WATCHET library is set for a major refurbishment that will force the closure of The Esplanade building for seven weeks. A bequest from an unnamed local resident will pay for some of the estimated £25,000 cost of the work. The improvements will begin with repairs to the roof and exterior walls, which are expected to be carried out without any disruption to the service. But the interior refurbishment, which will get underway on September 12, will mean the library is out of action to the public until the end of October. Somerset County Council library service spokesman David Cawthorne said the interior work would involve removing all the furniture and fittings, including the shelving and counter, and replastering and repainting the walls. The rear of the library will also be renovated and a new counter installed near the front of the building. Fully automatic doors will replace the existing ones, providing easier access for all customers. New shelving will also be installed to better display the range of books and audio visual materials. The bequest will help pay for the shelving and new counter, as well as the purchase of some talking books. Mr Cawthorne said people would be encouraged to use the library in Williton during the closure. "We hope the library customers in Watchet will be patient with us during the period the library is closed. "They will find, when it reopens, that they have a building with a much improved layout, well decorated and much more pleasant to use." The library was first opened in May 1953 and is housed in Watchet's old disused lifeboat house, which was converted and modernised. The building was given to the town by the Stoate family, owners of once thriving flour mills which were relocated from Watchet to Bristol following a devastating fire in the early 1900s.
