Kings Heath Park
A tree next to the house (left)
TypePark
LocationBirmingham, England
Coordinates52°25′57″N 1°54′06″W / 52.4326°N 1.9018°W / 52.4326; -1.9018
Created1908 (1908)
Operated byBirmingham City Council
Websitebirmingham.gov.uk/kingsheathpark

Kings Heath Park is a Green Flag status[1] park in the Kings Heath district of Birmingham, England, which is managed by Birmingham City Council.[1]

For a time, the park was used as the setting for the popular ATV programme Gardening Today.[2]

History

The park is centred on a house, built in 1832 for the newly elected MP William Congreve Russell.[3] In 1880 the house was bought by John Cartland, a wealthy industrialist[3] and ancestor of the author Barbara Cartland.[3] In 1902 the Cartland family formed the Priory Trust Co Ltd to own and manage the house and land with the intention of developing the area for housing.[3] These plans came to nothing, and on 9 November 1908 the Trust sold the house and half the surrounding land to the Kings Norton and Northfield Urban District Council.[3] The council immediately opened the grounds as a public park.[3]

From 1909-1911 the house was used as a school.[3] In 1911, Kings Heath — and the park — was incorporated into the city of Birmingham. The Trust sold the remaining land to Birmingham Corporation on 10 February 1914, and this was immediately incorporated into the park.[3]

In 1953, the city council created a School of Horticultural Training in the house, using part of the park as training gardens.[3] Since 1995, this has been run, under a partnership arrangement, by Pershore (later Warwickshire) College and Bournville College.[3]

In 2008/9, Kings Heath Park was granted a Green Flag Award for the 7th year running.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 "Kings Heath Park". Birmingham City Council. 25 August 2009. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  2. ↑ Roddy Buxton. "Studio One". Archived from the original on 8 January 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2002.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "History of Kings Heath Park". Birmingham City Council. 15 July 2009. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  4. ↑ "Kings Heath Park Wins Major Award in 2008/9". Birmingham City Council. 13 July 2009. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
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