Rickmansworth Library finds new location after fire damage

Rickmansworth Library has begun offering activities from the 1st Rickmansworth Scout Headquarters in Ebury Road, this week.

Space is limited and the scout hall will need to be cleared after each session but an initial programme includes storytimes, ‘nattercraft’, baby rhyme time, and its regular Saturday story and activity time.

• Rickmansworth Library closed until further notice after fire
• 'Lack of progress' moving Rickmansworth library after fire
• Warning of delays as Affinity Water carry out emergency roadworks

Rickmansworth Library in May. (Image: Stephen Danzig) More activities will be added to the schedule as it gets up and running.

There are no books to borrow yet, but the library hopes to start offering a lending service again in the next few weeks.

Three fire engines were sent to the scene from Rickmansworth and Watford fire stations to find smoke rising from the original High Street building at around 6.12am on April 18.

Firefighters entered the building and located and extinguished the source of the fire.

Initially, the county council said “repairs may take a number of weeks”, but the latest estimate is that it will not be able to reopen until Spring next year.

The building had struggled with leaks before the fire and it was eventually revealed that the final stages of fire recovery cannot be completed before a new roof is in place.

Plans to replace it were therefore brought forward.