Kings Heath

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Map sources for Kings Heath at grid reference SP073815

Kings Heath is a suburb of Birmingham, England, three miles south of the city centre. It is the next suburb south from Moseley on the Alcester Road.

1 History
2 Education
3 Features
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] History

Kings Heath came into being as a village in the 18th century with the improvements to the Alcester to Birmingham road acting as a catalyst for new houses and farms. Prior to this the area was largely uninhabited wasteland run by the Royal Borough of Kings Norton.

On 28 July 2005, Kings Heath was hit by a major (by British standards) tornado which damaged several shops on the High Street and All Saints' church. It then went on to damage many houses in Balsall Heath. There were no fatalities.

The High Street has also suffered from flash floods on occasions, with up to a foot of water depth although recently installed underground reservoirs at the junction of Station Road and the High Street aim to combat this problem.

The streets running off the high street are dominated by pre-1919 terraced, owner occupied housing. Due to the desirability of the area and the quality of local schools Kings Heath is steadily becoming gentrified, with houses becoming increasingly unaffordable for local people. However, at the same time the High Street is going into decline, with major chains being replaced by charity shops and lower quality retailers.

[edit] Education

Kings Heath is also home to several schools including King Edward VI Camp Hill school and Bishop Challoner RC School.

[edit] Features

The central shopping area runs along the High Street and Alcester Road, and the shops include branches of national chain stores, supermarkets, electrical retailers, and opticians. There are also a number of pubs and churches and schools on and around the High Street.

Kings Heath contains two parks: Kings Heath Park and Highbury Park, the former being famous as the setting of popular BBC television programme Gardeners' World. Kings Heath Park also features a Victorian-styled tea room. Highbury park is adjacent to the Highbury Hall, which used to be a residence of Joseph Chamberlain.