. There is no staffed reception and no 24-hour front desk. Send your expected ETA when you book or before you set off, and the host will share entry instructions before your check-in window. Upper floors are accessible by one flight of stairs only. There is no lift, so plan accordingly if you have heavy luggage or limited mobility.
Stafford & Staffordshire at a Glance
Stafford is the kind of English market town that quietly punches above its weight. It is the county town of Staffordshire, with more than 1,000 years of recorded history, a Norman castle hill that still dominates the western skyline, and one of the largest surviving Elizabethan timber-framed townhouses in the country sitting on its main street. The compact, walkable centre means a long weekend covers the ground; the West Coast Main Line means London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and the Lake District are all an easy day return.
What makes Stafford different from its higher-profile Midlands neighbours like Lichfield or Shrewsbury is the layering: a Carnegie library converted into apartments on The Green, a Tudor townhouse turned free museum on Greengate Street, a Norman castle ruin a mile west, a Capability-Brown-touched landscape at Shugborough four miles east. Add a Stafford Gatehouse Theatre programme that runs year-round and a quietly excellent food scene, Caribbean (Patties & Ting), pan-Asian and traditional pub cooking, and the town becomes the case study for what a small county town can still be.
Best time to visit: May to early September is peak, long evenings, Shakespeare at Stafford Castle performed in the castle ruins (an annual highlight), Staffordshire Day (1 May; the 10th anniversary in 2026 includes The Staffy Trail of sculptures across Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent and Tamworth), and the Staffordshire County Show in late May/early June. Late spring (April–May) is the value sweet spot: gardens and Victoria Park looking their best, prices below peak summer. December delivers the Stafford Christmas Market in Market Square. Other regional anchors: the Great British Food Festival at Trentham Estate in May Bank Holiday, the Stafford Festival in summer, and Trentham Gardens' year-round Italianate landscape with the seasonal light trail in winter.
Watch: ten things to do in Stafford
A recent guide to Stafford covering the castle, the Ancient High House, the Shire Hall Gallery, Victoria Park and the market. A straight answer to what fills a day here.
What Guests Say About The Old Borough Library
Scores and review counts are aggregated from verified guest bookings on major travel platforms.
Exceptional
The Old Borough Library earns warm, near-unanimous guest feedback, though we're calling the small sample size out up front, because there isn't yet enough volume to treat the headline as a guarantee, and one bad future review can swing the average meaningfully. With that caveat noted, the pattern is consistent. Comfort, location, cleanliness, staff, facilities and value all sit at the top of the bracket. The single area that drags is Free Wi-Fi, and at least one recent reviewer flagged it explicitly as sporadic. The dominant praise themes are the heritage character of the building set against modern interiors ('historically interesting, well renovated, spacious'), the cleanliness and finish quality, the near-perfect location for exploring the town on foot, and the value for money. The dominant complaint is parking ambiguity. There is no on-site parking, and although the Waterfront multi-storey is four minutes away and £1.20 flat after 6pm and all day Sunday, that needs reading before you arrive. The property also carries a couples badge, with two-person trips rating the location especially highly.
Genuinely the best place I've stayed in Stafford for a weekend break. Nothing to fault.
James
Gorgeous building, attentive hosts and a great location. The only nit-picks were that the WiFi was sporadic and we got a checkout-info message that arrived before our check-in time, which threw us briefly.
2026-05-07Comfortable, beautifully clean and well-equipped for one night or longer. About eight minutes' walk from the station, with restaurants, pubs and a superstore close by; the only thing to be aware of is that you'll want to use the Waterfront multi-storey, which is cheap in the evenings.
2026-05-03Genuinely the best place I've stayed in Stafford for a weekend break. Nothing to fault.
2026-04-26Exceeded expectations. A very spacious apartment, well renovated and historically interesting, with very good facilities and an excellent location for the centre of town.
2026-04-21Modern, immaculately clean apartment that's perfectly sized for a family stay. Great value, smart décor and every amenity we needed for a night or two away.
2026-04-08Well-appointed apartment for a small group, the sofa bed was as comfortable as the main bed, the kitchen had a proper working oven, and the riverside car park nearby took overnight parking.
2026-03-25A very calm, relaxing stay. Spotless from top to bottom, easy to access, and the décor sits beautifully against the bones of the old building.
2026-03-24Beautiful place to stay and in a great location. Nothing to dislike.
2026-03-30Good to Know Before You Book
There is no on-site parking, but the workaround is easy
The Waterfront Multi-Storey Car Park (Waterfront Way, ST16 2HQ) is about four minutes' walk from the apartment. It's open 06:30–midnight Mon–Sat and 09:00–midnight Sun, and after 6pm Mon–Sat and all day Sunday it's just £1.20 flat, by far the cheapest realistic option in the town centre. For full daytime stays, expect to pay around £9/day in nearby public car parks. Most guests arriving by train from London Euston don't need a car at all.
It's an apartment let, not a hotel
Self check-in is 15:00–23:00 by advance notice. There is no 24-hour front desk, no on-site restaurant, no concierge and no daily housekeeping. Bring or buy what you need from the town-centre supermarkets a couple of minutes' walk away. The kitchen is fully equipped (oven, dishwasher, washing machine, microwave, kettle, toaster, fridge, kitchenware) so self-catering is the default for anything more than a one-night stay.
