Sparkhill Library

Sparkhill Library
The building in June 2011
Location	Stratford Road, Sparkhill
Coordinates	52°27′01″N1°51′51″W / 52.4504°N 1.8642°W / 52.4504; -1.8642
Built	1902
Architect	Arthur Harrison
Architectural style(s)	Renaissance Revival style
Shown in West Midlands

Sparkhill Library, formerly Yardley Council House, ^[1] is a municipal building in Stratford Road in Sparkhill, West Midlands, England. The building, which previously served as the offices of Yardley Rural District Council, now operates as a public library administered by Birmingham City Council. ^[2]

History

In the 19th century, Yardley was administered by a parish council. However, following implementation of the Local Government Act 1894, Yardley Rural District Council was formed in 1895. ^[3] The new council immediately decided to commission a council house (town hall) for the area. The site they selected was open land on the southwest side of Stratford Road. ^[4] Construction of the new building started in 1900. It was designed by Arthur Harrison in the Renaissance Revival style, built in red brick with stone dressings at a cost of £16,000 (equivalent to £2,194,100in 2023) ^[5] and was officially opened on Wednesday 15 January 1902. ^[6]

The design involved a symmetrical main block of seven bays facing onto Stratford Road, with a dominant clock tower at the northern end. The central bay featured semi-circular bay windows on both floors and there was a lantern at roof level. The bays flanking the central bay were fenestrated by mullioned and tramsomed windows on both floors. The second bay from each end contained segmental headed doorways on the ground floor and mullioned and transomed windows on the first floor. The end bays contained bay windows on the ground floor and mullioned and transomed windows surmounted by panels sculpted by Benjamin Creswick on the first floor: the panels were flanked by turrets and there were gables above. ^[7] The clock tower was equipped with an hour-striking clock, manufactured by Evans of Handsworth and donated by William Henry Barber. ^[8]

The building continued to serve as the offices of the council until Yardley was annexed by Birmingham in April 1912. ^{[9] [10] [11]} The building was subsequently converted into a public library with a children's section on the ground floor: it re-opened as such on 19 January 2023. ^[7]

In 2014, after local councillors made a plea for the building to be offered for community use, it was saved from being placed on the open market. ^[12]

References

1. "Yardley Council House". E-papers Repository. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
2. "Sparkhill Library". Birmingham City Council. Archived from the original on 8 June 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
3. "Local Government Act 1894 (56 & 57 Vict. c. 73)". Legislation.co.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
4. "Ordnance Survey Map". 1900. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
5. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth . Retrieved 7 May 2024.
6. "Yardley District Council. Opening of the New Council House" . Birmingham Daily Gazette. Jersey. 16 January 1902. Retrieved 16 April 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
7. "Sparkhill". Bill Dargue. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
8. Pickford, Chris. "Bells in and around Birmingham (Part 2)" (PDF). St Martin's Guild. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
9. "Relationships and changes Yardley CP/AP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
10. "20th Century". Birminbgham City Council. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
11. Hardy, P. L. "A transport history of Yardley". Acocks Green History Society. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
12. "U-turn on Sparkhill library building sale after backbench pressure". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 18 March 2025.