| Kings Heath | |
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Kings Heath
Kings Heath shown within the West Midlands |
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| OS grid reference | SP073815 |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan borough | Birmingham |
| Metropolitan county | West Midlands |
| Region | West Midlands |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Postcode district | B14 |
| Police | West Midlands |
| Fire | West Midlands |
| Ambulance | West Midlands |
| EU Parliament | West Midlands |
| List of places: UK • England • West Midlands | |
Kings Heath (historically, and still occasionally King's Heath) is a suburb of Birmingham, England, five miles south of the city centre. It is the next suburb south from Moseley on the Alcester Road.
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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 English standards) tornado which damaged several shops on the High Street and All Saints' Church. The tornado 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, sometimes up to a foot of water in 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.
A number of independent shops have taken advantage of relatively cheaper rents in the side roads off the High Street and recently there has been an influx of boutiques and even the start of an (organic) cafe culture. In 2008 the businesses agreed to a Business Improvement District, which top-slices a proportion of their local business taxes to go directly into improvements and promotion of the area.
The locals still refer to Kings Heath as a 'village' even though it has been part of Birmingham for over a century. Its centre at the Vicarage Road junction is now being developed to form a public square, surrounded by community facilities, and will become a venue for the monthly Farmers Market and other events.
Kings Heath is also home to several schools including Kings Heath Boys' School, Wheelers Lane Technology College, King Edward VI Camp Hill school and Bishop Challoner Catholic College.
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 and is the venue for the annual Gardener's Weekend Show, which comes under the Royal Horticultural Society and is one of the top regional events for gardening enthusiasts to show off their vegetables and floral displays etc. The park has 'green flag' status. Highbury park (on the border with Moseley) is adjacent to the Highbury Hall, which used to be a residence of Joseph Chamberlain.