KINGS HEATH

'Kings Heath' is a suburb of Birmingham, England, three miles south of the city centre. It is the next 'village' south from Moseley on the Alcester Road. 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 on and around the High Street.
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.
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.
Kings Heath is also home to several schools including:

★ Wheelers Lane Technology College (formerly Wheelers Lane Boy's School)

★ Wheelers Lane Junior & Infant School (on the same site as the senior school)

★ Bishop Challoner Catholic School & Sixth Form Centre

★ St Dunstan's Catholic primary school (grant maintained)

★ Queensbridge Secondary School

★ Kings Heath Boy's School

★ Swanshurst Girl's School and leisure centre

★ Kings Heath Junior School

★ King Edward VI Camp Hill schools

★ Colmore Road Junior & Infant Schools

★ Woodthorpe Junior and Infant school

★ St Alban's Catholic Primary School
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 resevoirs 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, typically two or three bedroomed and tending to be of a higher quality than some of the other urban villages (e.g Harborne) in the city. 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.

Contents

See also

External links

See also

★ Moseley and Kings Heath ward

External links

★ Birmingham City Council

★ History of Kings Heath

★ 1884 Ordnance Survey map of King's Heath

★ 1887 Ordnance Survey map of King's Heath