Birmingham's Heritage Kings Norton and Northfield

The Green Kings Norton

The Green has been the public centre of King's Norton for at least 500 Years. During most of that time the Manor of Kings Norton, extending from Rednal to Balsall Heath, was the property of the King. The 15th Century "Saracen's Head" (next to the churchyard) was once the house of the bailiff, who was responsible for administering justice in the Manor. During the Civil War Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I, spent a night at the house on her journey from Yorkshire to gather troops and rejoin the King at Oxford.
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The Old Grammar School Kings Norton In the graveyard surrounding the church stands a 15th century timber framed building, the 'Old Grammar School', Originally it may have stood on stilts, the ground floor being added in the 16th century. In the 17th century Thomas Hall was the headmaster. His library of books is one of the special collections preserved in Birmingham Central Library. are being buildings are featured on BBC Restoration 2004. > More photographs
Since the 16th century a 'Mop Fair' has been held on the Green, on the first Monday of October. A Mop Fair was a hiring fair where people would go looking for employment, but although no longer used to help employment it is an important event each year with its stalls, fairground attractions and the traditional ox-roast. The Green has also been used for centuries for meetings and markets, and although the area of Kings Norton Parish is now much smaller than in the Middle ages the number of people coming to The Green is vastly greater so please treat it with care

Northfield Today Northfield is an outer suburb of Birmingham, but its origin was in a Saxon settlement in North Worcestershire, which in 1086 became part of the lands of William Fitz-Ansculf, a Norman knight. The 'old' village of Northfield (Nordfeld) was described in the Domesday Book as having a priest as well as seven villeins, sixteen borders, six cottars, who shared enough land for thirteen ploughs, two serfs and a bondswoman (a slave). This entry tells us that there was a church in Northfield before the Norman Church of St Laurence was built.

	The church, which has been enlarged over the centuries, was built of stone probably quarried from nearby Quarry Lane, and was the focal point of the 'old village'. Today it is the central building in a conservation area. The conservation area also includes the Great Stone Inn, originally a mediaeval 'Hall' house, the village Pound (or pinfold) where in ancient times stray animals were tethered, and a number of cottages.

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