Local History

Local Memories - Kingshurst

Are you curious about what life was like in this area in the past? Are you interested in looking at the history of a house or building, what was there before and who has previously lived there?

Kingshurst Hall

Kingshurst Hall was a large, red brick building built between the late 13^th and 14^th centuries. It had its own park and farmland and its tenants included the York family, who gave their name to the small area of the original Kingshurst Hall Park that still remains: Yorkswood.

The hall was rebuilt between 1700 and 1720, but fell into a state of disrepair in the 1950s when its then tenant was unable to maintain it, owing to ill health. It was demolished in 1962.

This photograph was taken in 1957 by Stanley Jones, who had first glimpsed the building 20 years earlier when attending cub and scout camp in Yorkswood.

He notes that the window pattern varied: sash windows on the main east elevation and on the south side; casement windows on the west side (rear); mullion and transomed windows on the north side with one opening casement each. He mentions that a few of the windows on the north and west sides had been bricked up and that the majority of the ground floor windows were all shuttered.

Read more of Stanley Jones's memories

Do you have any memories of Kingshurst Hall that you could share with us? Fill out our Kingshurst memory sheet and preserve your memories for future generations.

The moat and mound around the hall are the only surviving relics from early Kingshurst, apart from Yorkswood. Later buildings have come and gone on the site, but the mediaeval earthworks still remain.

Kingshurst today

The Kingshurst we see today is a mainly residential area largely created by the growth of Birmingham in the 1960s.

There are four schools, a shopping centre, library, community centre, health clinic and Connexions service. In 2001, its population was 8,126.

Kingshurst and the Council

Regenerating North Solihull is investing £1.8billion over 15 years to build new schools, increase housing choice, create village centres that will be the 'hearts' of the local community and provide new opportunities such as employment and training.

Education is at the heart of this programme. Students of Forest Oak and Merstone Schools have just moved into an £8million eco-school, which caters for children with a range of special needs.

Pupils from Kingshurst Infant and Junior Schools have also chosen the design for their new combined school, which will open in 2007/08.

Solihull Council has consulted residents on a provisional plan for improvements to the area.

Local Nature Reserves

Babbs Mill

Babbs Mill Park was created to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 1977. In 2002 it was designated a Local Area Nature Reserve in recognition of its diverse habitat.

Project Kingfisher was set up to preserve the stretch of the River Cole from Birmingham to Solihull in 1985. Solihull Council sponsors the programme, along with Birmingham City Council and organisations including English Nature and the Environment Agency.

Yorkswood

There is a wide variety of trees growing at the reserve, which was designated a Local Nature Reserve in 1991. Some of the trees are invasive species and have to be controlled to protect the local wildlife. This is done by a heavy horse to protect the trees and also serves as an educational workshop.

Retired resident Fred Botterill (74) has lived in Kingshurst since 1967.

Do you have any memories of Kingshurst that you could share with us? Fill out our Kingshurst memory sheet and preserve your memories for future generations.

Do you have any photographs of Kinghurst past or present that we could copy? Please contact Solihull Heritage & Local Studies Service on 0121 704 6934 or e-mail us at heritage@solihull.gov.uk