Sparkbrook area in Birmingham

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Sparkbrook area

Sparkbrook is in the Sparkbrook council ward in south-east Birmingham, one mile from the city centre. It is named after a stream that drains through land farmed by the Sparke family in the Middle Ages. The surrounding areas are Bordesley, Greet, Highgate, Sparkhill, Balsall Heath and Small Heath.

In the 18th century, Sparkbrook became a rural retreat for the privileged and wealthy such as the intellectual Joseph Priestley and the banker Samuel Lloyd who built their country mansions there.

The Birmingham and Warwick Canal was cut through Sparkbrook in the early 1800's followed by the Birmingham & Gloucester Railway and the Great Western Railway in the 1840's.

These routes created industrial corridors accompanied by high-density terraced housing. By 1900, Sparkbrook had become an industrial suburb with a commercial centre on the Stratford Road.

The area is still characterised by rows of Victorian terraces although some older housing was demolished in the 1960's and replaced by new terraces and low-rise flats.

Churches in Sparkbrook

St Agatha's

Saint Agatha's on the Stratford Road is a late Victorian church designed by W.H.Bidlake in the Gothic Style and built in red and blue brick with stone dressings in 1901; it comprises a chancel, a 6-bay nave with aisles and clerestory, and a west tower with clock and corner turrets.

A relief above the south door portrays Saint Agatha, an early Christian Martyr, alongside her Roman tormentor whilst another, above the north door, shows her chained in a dungeon. A nave statue portrays the saint with the pincers that were used to torture her.

The Blessed Sacrament Chapel contains an altar of green Westmorland stone; the font was taken from the 18th century Christ Church in Victoria Square; its demolition in the 1890's freed land for commercial development which paid for the construction of St Agatha's.

T 0121 449 2790 Address: Stratford Road B11 1AG

Landmark Churches St Agatha's Website

Christ Church C of E

Christ Church is a mid-Victorian Anglican church in the Gothic style on Grantham Road.

Grantham Road B11 1LU - 0121 777 2433 - Map

Churches in Birmingham

Demographics, Politics and Housing in Sparkbrook

This website contains information about demographics, politics and housing in the Sparkbrook council ward including the area of Sparkbrook.

Accident Blackspots in Sparkbrook

Stratford Road

A pedestrian died after he was hit by a jeep outside Aldi on the A34 Stratford Road at roughly 10.30pm on Monday 12/04/10.

News Archive 13/04/10

Crime/Sudden Death in Sparkbrook

17.10.11: Anti-Ram Bollards Installed Outside Jewellers in Sparkhill and Sparkbrook

Anti-ram bollards, partially funded by West Midlands Police, have been installed outside jewellers in Sparkhill and Sparkbrook; some stores have also installed fingerprint scanners; some customers selling jewellery may have to provide thumbprints (News Headlines 17/10/11).

20.09.11: Counter-Terrorism Unit Arrests Seven Terror Suspects in Birmingham

The Counter-Terrorism Unit arrested six men aged 25-32 and one woman aged 22 on suspicion of plotting terrorist offences during the early hours of Monday 19th September 2011; the men were arrested in Balsall Heath, Moseley, Sparkhill, Sparkbrook and Ward End; the woman was arrested in Saltley (News Headlines 20/09/11)

Teenage Girl Committted Suicide at Larches Green Park

A 17-year-old girl was found hanging from a climbing frame at Larches Green Park at 7am on Saturday 10 April 2010.

In April 2011, the Assistant Deputy Coroner ruled that she had committed suicide while suffering from depression (News Headlines 02/05/11).

Sudden Death Brum 2011

Motorist Battered on Henley Street

A motorist in his mid-40's was found slumped behind the wheel of his car on Henley Street after having been robbed and battered at approximately 8pm on Monday 14th March 2011 (News Archive 17/03/11)

Assaults/Stabbings Brum 2011

Lead Thieves Strip Conway School Roof

Lead was stripped from the roof of Conway Primary School and the school lightening conductor was stolen in February 2011 (News Archive 07/03/11)

Magistrates Fine Takeaway Owner

The 41-year-old proprietor of Quickfry Chippy on Anderton Road has been fined for contravening hygiene regulations after inspectors discovered a cockroach infestation on his premises.

News Archive 17/10/10

Man Stabbed on Colville Walk

A 48 year-old man was stabbed on Colville Walk off Stoney Lane at approximately 5:30 pm on Friday 17th September 2010 (News Archive 19/09/10)

Knife Murder on Auckland Road

A 24-year-old man was stabbed to death at a flat on Auckland Road during the night of Friday 19/03/10. A 35-year-old man was convicted of his murder in September 2010 (News Archive 07/09/10).

