Icknield Street School

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Icknield Street School (grid reference SP057882), near the Hockley Flyover, north of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, England, is a good example of a Birmingham board school.

Designed in 1883 by J.H. Chamberlain of Martin & Chamberlain, the main architects for the Birmingham School Board, it has been St Chad's Roman Catholic Annexe and is now an Ashram Centre. Standard VII classes for girls began in 1885. However, these classes closed in 1898 at the opening of the George Dixon Higher Grade Board School. In 1886, it was expanded and again so in 1894. It converted into a modern secondary school in 1945 and by 1960, it had 950 pupils.

The Chamberlain schools were designed for hygiene, light, fresh air and beauty. Typically in red brick and terracotta, gabled, with steep roofs, free planning and towered to provide ventilation. The tower was typically placed over the staircase to draw air through the school. There were terracotta plaques, glazed tiles, ornamental ironwork, tall windows, and stained glass. The arched ironwork of this school is visible where the roof is missing.

It is a Grade II* listed building. The headmaster's house (303 Icknield Street), on the site, is separately Grade II* listed.

[edit] Sources

• John Ruskin and Victorian Architecture, Michael W Brooks, 1989
• Foster, Andy; George Demidowicz (2005). Birmingham, Pevsner architectural guides. New Haven ;: Yale University Press,. ISBN 0300107315. 
• A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 7: The City of Birmingham, 1964
• Images of England - photograph and details of school from listed building text
• Images of England - photograph and details of headmaster's house from listed building text

[edit] External links

• Digital Ladywood (photographs of Birmingham) - old photograph of inside of school - when in website, search for Icknield Street School
• Buildings at Risk Register: Icknield+Street+School - school
• Buildings at Risk Register: 303+Icknield+Street - master's house

v • d • e Buildings in Birmingham, England Highrise (in height order): BT Tower • 10 Holloway Circus  • Chamberlain Clock Tower  • Alpha Tower  • Orion Building  • The Rotunda  • 103 Colmore Row  • Five Ways Tower  • Centre City Tower  • 1 Snow Hill Plaza  • Quayside Tower  • Colmore Gate  • The McLaren Building  • Metropolitan House  • Edgbaston House  • Post & Mail Building  • Jury's Inn Birmingham Notable lowrise: 1-7 Constitution Hill • 17 & 19 Newhall Street  • Birmingham Assay Office  • Baskerville House  • Central Library  • Council House  • Curzon Street railway station  • Great Western Arcade  • ICC  • The Mailbox  • Methodist Central Hall  • Millennium Point  • NIA  • The Old Crown  • Paradise Forum  • Birmingham Proof House  • Sarehole Mill  • Symphony Hall  • Town Hall  • Victoria Law Courts Major railway stations: Moor Street station  • New Street station  • Snow Hill station Major complexes: Brindleyplace • Bull Ring, Birmingham  • Pallasades Shopping Centre Sports venues: Alexander Stadium • Edgbaston Cricket Ground  • St. Andrews  • Villa Park List of tallest buildings and structures in Birmingham  • List of Birmingham board schools  • Listed buildings in Birmingham

Coordinates: 52°29′38″N 1°54′57″W / 52.4940, -1.9158