Gib Heath

Settlement in Warwickshire / Staffordshire

England

Gib Heath

Pyramid Tower, Handsworth Park This galvanised steel tower was designed by the Birmingham artist Pauline Bailey. The mandalas cut into the truncated pyramid roof were designed by Bailey in co-operation with local elders, mainly Bangladeshi women from a sewing group, who expressed their life journeys through these circular patterns as part of a project called Veranda Stories. See the website of Handsworth Creative <span class="nowrap"><a title="https://www.handsworthcreative.com/veranda-stories-pyramid-tower" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" href="https://www.handsworthcreative.com/veranda-stories-pyramid-tower">Link</a><img style="margin-left:2px;" alt="External link" title="External link - shift click to open in new window" src="https://s1.geograph.org.uk/img/external.png" width="10" height="10"/></span> .

In the distance can be seen The Sons of Rest Building, erected in the 1930s by a society of retired men. — Pyramid Tower, Handsworth Park Credit: A J Paxton

Gib Heath is a small village located on the border between Warwickshire and Staffordshire, England. Situated in the West Midlands region, it is surrounded by picturesque countryside and offers a peaceful and rural atmosphere.

The village is known for its traditional architecture, with many houses dating back to the 19th century. It is primarily a residential area, with a close-knit community that takes pride in maintaining the village's charm and character. The local residents are friendly and welcoming, creating a warm and inviting environment for visitors.

Gib Heath benefits from its strategic location, providing easy access to nearby towns and cities. The village is just a short drive away from the bustling city of Birmingham, offering residents the opportunity to enjoy the amenities and attractions of a major urban center while still enjoying the tranquility of rural life.

Nature enthusiasts will appreciate the abundance of green spaces surrounding Gib Heath. The village is located close to several nature reserves and country parks, providing opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, and wildlife spotting. Additionally, the nearby Cannock Chase, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, offers stunning landscapes and diverse flora and fauna.

Despite its small size, Gib Heath boasts a range of amenities and services. There are local shops, pubs, and restaurants, ensuring that residents have access to everyday necessities and leisure activities without having to travel far.

Overall, Gib Heath, Warwickshire / Staffordshire offers a peaceful countryside retreat with easy access to urban amenities, making it an attractive place to live for those seeking a balanced lifestyle.

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Gib Heath Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 52.498491/-1.924547 or Grid Reference SP0588. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Pyramid Tower, Handsworth Park

This galvanised steel tower was designed by the Birmingham artist Pauline Bailey. The mandalas cut into the truncated pyramid roof were designed by Bailey in co-operation with local elders, mainly Bangladeshi women from a sewing group, who expressed their life journeys through these circular patterns as part of a project called Veranda Stories. See the website of Handsworth Creative Link

. In the distance can be seen The Sons of Rest Building, erected in the 1930s by a society of retired men.

A J Paxton

Handsworth Mandalas

The mandalas, circular patterns, have been laser-cut into the galvanised steel roof of the Pyramid Tower in Handsworth Park SP0590 : Pyramid Tower, Handsworth Park. They were designed by Pauline Bailey together with a group of older Bangladeshi women from the locality, who were reflecting on their life journeys as part of a project called Veranda Stories. The tower dates from 2017 and "has a meditative quality to it when standing or sitting underneath and viewing the sky through the patterns in the roof of the pyramid" according to the website of the Handsworth Park Arts Trail Link

A J Paxton

Handsworth Cricket Club

A match is underway under a leaden sky on a September afternoon in Handsworth Park.

A J Paxton

Trinity Way, Handsworth Wood

Off Hamstead Road.

Richard Vince

Church Hill Road, Handsworth Wood

Richard Vince

Wellesbourne Road, Handsworth Wood

Off Hamstead Road.

Richard Vince

A pair of poplars, Handsworth Park

To the right, and nearer the viewer, stands a Lombardy poplar, with its distinctive fastigiate habit (branches upright and branched together), to the left beyond the bandstand can be seen a native black poplar; they are both coming into leaf in late April. Both are subspecies of the black poplar, Populus nigra.

A J Paxton

Pond, poplar and bandstand, Handsworth Park

Handsworth Park is a late 19th century public park, formerly known as Victoria Park, and now managed by the city of Birmingham, with active support from voluntary groups. For more on its history, see the Historic England site Link

. Here we see a fine black poplar coming into leaf in late April and reflected in one of the park's two large ponds. The tree is a wild black poplar, Populus nigra subspecies betulifolia, according to the Woodland Trust tree inventory Link

. This is the native black poplar of Britain and northwestern Europe, although in this location it is likely to have been planted rather than being naturally occurring. The bandstand is a Grade II listed building and was made in Scotland in 1903 by the Lion Foundry Company of Kirkintilloch, according to the listing at Historic England Link

. It was restored for the reopening of the park in 2006; see SP0590 : The bandstand in Handsworth Park.

