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Small Heath Public Library and Baths

A Grade II Listed Building in Nechells, Birmingham

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Coordinates

Latitude: 52.4729 / 52°28'22"N

Longitude: -1.8647 / 1°51'52"W

OS Eastings: 409289

OS Northings: 286120

OS Grid: SP092861

Mapcode National: GBR 68C.6D

Mapcode Global: VH9Z3.M3LK

Plus Code: 9C4WF4FP+54

Entry Name: Small Heath Public Library and Baths

Listing Date: 8 July 1982

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1211476

English Heritage Legacy ID: 217174

ID on this website: 101211476

Location: Spring Vale, Birmingham, West Midlands, B9

County: Birmingham

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Built-Up Area: Birmingham

Traditional County: Warwickshire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): West Midlands

Church of England Parish: Small Heath

Church of England Diocese: Birmingham

Tagged with: Library building

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Description


GREEN LANE
1.
5104
Bordesley Green B9
Small Heath Public Library
and Baths
SP 08 NE 7/42 29.11.78
II
2.
1893-1902 by J Henry Martin of Martin and Chamberlain. A large complex of library
and baths ingeniously planned on a corner site. Built in the red brick and terracotta
Gothic-Jacobean style that is the hall mark of the Birmingham School for public
buildings of this date. A tall circular clock tower dominates the apex of the site
with a shafted gabled doorway at the foot. A splayed single storey top lit vestibule
leads from the tower to the gable end of the library hall with a north wing, and the
baths occupy the broad base of the triangle, ranging across the site and flanking the
wash house - service block. The pump house and boilers with a tall circular chimney
wing from a bartizan pinnacled tower, close the north end of the bath block. Large
delicately mullioned (and transomed) windows set in a group of buttress shafts with
pinnacled parapets. Decoration details are concentrated on the clock tower with its
short spire and on the gable end of the library with very slender shafted arcading
and cusped lunette in apex with good relief sculpture consisting of a group of figures
in medieval and Renaissance garb symbolising Learning Knowledge and Study. Steep
pitched slate roofs, bellcote, to ridge of library. The cross end wing of the latter
has an apexed north end. The bath halls have cambered iron trusses paired with
trefoils and cast iron stiff leaf capitals, columns and shafts. All the windows retain
good leaded patterned glazing with some tinted glass.

Listing NGR: SP0928986120

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