Step inside Hampsthwaite’s Memorial Hall on a Tuesday morning and you’ll be greeted by the sounds of lively conversation and laughter.
To your right, you’ll find the source of the merriment: a bright, inviting room where bookshelves filled with a range of titles line the walls. Groups gather around tables, some chatting over steaming cups of coffee and slices of cake, while others leaf through books.
This is Hampsthwaite’s community library—a space that’s become a welcome addition to the village.
The idea for the library came from village resident Susanna Lewis, whose vision was to create somewhere that books were easily accessible to all and where the community could gather and connect. The project is also a tribute to her book-loving mum.
Reflecting on the library, Susanna speaks with pride: “It’s absolutely perfect.”
When Susanna and her husband moved to Hampsthwaite in 2022, she quickly noticed the lack of an easily accessible library.
“The idea for the library really was to help people in the village who are unable to access books,” Susanna says. “There’s only a bus to Harrogate every two hours, and for a lot of older people or the less mobile, it’s just not feasible.
“My mum passed away just after we moved to the village, and she had a little bookshop. She loved books, and towards the end of her life, I took her a lot of books. But many people don’t have that. That was the main motivation for me, though I also wanted it to be a community space.”
Since opening in February, the library has become more than just a place to borrow books. It has become a welcoming hub where villagers come together in fun and meaningful ways.
“It’s become a real community activity, which is so good to see,” says Susanna. “It isn’t just about me running the library—I manage it, but it’s become their library. It’s very well used, though it’s still early days.”
For Susanna, the library was always about creating a place for people to feel connected. “It had to be a warm space for people to come in, and yes, choose books, but also talk. There’s a big drive for combatting loneliness isn’t there? This is a space where people can come and talk, and people do.”
For regular visitors like Janet Milburn, the library is about more than just books. She says: “I love the books because I read a lot, but it’s the company and, you know, the social bit of it as well. That’s just as good as the books. It’s been a real addition to the village.”
Ken Winter-Briggs, a visitor from Birstwith, enjoys borrowing jigsaws and staying for a coffee and chat. “It’s the value of the library,” he says. “It’s not just the physical books, it’s what it means.”
The library is open any time that the Memorial Hall is in use. Susanna is working on plans to introduce a variety of programs, including craft sessions, storytelling for children, author talks and a writing group. VE Day celebrations are also going ahead.
Geoff Howard, Chairman of the Memorial Hall, has applied for a grant from Nidderdale Plus to fund a set of movable children’s bookshelves. Susanna is also hoping to recruit more volunteers and is always grateful for donations of books and jigsaws.
Hampsthwaite’s community library has quickly become an indispensable part of village life. This is a community project where friendships are made, newcomers are welcomed, and no one is ever turned away. “We will just ask people to squidge up so nobody is left out,” Susanna says with a smile.
Susanna Lewis is also an author. Her book, Finding Joy in the Everyday: A Journey of Grief and Gratitude, is a positive memoir about navigating the first year of grief following the death of her mother. The paperback is out now.
