This Old House

Nestled amongst the trees of Kings Heath Park is The House. Built in 1832, it still features the tiled hallway and stained glass windows of an impressive private residence. Many local strollers, joggers and dog walkers regularly visit the Victorian Tea Rooms on the ground floor, but do they know what else goes on in the erstwhile bedrooms, drawing rooms and parlours, now owned by the city council?

Regular readers of My Moseley and Kings Heath will already be familiar with Kings Heath Shed and Thrive, community organisations that operate from The House as paying tenants. But it’s council services that occupy the majority of the rooms.

On the ground floor is the Park Ranger service, whose dedicated team oversee the health and wellbeing of our local parks. They monitor wildlife, ensure the park is a safe for all visitors, organise school visits, deliver training to park volunteers and put on a wide variety of public events. Feel free to pop in to report problems, ask questions or pick up any of the informative leaflets on display.

Also on the ground floor is a fully kitted-out classroom, available for anyone to hire. Local colleges use it, as does the Council’s Horticultural Training Centre, whose offices are just above, up the curving Victorian staircase. The second floor offices, not open to the public, are where the staff of the Parks Management service carry out the operational functions of the parks. This includes managing contractors, liaising with community organisations and monitoring park refurbishment plans.

So next time you’re spreading your picnic blanket, browsing in the nursery or enjoying some tea and cake, remember the people toiling away in The House, making sure our parks continue to be perfect places to relax.

To find out about what’s happening in a park near you, visit The House or go to http://events.birmingham.gov.uk.

Published in My Moseley and Kings Heath, June 2016.