Introduction
Thank you for visiting this site.
The history of King's Heath Park is recorded in the following volumes:-
Each volume has a "Timeline Summary" giving a brief overview of the key facts. That summary is supported by minutes, reports, press cuttings, etc - the "Details" in the second section of the volume.
This is ongoing research. So please return from time to time to "catch up" with progress. There will be changes as new findings are added. Each volume is marked at the beginning to show when it was last updated.
Hopefully this compendium will prove a useful resource in the local community.
There is another website history of King's Heath Park. Mike Hinton of the Horticultural College based in King's Heath Park has written a short history which can be found on the Birmingham City Council website.
A web search for "King's Heath Park" will produce many references. Only those that contribute a substantial piece of the history of the park are included in these volumes - with apologies to any who may feel their contribution should have been included (you could always write to urge inclusion!)
There is another website history of King's Heath Park. Mike Hinton of the Horticultural College based in King's Heath Park has written a short history which can be found on the Birmingham City Council website.
A web search for "King's Heath Park" will produce many references. Only those that contribute a substantial piece of the history of the park are included in these volumes - with apologies to any who may feel their contribution should have been included (you could always write to urge inclusion!)
Almost certainly items and events will have been missed. If you have information, records, photographs, memories - indeed anything relevant - and for any year (1901 through to the present) - then please share them on this site. Contact details are included in each volume.
The help received from various sources whilst gathering this information is gratefully acknowledged:
- the staff of the Archive and Heritage Section of the Birmingham Central Library, who in September 2013 relocated all their treasures to the new Library of Birmingham,
- the staff of Birmingham City Council for access to records: David Fletcher, Property Services; and Patrica Bacciochi, Muniments.
- the British Newspaper Archive.
- The Friends of King's Heath Park (Friends of Kings Heath Park)
Ken Pugh
Acocks Green
Birmingham, UK
Acocks Green
Birmingham, UK
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Footnote:
Before 1911 the district of Kings Heath was administered by Kings Norton and Northfield Urban District Council (KN&N UDC). Josiah Thomas Horton (my maternal great grandfather) had been employed by KN&N UDC as the Park-keeper at their first park in Selly Oak, and he lived in the Park Lodge in Gibbins Road, Selly Oak from 1899 when that park opened until he retired in 1928. After Selly Oak Park, KN&N UDC developed several other parks in the area, including eventually Kings Heath Park in 1908. As the parks multiplied my great grandfather had responsibility for them until in 1911, when Kings Heath became part of Birmingham, and his role reverted to Selly Oak Park alone.
My first interest was in Selly Oak Park. As I started to read about that Park I discovered that there was a wealth of information publicly available, but it was scattered in dusty archives which were not immediately obvious or accessible. I gathered all the information that I could find, brought it together in one place, and have shared it more widely through a series of web-based Histories of Selly Oak Park. As I have read I have passed many reports of Kings Heath Park, and more recently I have started to collect them to compile these Histories (in the same format as the Selly Oak Park histories).
My first interest was in Selly Oak Park. As I started to read about that Park I discovered that there was a wealth of information publicly available, but it was scattered in dusty archives which were not immediately obvious or accessible. I gathered all the information that I could find, brought it together in one place, and have shared it more widely through a series of web-based Histories of Selly Oak Park. As I have read I have passed many reports of Kings Heath Park, and more recently I have started to collect them to compile these Histories (in the same format as the Selly Oak Park histories).
(The photographs on this page were taken on 14 August 2010)
(Post last updated 14 February 2021)