A J Paxton

Black poplar and bandstand, Handsworth Park

The tree is a wild black poplar, Populus nigra subspecies betulifolia, with a trunk (shaggy with ivy) of 5.28m girth at a height of 1.5m, according to the Woodland Trust tree inventory Link

. This is the native black poplar of Britain and northwestern Europe, although in this location it is likely to be a planted ornamental tree rather than one that occurs here naturally. The bandstand is a Grade II listed building and was made in Scotland in 1903 by the Lion Foundry Company of Kirkintilloch, according to the listing at Historic England Link

. It was restored for the reopening of the park in 2006; see SP0590 : The bandstand in Handsworth Park. Inner Birmingham is not well-provided with green spaces, and the park is extremely well-used and appreciated by local people. A baby-welcoming gathering was taking place in the bandstand.

A J Paxton

Masjid-e-Quba, Hamstead Road

Formerly a pub called the Endwood (see SP0590 : The Endwood PH and SP0590 : "The Endwood", Hansworth Wood, Birmingham), this distinguished building has found a new non-alcoholic life as a mosque and community centre, the Masjid-e-Quba. Pub-into-mosque is not uncommon in the West Midlands; for a Coventry example see SP3479 : Mosque in premises of former public house, corner of Harnall Lane East and Freehold Street, Hillfields, Coventry. The building is Grade II listed, a relic of Handsworth's days as a wealthy suburb on the outskirts of Birmingham; it dates from around 1840, according to the list entry at Historic England Link

. It is seen here from the gates of Handsworth Park.

A J Paxton

Churchyard of Handsworth Parish Church

The churchyard adjoins Handsworth Park and is leafy and overgrown; here branches have fallen from a tree, possibly a poplar. The church of St Mary is a medieval Staffordshire parish church that was completely rebuilt in the 19th century. It is famous as the final resting place of the industrialists James Watt, Matthew Boulton and William Murdoch, the Golden Boys (SP0686 : The 'Golden Boys; are back,) come to dust, but their tombs are inside the church building itself. On the church, see the listing at Historic England Link

A J Paxton

Informal avenue, Handsworth Park

The avenue forms the entrance to Handsworth Park from Hamstead Road. It runs between Handsworth churchyard, behind the brick wall to the left, and the railway cutting and site of the former Handsworth Wood station. See the list entry for Handsworth Park at Historic England Link

A J Paxton

SS Journey

SS Journey depicts a man standing on the bow of a steamship and looking into the distance. He is modelled on Hector 'Mr Handsworth' Pinkney, OBE, a well-known and respected figure in the local community. The sculpture is the work of Luke Perry and was installed in 2017. In the words of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, 'It is inspired by the migrations to Handsworth made by people from around the world from the 1940s onward. It is also a reference to the Windrush generation who travelled to the UK in 1948 first arriving on the SS Empire Windrush ship.' See the comments section of the Historic England list entry for Handsworth Park Link

A J Paxton

Pond, Handsworth Park

This is the smaller of the two ponds in the park, though still large enough for its own small island. wider, eastern, end, can be seen at SP0590 : Pond, poplar and bandstand, Handsworth Park. On Handsworth Park see its Historic England list entry Link

A J Paxton

Former Grove Lane public baths, Handsworth

The baths were built on a corner of the Handsworth Park site by the Handsworth Local Board, as the district had not yet become part of Birmingham. They opened in 1907 and offered "First and Second Class Swimming Baths, suites of First and Second Class Private Baths for Men and Women and an excellent Turkish Baths designed in ‘an appropriate Eastern style’." See the Baths and Wash Houses historical archive site Link

. Only the front survives, converted into housing, with the site of all those baths replaced by a street of housing, Pike Close. Houses should now have baths or showers, while a swimming pool is provided by the Wellness Centre in the park.

A J Paxton

Handsworth

One of the town's quiet centres: the meeting of Church Lane, Oxhill Road, College Road and Grove Lane. 9th November 2011 will be the 100th anniversary of the town's incorporation into the city of Birmingham.

Adrian Bailey

Westminster Road, Birchfield

Adrian Bailey

A meeting of cultures

The Holy Trinity Church and the Jame Masjid Mosque by the A34 flyover in Birchfield. I've been on a tour of the mosque with my baby daughter - quite a surreal experience! Until 2003 it was known as the Saddam Hussein mosque; I always think it was a good reflection on Brummies in general that no-one was that bothered about the name. And the folk at the mosque don't seem to be too bothered that their address is "Trinity Road"...

Adrian Bailey

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Gib Heath is located at Grid Ref: SP0588 (Lat: 52.498491, Lng: -1.924547)

Unitary Authority: Birmingham

Police Authority: West Midlands