Crime in Birmingham

Robbers Raid Euro Cladding on South Road

Armed robbers kidnapped employees and stole the safe from Euro Cladding on South Road; the raid occurred around 6pm on Thursday 11/03/10 (News Archive 23/03/10).

Crime in Birmingham

Screwdriver Attack on Long Street

A man was stabbed in the head with a screwdriver on Long Street at around midnight on Friday 12 March 2010; he later died.

A 16-year-old boy was acquitted of his murder in December 2010 (News Archive 24/12/10)

Crime in Birmingham

Fire & Firefighting in Sparkbrook

Kitchen Gutted on Doris Road

The kitchen of a mid-terrace house on Doris Road was gutted by fire at roughly 11pm on 26/01/10 (News Archive 27/01/10).

Fire & Firefighting in Birmingham

Further & Higher Education in Sparkbrook

Muath Centre

The Muath Centre, formerly Bordesley College, is on the Stratford Road.

It is a constituent campus of City College and occupies a refurbished building owned by a Yemeni social and educational charity known as the Muath Welfare Trust.

The college offers vocational and academic courses in partnership with the Trust; students are taught in single sex and mixed classes in a culturally-sensitive environment.

It was announced in May 2010 that City College will no longer fund the Muath Centre (News Archive 27/05/10).

Stratford Road B11 1AR 0121 204 0000 Map

Further Education Colleges City College Website Muath Trust Website

Health Services in Sparkbrook

Ann Jones Family Health Centre

52 Chesterton Road B12 8HE - 0345 245 0783 - Map

Health Centres & GP Surgeries in Brum

Apa Zohra Memorial Surgery

58 Benton Road B11 1TX - 0345 111 1317 - Map

Health Centres & GP Surgeries in Brum

Sparkbrook Health Centre

32 Farm Road B11 1LS - 0845 070 2698 - Map

Health Centres & GP Surgeries in Brum

Farm Road Health Centre

32 Farm Road B11 1LS - 0345 245 0750 - Map

Health Centres & GP Surgeries in Brum

Main Street Centre

Main Street is a psychiatric support unit.

86 Main Street B11 1RS - 0121 678 3600 - Map

Psychiatric Healthcare in Brum

Scarborough House

Scarborough House is a psychiatric unit.

35 Auckland Road B11 1RH - 0121 678 4200 - Map

Psychiatric Healthcare in Brum

Listed Secular Buildings in Sparkbrook

Ladypool School

Ladypool School on Stratford Road was one of 40 Gothic Revival board schools in Birmingham that were built to a design by Chamberlain and Martin after school attendance became compulsory until the age of 13 in 1870.

Chamberlain and Martin believed that children should be inspired by their surroundings and so created a new institutional style of architecture characterised by tall gables, narrow-arched windows, towers and turrets.

Ladypool School consists of an axial hall and flanking ranges; the Masters House faces Beechfield Road; unfortunately, the splendid belfry and ventilation tower collapsed in 2005.

Links: Secular Listed Buildings

The Farm

The Farm on Sampson Road is a mid-18th century red-brick mansion that was the main residence of the Lloyds banking family from 1742 until 1912. The founder of Lloyds Bank, Sampson LLoyd II, built the mansion on the site of a mediaeval farmhouse when Sparkbrook was still open countryside, one mile south-east of Birmingham.

Sampson Lloyd III enlarged and embellished the Farm in the 1770's. He turned the house 180 degrees on its axis, blocking the original front door and converting the back kitchen into a reception hall entered via a fluted Doric pilastered doorway. He also installed an open string staircase with fluted newel posts, carved brackets and turned balusters.

The house is set in parkland; a formal avenue of elms leads to the old entrance.

Links: Secular Listed Buildings

Hinduism in Sparkbrook

Krishna Mandir

The Krishna Mandir is on Henley Street.

Henley Street B11 1JR - Map

Hinduism in Birmingham

Ram Mandir

This Hindu temple is on Walford Road.

8 Walford Road B11 1NR - 0121 773 5735 - Map

Hinduism in Birmingham

Mosques in Sparkbrook

Amir-e-Millat Mosque

The Amir-e-Millat Mosque can hold 200 male and 30 female worshippers; it provides educational classes, support, counselling, social activities, sport and funeral services with Gusal.

