Kingsheath

Kings Heath is a busy and vibrant community with close proximity to the centre of Birmingham. Kings Heath used to be part of the Royal Manor of Kings Norton. As the name indicates, it was heathland made up of woods and open common land. It's main trade would have been in timber and in brick making, due to the suitability of the clay found in the area.

As Birmingham developed it was inevitable that Kings Heath would end up as a suburb of Birmingham. Wealthy industrialists and businessmen flocked to Kings Heath in the nineteenth century to enjoy the fresh air and countryside which would have been a welcome change from the grime and smoke of the cities foundries.

With the addition of a railway station in 1840 its popularity increased. It expanded rapidly. To cope with the growing population churches and schools were built and in 1886 the trams arrived. Many of Birmingham's old tram line sites can be found by the wide central reservations on main roads and Kings Heath is no exception. This is one of the reasons that Birmingham is such a green city, the tramways having long gone and the tree lined avenues providing a welcome sanctury and calming experience amongst the hustle and bustle of the city.

As Kings Heath expanded and grew in importance it sought independence from Kings Norton to which is was aligned, only to be snapped up by Birmingham in 1911. Since then Kings Heath has become home to many students.

Kings Heath park provides an oasis of tranquility for local residents. It has excellent educational facilities, plenty of shops and local amenities and is a sought after location in which to live. The down side is the fact that Kings Heath High Street is a major main route in and out of Birmingham and to other localities so traffic congestion is quite a problem.