Kings Heath Park
- Address
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Kings Heath Park, Vicarage Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14 7TQ
- How to get there and parking
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Situated four miles south of Birmingham city centre. Entrances on Vicarage Road and Avenue Road.
Two car parks with access via the entrances.
Buses 11A, 11C, 27, 35 and 76 pass nearby.
- About the park
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Kings Heath Park is a unique horticultural gem, often praised for the beauty of its extensive grounds. Spread around a Grade 11 listed nineteenth century house with a connection to the romantic novelist Dame Barbara Cartland, the 35-acre green space boasts seasonal bedding schemes, herbaceous borders and alpine outcrops of the highest quality – not surprising since in past years the park has hosted TV gardening programmes.
The main house (currently occupied by the Horticultural Training Centre) was built in 1832 and purchased by prosperous brass founder John Cartland in 1880. In 1908 the house and half the surrounding land was sold to the local council and the park began to take shape.
The area within the park known as the Television Garden was created for the ATV programme Gardening Today (later titled Garden Time) in 1972, as a partnership between Birmingham City Council and the TV company which ran until 1995.
More recent high-profile gardening links have been with Pershore College (until 2011) and Bournville College, and (starting in 1996) BBC Gardeners’ World. The Television Gardens, now looked after by local therapeutic gardening charity Thrive Birmingham, are open to the public twice a month between April and October.
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- Video introduction
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- Facilities at the park
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- Two playgrounds
- one with swings, slide and a seesaw
- one with zip wire and climbing frame for older youngsters
- Parking
- Two kilometre walking route
- Bowling Green
- Cartlands Tearooms, an independent family-run tearoom in the main house.
- Conservatory – part of the tearoom
- Two playgrounds
- Toilets
- There are toilets for public use behind the Tea Rooms. They are open from 9:30am to 4pm during the winter, and 9:30am to 5pm during the summer.
- Points of interest
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- Large ornamental pool with ducks, coots and moorhens
- Other features
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- Family-friendly
- Ideal for dog walkers, runners and cyclists
- Well-surfaced paths, mainly flat but sloping down to wooded areas, and some rougher footpaths
- Ranger-led events including talks and presentations to community groups
- Park friends group
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For further information, or to get involved, contact the Friends:
Social media accounts:
- Parks friends group activities
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The aim of the Kings Heath Park Friends Group is to encourage people to use their green space as much as possible while helping Birmingham City Council in continuing to make the park a family-friendly, community resource for future generations. The members organise social events in the park, fostering community spirit, and undertake the following activities supported by the park ranger service:
Activities include:
- Photo walks, with the results being placed on the website and social media
- Litter picks
- Free family-friendly events at Easter, Halloween and Christmas
- Rock painting sessions
- Family lunches supporting The Big Lunch celebration for neighbours and communities
- Bat Walks
