Kings Heath Park
Encyclopedia
Kings Heath Park is a Green Flag
status, park
in the Kings Heath
district of Birmingham
, England
, managed by Birmingham City Council
.
For a time, the park was used as the setting of popular BBC
television
programme Gardeners' World
.
. In 1880 the house was bought by John Cartland, a wealthy industrialist and ancestor of the author Barbara Cartland
. 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. 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. The council immediately opened the grounds as a public park.
From 1909-1911 the house was used as a school. 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.
In 1953, the city council created a School of Horticultural Training in the house, using part of the park as training gardens. Since 1995, this has been run, under a partnership arrangement, by Pershore (later Warwickshire) College
and Bournville College
.
In 2008/9, Kings Heath Park was granted a Green Flag Award for the 7th year running.
Green Flag Award
The Green Flag Award is the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. The scheme was set up in 1996 to recognise and reward green spaces in England and Wales that met the laid down high standards...
status, park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
in the Kings Heath
Kings Heath
Kings 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.-History:...
district of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, managed by Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham...
.
For a time, the park was used as the setting of popular BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
programme Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World is a long-running BBC television programme about gardening that continues to this day. Its first episode was filmed in 1968, presented by Ken Burras and came from Oxford Botanical Gardens. The magazine BBC Gardeners' World is a tie-in to the programme. Most of its episodes have...
.
History
The park is centred on a house, built in 1832 for the newly elected MP William Congreve RussellWilliam Congreve Russell
William Congreve Russell was an Whig politician in England.Russell was the son of Thomas Russell, of Moore Green, King's Norton, by his second wife, Mary Garner. He was commissioned a captain when the North Worcestershire Volunteers were formed in September 1803. On 19 July 1820, he married...
. In 1880 the house was bought by John Cartland, a wealthy industrialist and ancestor of the author Barbara Cartland
Barbara Cartland
Dame Barbara Hamilton Cartland, DBE, CStJ , was an English author, one of the most prolific authors of the 20th century...
. 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. 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. The council immediately opened the grounds as a public park.
From 1909-1911 the house was used as a school. 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.
In 1953, the city council created a School of Horticultural Training in the house, using part of the park as training gardens. Since 1995, this has been run, under a partnership arrangement, by Pershore (later Warwickshire) College
Warwickshire College
Warwickshire College is a large further and higher education college in England. It provides National Curriculum courses and vocational education in a broad range of subjects to students aged 16 and over...
and Bournville College
Bournville College of Further Education
Bournville College of Further Education is a further education college based in Longbridge, Birmingham. The college offers courses that include A Levels, BTECs, NVQs, Apprenticeships and bespoke qualifications...
.
In 2008/9, Kings Heath Park was granted a Green Flag Award for the 7th year running.