Gladstone's Library changes with nature's seasonal shift

Gladstone's Library, Hawarden

By Rhian Waller - Gladstone's Library PR and marketing

The Library through the Year...

Much of my working life involves looking at images of Gladstone's Library, whether through my own camera viewfinder or when searching through other people's photos to see if they will allow me to post them online.

Every job has its ups and downs, but this is a particularly pleasant task. The Library is beautiful both inside and out, and it is always interesting to see it from the perspective of a visitor.

It does not seem to matter that the building (and some of its books) have been in Hawarden for 120 years, there always seems to be another way of looking at this place.

My ambition, at some point, is to take a series of photos from the same spot. The idea would be to show the four seasons from outside the front of the Library. It is such a striking building, and it seems to change with the weather.

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On bright, shining mornings, the walls glow. The minute facets in the sandstone capture the sun and give it back. On days like these, the Library seems to radiate warmth, and turns to rose gold.

In the winter snow, the building stands out as a vivid splash of colour against stark white.

Under a grey sky, it glowers a little, and the Gothic elements - the battlement-style embellishments, the buttressed windows, the spire-shaped details all conspire to loom.

The glass glints, reflecting the weather. On dark days, you can see the inviting lights inside. From a distance, they look like steady little flames.

On clear days, the windows offer a reply to the sky and become translucent sheets of blue.

The gardens change, too. Right now, the tree at the back of the building is blossoming, and buds are unfolding on bare branches. By summer, the grounds will be a sea of green, and autumn brings its own rusty colours.

One day, when I have the time, and when I'm good enough with a camera to capture all this, I'll be able to show the Library in all four seasons.

Until then, I will keep hunting through those photos.