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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.
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