The Public Library and Baths () on Moseley Road, Balsall Heath, form one of many pairings of baths and libraries in Birmingham, England.
The library was opened in 1895, with the baths following in 1907. Made of red brick and terracotta in Edwardian style, the structure is one of only three swimming pools in the country listed at Grade II* status.
The buildings are owned by Birmingham City Council. The library is still run by the council, while the Baths are now run by a community enterprise, Moseley Road Baths CIO, following previous Council plans for them to be closed.
History
Planning
During discussions in 1890 to absorb the Balsall Heath district into the city of Birmingham, it was decided that public baths should be built as soon as possible for the area if Birmingham was to acquire the district. A bill was passed and Balsall Heath was annexed into Birmingham on 1 October 1891. The City of Birmingham Baths Department was then instructed to find an appropriate site for the construction of public baths in the area.
Working in conjunction with the Free Libraries Committee (a library had also been promised to the residents of Balsall Heath as part of the arrangement which absorbed their district into Birmingham) the Baths Department soon located a site on Moseley Road close to the junction with Edward Road. A small cartway known as Midland Grove ran behind the site and the access this offered for the delivery of coal to the rear of the building was a key factor in the decision to choose this particular site.
Construction and opening
The Free Library opened in 1895 and has a clock tower. It was designed by Jethro A. Cossins and F. B. Peacock. The baths were added immediately to the south and were opened on 30 October 1907, much later than planned owing to severe delays experienced in boring a well on the premises. They were designed by William Hale and Son of 83, Colmore Row, and cost almost £34,000. As was common practice at the time, there were separate entrances for first-class males, second-class males, and women.
Initially, only the 'slipper' bath departments were opened, with the pools coming into operation on 1 March 1908, the start of the municipal swimming season. On 21 November 1908, the first-class pool was floored over and the space subsequently used for social activities. It was one of several public baths to begin these activities in the winter months as there was little demand for the pools during this time of year.
Subsequent history
The baths were used as a makeshift hospital in the early years of World War II. An additional entrance was created to facilitate this purpose, which was subsequently used as a fire exit from Pool 2. By the end of 2010 a steel beam used to support the wall and roof above it had become severely corroded, leading to the pool's closure as this part of the building was in danger of collapse.
Today, the library remains a functioning branch of Birmingham Library Services. The baths, originally ran by Birmingham City Council, are operated by Moseley Road Baths CIO. They reopened following extensive structural work during 2005. They stand opposite the College of Art and were listed at Grade II as a single entity in 1982, upgraded to Grade II* status in 2004 by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
In 2006 a Friends of Moseley Road Baths group was formed to campaign for the long-term future of the building as a fully functioning swimming facility. Since their formation various community events and fundraisers have been held, including the centenary celebration on 30 October 2007 which was attended by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham and swimmers past and present. In 2010 the Friends' group was awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £48,000 to document the building's history and to interview former and current users of the building. Some aspects of the project are now online.
In October 2021, the building was one of 142 sites across England to receive part of a £35-million injection into the government's Culture Recovery Fund.