IT IS hoped a £1.2m refurbishment project at the historic St Deiniol’s Library, Hawarden will be a big boost for tourism. Finishing touches are being put to the extensive Gladstone Project which includes new accommodation, conferencing facilities, a new chapel, essential repairs and the refurbishment of the cafe. Improvements have been made for disabled visitors, including two accessible bedroom suites, easier access to the building and disabled parking. The work was made possible thanks to a £569,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) plus cash from CADW, charitable trusts and individual donations. St Deiniol’s is the only Prime Ministerial library in Britain and its finest residential library. The Grade I listed building contains more than 30,000 volumes amongst its collection, all of which belonged to Prime Minister William Gladstone. Tourists from as far afield as America and Australia visit St Deiniol’s every year. Guided tours of St Deiniol’s are being launched on Saturday, February 9, and will continue to run on the second Saturday and fourth Tuesday of every month at 11am. Annette Lewis, the library’s conference and exhibition manager, said: “We believe we have one of the best facilities for small conferences in the UK. “We hope the newly improved St Deiniol’s Library will attract more people to visit Flintshire and North Wales. “It is a place people in the county can be very proud of.” To book your place on a guided tour, call 01244 532350. | 
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