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Kensington gardens

B

BOBJ

master brummie

Does anyone have any stories or pictures of KensingtonGardens Balsall Heath, I had some friends there and it was always a playground
 
Two said:
Kensington Gardens - Balsall Heath - c1908.
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Hi Two
what a great picture, much earlier than I remember in 50's and 60's but much the same, although no fancy lamps. I would say from where the camera was backwards towards Balsall Heath Road was all gone due to bombing apart from about 4 houses next to the road, the rest of it was our playground, no health and safety then! Bob
 
Lovely original photo and thankfully not computer coloured. It looks like a nice area, maybe for people who were better off so no evidence of it being a slum
 
mikejee said:
Here is a map c1889 showing Kensington Gardens , off Balsall Heath Road

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Thank you Mikejee. This is brilliant. Does this mean Kensington Gardens doesn’t exist anymore? There is a Kensington Avenue which looked like it could be the place but then noticed on Google street view the houses don’t match up with the old picture. Compared with your map, Kensington Avenue is not near Balsall Heath Road. I’m trying to pin point where on Balsall Heath Road the Gardens were. By the shape of some of the existing roads, looks like it could have been between Gosford and Wenman on the opposite side of Balsall Heath Road. I can’t quite make out names of roads on the 1889
 
Yes - much better on a laptop. I enjoy it. The site does also do an overlay version but I like the side by side bit.
 
It looks like 158 was no longer there (bombed?) on the numbered 1950s maps. However I have worked out that it must be one of the three buildings marked in red on the map below. Not far from Kensington Gardens (in blue)

map c1889 showing Kensington Gardens and no 158 Balsall Heath Road.jpg
 
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