History is all around us – even in suburban Birmingham.

I work at a general practice that covers the areas of Great Barr, Streetly and Kingstanding in Birmingham. The area is suburban and full of not terribly inspired estates as well as council housing, playing fields and local shops and schools. As such the area does not have much to recommend it to those interested in history – or at least that seems to be the case.  But dig beneath the surface and there are surprising historical remains that are reminders that all around us history happened.

King’s Standing Bowl Barrow or Kingstanding Mound. 

The two trees above are growing out of what today is a shallow bump in the ground not one metre tall and 20 across. Yet on 19 October 1642,during the Civil War, King Charles I is said to have addressed new recruits from this very spot. There is some dispute but it seems likely that it is after this that the name of the area – what is today called Kingstanding  – was adopted.  Alternatively there is some evidence that it was already called “The King’s Standing” from medieval times. A Standing was a place where the king could wait to have deer driven past so that he could then hunt them.

None-the-less Charles stood here and spoke to his recruits and those same recruits then marched on down that road you can see to fight at the Battle of Edgehill only 4 days later.

The mound would have been much higher in ancient times but supposedly some years after the incident a new farm tenant levelled the mound. When he later heard  from his neighbours of its royal associations he then rebuilt it .

Roman Road

That innocuous road is actually on or within a few yards of part of  the Roman road to Wall (Letocetum near Litchfield) which is known as Rycknield Street.  It crosses Wattling Street (today’s A5)  only a few miles away.

In Sutton Park you can walk along the Roman Road and there are spots where it can be clearly recognised.

The park contains a natural spring which it is believed was used by the Romans as they had a marching camp in the vicinity.

So you can see that in a small area there are several echoes and remnants of past times. Not as glorious as the  great castles of course but still a reminder that history went on all around us.

What  hidden secrets are in your back yard?