One flight of stairs from the main entrance, no lift
As the property's data sheet notes, 'upper floors are accessible by stairs only.' The host has confirmed there is a single staircase up to your apartment from the main entrance, and there is no lift. Plan accordingly if mobility or heavy luggage is a concern, and contact the host before booking if you need to confirm the specifics for your unit.
WiFi is free but isn't perfect
Free WiFi is included throughout, but it's the property's weakest-reviewed feature, and at least one recent reviewer described it as sporadic. Fine for browsing, email and standard streaming; not guaranteed for heavy video calls. If you depend on a reliable connection for remote work, plan to tether off a 5G phone, a UK pay-as-you-go SIM from giffgaff, Lebara or O2 is cheap and works well in the town centre.
The ground-floor 'Old Library Bar & Grill' is a separate business
There is a bar and grill on the ground floor of the same building, but it is a separate business with separate management and was listed as temporarily closed on WhatPub at the last check. Do not treat it as a property amenity, don't expect breakfast or room service from it, and check its current status independently if you want to use it during your stay.
Photos of The Old Borough Library
Frequently Asked Questions about The Old Borough Library
The property is on Newport Road, Stafford ST17 4JX, inside the Grade II-listed 1914 Carnegie library that sits on The Green, the V-shaped traffic island at the junction of Newport Road, Bridge Street, Lichfield Road and Bailey Street, on the south side of Stafford town centre. The pedestrianised high street is 200 yd / a 3-minute walk north, and Stafford railway station is 500 yd / a 5–8-minute walk west.
It is a self-catering apartment let inside a Grade II-listed building, not a hotel. Two one-bedroom apartments are listed (Superior Apartment, 68 m²; One-Bedroom Apartment, 60 m²), each with a full private kitchen, a private bathroom, parquet/hardwood floors, soundproofing, air conditioning, flat-screen TV and free WiFi. There is no reception, no daily housekeeping, no on-site restaurant and no concierge. Check-in is self-service via the host between 15:00 and 23:00 with advance notice.
Stafford station is 500 yd / a 5–8-minute walk from the property. Avanti West Coast direct trains from London Euston reach Stafford in around 1h 16m on the fastest service, with roughly four trains an hour and ~117 services a day on the West Coast Main Line. Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Crewe are all within an hour by train too. Advance singles can be as low as ~£6.50 on slower London Northwestern services via Birmingham.
No. There is no on-site parking. The cheapest realistic option is the Waterfront Multi-Storey Car Park on Waterfront Way (ST16 2HQ), about four minutes' walk from the apartment, open 06:30–midnight Mon–Sat and 09:00–midnight Sun. After 6pm Mon–Sat and all day Sunday it's £1.20 flat, by far the cheapest evening/Sunday rate in central Stafford. For full daytime stays, nearby public car parks quote ~£9/day. Most guests arriving by train don't need a car at all.
Check-in is between 15:00 and 23:00 with advance notice of arrival; check-out is between 10:00 and 11:00. The property is operated as a self-check-in apartment. There is no 24-hour front desk and no in-person host on site. Send your expected ETA when you book or before you set off, and the host will share entry details before your check-in window. Don't assume late arrivals will be workable without confirmation.
No, pets are not allowed at any age. Smoking is also not permitted anywhere on the property, and hen, stag or similar party bookings are not accommodated. Children of any age are welcome (the property counts 18+ as adults), but cots and extra beds are not available, so maximum occupancy is four bed spaces in each apartment (one double bed plus a sofa bed in the living room).
Yes to all three. Each apartment has a full private kitchen with oven, stovetop, dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave, toaster, electric kettle, kitchenware, cleaning products and a dining table; a washing machine in-unit plus iron and ironing facilities; air conditioning and heating; a flat-screen TV; free WiFi; a private bathroom with bath or shower, free toiletries, towels and toilet paper; and a wardrobe or closet. Comfortable beds are a recurring highlight in guest reviews.
There is no lift. The property's data sheet states 'upper floors are accessible by stairs only,' and the host has confirmed in the property's guest Q&A that it is just one flight of stairs from the main entrance to your designated apartment. Plan accordingly if mobility or heavy luggage is a concern, and contact the host before booking if you need to confirm the specifics for your unit. The building was originally designed in 1914 and the lift was not part of the 2019–2022 apartment conversion.
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Ready to Book The Old Borough Library?
Two distinctive one-bedroom self-catering apartments inside a Grade II-listed 1914 Carnegie library on The Green, Stafford, 200 yd from the town centre, 500 yd from Stafford station and 1h 16m direct from London Euston on Avanti West Coast. Full kitchen, air conditioning, free WiFi, washing machine in-unit, parquet floors and the heritage character of a 111-year-old former public library inside. Warmly and near-unanimously reviewed on a small sample (read the reviews block above honestly), with comfort, location and cleanliness the standout strengths. Self check-in 15:00–23:00 · no on-site parking (Waterfront Multi-Storey four minutes' walk) · one flight of stairs, no lift.
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