A CASTLE-themed play area, light-up booths and a modern cafe will greet visitors to Haverfordwest's new library when it opens on Friday (December 7).

A week of activities will mark the opening of Glan-yr-afon/The Riverside, the county's new flagship cultural centre.

The exciting new development on the town’s riverside will welcome visitors for the first time later this week, but the Western Telegraph was lucky enough to have a sneak peek of the £3m facility.

Younger visitors can delve into a dressing up box, climb the steps of the castle-themed play area, or investigate the numerous cubby holes containing colourful story books.

Meanwhile teenagers can play console games, or sit and read or chat in a funky-light up booth.

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Paying bills, applying for jobs or catching up with old friends is made easy with the many computers dotted around the building, and working from home could be a thing of the past with a number of secluded seating areas - complete with laptop charging points - on offer.

Then enjoy a bite to eat or a cup of tea while you take in the view of the river at the swanky new cafe, which will be run by local independent business Cafe Rio.

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The venue's peaceful modern gallery area, in partnership with the National Library of Wales, paints a picture of Pembrokeshire history, with a collection of works by artist Kyffin Williams currently on offer to visitors too.

The library opens its doors at 10am, with a Baby Rhyme Time session at 11.15am before carol singers from County Hall serenade customers with festive favourites from 11.30am, in aid of PATCH (Pembrokeshire Action To Combat Hardship).

A family fun day takes place Saturday, December 8, with activities starting at 10.30am.

A special Baby Rhyme Time will kick-off the day, with Burns By Your Side Reading Dogs at noon.

Challenge yourself to Lego Construction at 1pm, enjoy some Saturday Stories at 2pm before Coding Chaos with Robots! at 3.30pm.

Throughout the day try to beat the clock on Glan-yr-afon/The Riverside’s games consoles, and get to know your new library with a special scavenger hunt.

From Monday, December 10, to Saturday, December 15, enjoy a range of activities including Yap and Yarn, Creative Lego Club, Chatterbooks Reading Group and much more.

There’ll be a touch of festive sparkle to the opening week, with a special post box for children to post their letters to Father Christmas.

The last post date will be Saturday, December 15, with the letters ready for collection from Wednesday, December 21.

Guided tours of the facility, which includes a library, gallery, visitor information and coffee shop, will be available throughout the week.

Funding to build the facility came from a range of sources including Pembrokeshire County Council, Welsh Government, the Wolfson Foundation, the Foyle Foundation, and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.

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Haverfordwest Town Council have given a five-year funding package to ensure the library is able to open throughout the year on Saturday afternoons, the previous library having been open on Saturday mornings only.

It has been estimated the facility will receive more than 200,000 visits a year, from families with young children to teenagers and adults.

For more information visit pembrokeshire.gov.uk/libraries-and-culture or call Glan-yr-afon/The Riverside on 01437 775244 (from Friday).