0121 449 5695 144 Stoney Lane B12 8AQ

Mosques in Birmingham

Dar Ul Uloom Tajdar-e-Madina

This mosque on the Stratford Road can hold around 100 worshippers.

160 Stratford Road B11 1AG - Map

Jamia Islamia

The Jamia Islamia on Fallows Road is an Islamic College and mosque with 21 staff and 170 students; it combines a modern education with a deep understanding of the Sharia.

0121 772 6400 Fallows Road B11 1PL

Mosques Jamia Islamia Website

Masjid Ummar

The Masjid Ummar on Walford Road has a capacity of 175 male but no female worshippers; the mosque has a function hall and provides advice, counselling, after-school tuition and educational classes.

0121 722 2396 98 Walford Road B11 1QA

Mosques in Birmingham

Mohammedi Islamic Centre

The Mohammedi Islamic Centre on Walford Road has a capacity of 250 male but no female worshippers. It offers educational classes, after-school tuition, advice and counselling.

0121 766 6388 171 Walford Road

Mosques in Birmingham

Qadria Trust Masjid

This mosque is a converted terraced house on Alfred Street that can hold 200 worshippers.

26 Alfred Street B12 8JL - 0121 688 0821 - Map

Qadria Trust Website

UKIM Sparkbrook Islamic Centre

The UKIM Sparkbrook Islamic Centre on Anderton Road can hold 1000 male and 100 female worshippers; it has a function hall and provides advice, counselling, educational classes, after-school tuition, social activities, sport and a funeral service with Gusol.

0121 773 8651 179-187 Anderton Road B11 1ND

Guide Sparkbrook

Open Spaces in Sparkbrook

Farm Park

Farm Park is a 21 acre green space that was a working farm until developed as a country estate by the Lloyd banking dynasty in the mid-18th century.

Their former mansion (circa 1750) still stands in the middle of the park which features playgrounds, meadows, hard courts, tree clusters and landscaped pathways.

Open Spaces in Birmingham Map

Spark Green Park

Spark Green Park is a five acre green space, once part of the long-disappeared Spark Green Common; it has a playground, hard courts, meadows, tree clusters and landscaped pathways.

Open Spaces in Birmingham Map

Canals in Sparkbrook

Sampson Wharf

The Birmingham and Warwick Canal runs through Sparkbrook. Travelling westwards from Small Heath Bridge, the canal passes Sampson Wharf and the Top Lock of the Camp Hill Flight before passing under the Camp Hill Railway Viaduct.

Camp Hill Viaduct

This railway viaduct carries the Camp Hill Freight Railway across the Birmingham and Warwick Canal. The Camp Hill Top Lock (52) is next to the viaduct.

After passing beneath the viaduct, the canal arcs northwards under a second viaduct that carries the Leamington-Worcester Railway above the canal. Locks 53 and 54, the second and third of the Camp Hill Flight, are on either side of this second viaduct.

The canal then passes beneath Bordesley Middleway.

Railways in Sparkbrook

Two railway lines run through Sparkbrook: the Camp Hill Freight Line and the Leamington-Worcester Line.

The Camp Hill Line runs broadly on a north-south axis whereas the Leamington-Worcester line runs broadly on an eats-west axis.

The Camp Hill Line, which is mounted on an embankment, crosses above the Leamington-Worcester Line, virtually at right angles; there is, however, a spur that enables trains to switch from one line to another.

Camp Hill Freight Line

The Camp Hill Freight Railway is carried on an embankment through Sparkbrook; it bridges Montpellier Street, Highgate Place, Krywicks Road, Stratford Road (A41), Stratford Place North and Sampson Road North.

Around 200 metres north-east of Sampson Road North, the line crosses above the Birmingham and Warwick Canal; it then bridges the Leamington-Worcester Railway; a short spur links the lines and enables trains to switch tracks.

Links: Camp Hill Freight Line

Regeneration in Sparkbrook

Sparkbrook Health and Community Centre

In May 2010, it was announced that a new health and community centre will be built on the former site of Christ Church at the junction of Grantham Road and Dolobran Road; the facilities will include three GP surgeries, midwifery, baby, dental and physiotherapy services; an IT suite, library, advice centre and start-up offices for small businesses (News Archive 01/05/10).

Building work commenced in November 2010; completion is anticipated in late 2011; a church hall with a cafe and community rooms will be added at a later date (News Report 09/11/10)

Kidney Dialysis Centre

Approval was granted in August 2010 for a kidney dialysis clinic with 20 treatment stations and 4 consulting rooms at a refurbished warehouse on Studley Street.

