ath ▁is ▁a ▁w ard ▁in ▁B irmingham , ▁within ▁the ▁formal ▁district ▁of ▁H odge ▁Hill , ▁roughly ▁two ▁miles ▁north - east ▁of ▁B irmingham ▁city ▁centre , ▁England . ▁W ash wood ▁He ath ▁covers ▁the ▁areas ▁of ▁B irmingham ▁that ▁lie ▁between ▁Ne ch ells , ▁B ord es ley ▁Green , ▁Ste ch ford ▁and ▁H odge ▁Hill . ▁ ▁Geography ▁ ▁Salt ley ▁on ▁the ▁south - western ▁side ▁and ▁Ward ▁End ▁on ▁the ▁north - e astern ▁side ▁of ▁W ash wood ▁He ath ▁are ▁the ▁two ▁areas ▁that ▁cover ▁the ▁entire ▁w ard , ▁though ▁some ▁parts ▁near ▁Ne ch ells ▁and ▁H odge ▁Hill ▁do ▁not ▁come ▁under ▁either ▁of ▁these ▁and ▁are ▁simply ▁head ed ▁under ▁" W ash wood ▁He ath ". ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁area ' s ▁major ▁employ ers ▁was ▁the ▁railway ▁works ▁owned ▁by ▁Metropolitan - C amm ell ▁( l ater ▁Al st om ), ▁but ▁it ▁closed ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁ ▁Dem ograph ics ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁Population ▁Census , ▁there ▁were ▁ 2 7 , 8 2 2 ▁people ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁w ard ▁with ▁a ▁population ▁density ▁of ▁ 5 , 3 3 5 ▁people ▁per ▁km ² ▁compared ▁with ▁ 3 , 6 4 9 ▁people ▁per ▁km ² ▁for ▁B irmingham . ▁The ▁area ▁is ▁ 5 . 2   km ². ▁W ash wood ▁He ath ▁is ▁an ▁eth n ically ▁diverse ▁community