Blakesley Hall
From Citypedia Birmingham
Blakesley Hall is a Tudor hall on Blakesley Road in Yardley, Birmingham. The hall is a branch of the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery.
Tel: 0121 464 2193
Admission: Free
Opening Times:
Open from 8th April to 29th October Tuesday to Sunday 11.30am - 4pm Closed Mondays except Bank Holidays
History
One of the oldest buildings in Yardley, Blakesley Hall is a timber-framed farmhouse built in 1590 by local man Richard Smalbroke. His family farmed at the hall and had other buildings in the surrounding area which were lost over time.
The hall became a museum in 1935 after centuries of use as a private home and its parlour was renovated. Its purpose was to display the history of the local medieval manors which comprise Birmingham. The Hall was damaged by a bomb in November 1941 causing extensive damage and the museum did not open again until 1957. After research in the 1970s the Hall was restored to an authentic period appearance.
It was last renovated in 2002 with the extension of a visitor centre and car park.
An adjacent barn (Grade II listed) to the east of the hall has been renovated and is used as an exhibition hall for a group of photographers where they display their photographs of Birmingham locations.