News Archive 30/08/10

Ring of Steel in Sparkbrook

There is a surveillance "ring of steel" which is centred on Sparkbrook but includes other predominantly Muslim areas of inner east Birmingham (Alum Rock, Balsall Heath, Saltley, Washwood Heath etc)

The ring includes 49 CCTV and 169 license plate recognition cameras, some of which are disguised; they were apparently funded by the Home Office under the Terrorism and Allied Matters Budget.

These cameras were switched off and covered in bags in June 2010 after complaints that they wrongly stigmatise Sparkbrook as a terrorist ghetto (News Archive 17/06/10).

An independent review was announced in July 2010; however, the appointment of Sara Thornton, the Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, as its chair was controversial since she also sits on the Terrorism and Allied Matters Board.

In September 2010 the review concluded that there was inadequate consultation and transparency of purpose before the cameras were installed; Chris Sims, the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police then apologised for the "negative impact" on local communities that had resulted from these "serious shortcomings" (News Archive 01/10/10).

In October 2010, Liberty threatened legal action unless they received an assurance within 14 days that all the cameras would be dismantled; the cameras may contravene the European Convention on Human Rights on the basis that they are unlawful, intrusive and discriminatory (News Archive 19/10/10).

Chris Sims, the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, recommended that the cameras should be dismantled in December 2010 (News Archive 03/12/10)

The cameras were dismantled in May 2011 (News Headlines 10/05/11).

Bus Routes through Sparkbrook

The following bus routes serve Sparkbrook: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8A/C, 31, 37, X20

Bus Routes through Birmingham

Primary Schools in Sparkbrook

Conway Primary School

Conway School is a community co-educational primary school attended by roughly 480 children aged between three and eleven.

Conway Road B11 1NS 0121 675 0622 Map

Secular State Primary Schools Conway Primary Website

Ladypool Junior and Infant School

Ladypool School on Stratford Road is a community co-educational primary school attended by roughly 480 children aged between three and eleven.

Stratford Road B11 1QT 0121 464 7002 Map

Secular State Primary Schools Ladypool School Website

Montgomery Primary School

Montgomery School on White Road is a community co-educational primary school attended by approximately seven hundred children aged between three and eleven.

White Road B11 1EH 0121 464 9115 Map

Secular State Primary Schools Montgomery Primary Website

Nelson Mandela School

Nelson Mandela School on Colville Road is a community co-educational primary school attended by approximately five hundred children aged between three and eleven.

Colville Road B12 8EH 0121 772 3055 Map

Secular State Primary Schools

Christ Church CE School

Christ Church School on Claremont Road is a Church of England voluntary-aided co-educational school attended by roughly 200 pupils aged between three and seven.

Claremont Road B11 1LF 0121 772 5121 Map

Faith Primary Schools in Brum

Secondary Schools in Sparkbrook

Jamia Islamia

Jamia Islamia on Fallows Road is an independent co-educational Islamic College attended by around 150 boys and girls aged between 11 and 19.

18% of pupils passed at least five GCSE's including Maths and English at A*/C in 2008.

Fallows Road B11 1PL 0121 772 6400 Map

Secondary Schools Jamia Islamia Website

Family Fun in Sparkbrook

Ackers Adventure Centre

The Ackers is an outdoor adventure activity centre set in 70 acres of semi-rural parkland off Golden Hillock Road that was once used as a test area by BSA.

The centre contains an events tower, two climbing walls, a 100 metre dry ski slope, an obstacle course and an archery course. It is bisected by the Birmingham and Warwick Canal which provides an opportunity for canoeing and kayaking.

The Ackers is a registered charity whose facilities are available to schools, youth groups, and individual families. Many of its activities are subsidised.

A 21-year-old man, who lived on Anglesey Street in Lozells, was jailed for 40 months for robbery, attempted robbery and false imprisonment in May 2010. Amongst other things, it was alleged that he had mugged children at the Ackers Adventure Centre (News Archive 01/05/10).

Golden Hillock Road B11 2PY 0121 772 3739 Map

Family Fun in Brum Ackers Website

Key National Retailers in Sparkbrook

Aldi

Aldi is @ 273 Stratford Road B11 1QS

Aldi Website

Pubs in Sparkbrook

Hereford Arms

The Hereford Arms stands at the corner of Priestley Road and Kyrwicks Lane.

Kyrwicks Lane B11 1TD 0121 773 7947 Map

Pubs in Birmingham

Shakespeare