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History articles: Empress Building, Binley Road
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=empress
Looking like a modern post-war development, Empress Building appeared far ahead of its time when it was announced in the Midland Daily Telegraph in July 1933: BINLEY ROAD IMPROVEMENT I...

History articles: Hope's Harbour to Harefield to Stoke Park School
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=hopes-harbour
Long before this lovely old house in Bray's Lane became the first location for Stoke Park School, it was the home of Otto Striedinger, one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Factories, born in Bavaria a...

History articles: I Almost Found Jesus - a Poem by John Walker
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=j-walker-poem
Set in Crescent Avenue and Bourne Road when John was 16, and almost every word is true (except for the stable - he made that up!) I Almost Found Jesus One Christmas Eve, when just a kid, I ...

History articles: Ronnie Corbett opens One-Stop, Thursday, 14th May 1970
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=one-stop
I remember this! I was five years old at the time, and I recall my mum being excited about going to see a new supermarket being opened by someone famous. Even better still - she managed to get into ...

History articles: Early years of Stoke Park School
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=stoke-park-school
Stoke Park School had its beginnings in a lovely old house in Bray's Lane, built in 1879 for the Inspector of Factories, Otto Striedinger. It was called Hope's Harbour, a name synonymous with the ar...

Contact me: Contact me about Historic Stoke, Coventry
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/main/contact.php
Before contacting me, please bear in mind that Historic Stoke, Coventry is only my personal hobby, and I am not part of any official organisation with archives, records or family information. Fo...

History pages: Stoke - Some History
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/history/history.php
  Quick Links to places on this page.... Beginnings - Stoke church - Associated names - The combat that never was! - Footnotes   This is by no means a complete history ...

Your memories: GEC Apprentice Association outings, from Leigh Belcham
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=belcham_gec
Leigh Belcham has sent me a wonderful set of photographs from his apprentice days with the G.E.C. at Coventry's Telephone Works, Stoke. They include many shots of the GEC (Coventry) Apprentice Assoc...

Your memories: Workplace memories of Mike Fitzpatrick
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=fitzpatrick-m
When my dad was demobbed he managed to get us a small home in Lodge Rd, off Bulls Head lane in Stoke. I was now attending Stoke Secondary school. I missed out on the eleven plus exam, as it was then...

Your memories: Stoke GEC - John Walker's first 'real job'
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=walker-j-gec
I got my first "paid employment" when I met track manager Phil Storey at the Ten-Pin Bowling, fibbed about my age (14, but on the tall side), and got a job on the track at Brandon on Saturday nights...

Your memories: A Childhood in Stoke, by Graham Whitehead
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=whitehead-g
I was born in 1938 and grew up in my parents' third home newly built on the former Triumph sports ground, in Wyver Crescent, just where the Crescent bends towards Bromleigh Drive. At the rear the en...

Now and Then: Ball Hill looking east, c1970
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=ball-hill-east
Not quite so far back in time for this shot taken of Ball Hill around 1970. Remarkably little has changed, building-wise, but I do have more of a soft spot for the older cars, which had far more ch...

Now and Then: Ball Hill from the top
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=ball-hill-top
Here we are standing on the brow of Ball Hill, known widely until around the Second World War as Stoke Knob. Looking in the direction of the town centre we see just half a dozen shops, with most of ...

Now and Then: Ball Hill looking towards town
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=ball-hill-town
Staying on Ball Hill we move just fifty or so yards closer to town, revealing a subtly different view. One item missing in this photo from around 1912 is the railways bridge, built two years later t...

Now and Then: Biggin Hall Hotel, Binley Road
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=biggin
It's reassuring to know that not everything has disappeared under the bulldozer, and so we can see here that most of the houses along this stretch of Binley Road survived the war and many council ch...

Now and Then: Bowling Green at Gosford Park
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=bowling-gosford
Still a green and pleasant view in 2022, but the sport is a little more active! Where once was a bowling green at Gosford Park we now have a basketball court - but we share the same view towards the...

Now and Then: Church End and Rose & Crown, Walsgrave Road
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=church-end-rc
A shot we're all familiar with in 2022 - a local pub, and a church hidden behind houses, set back from the usual urban thoroughfare - makes it so easy to forget that Stoke was once a village. Howeve...

Now and Then: Church Lane
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=church-la
It's a different world! Beautiful photos like this help to remind us that our Coventry district of Stoke was once a village in its own right, and not part of a major city. As we loo...

Now and Then: Clay Lane
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=clay-la
How idyllic Stoke used to look! A century ago a lane really looked how we imagine it should. But, could we survive nowadays without our cars and modern comforts? And where would we live if our stree...

Now and Then: Empress Building, Binley Road
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=empress
First opened in 1934, the Empress Building - named in honour of Queen Victoria - is still popular decades later. if you wish to see the images separately. A click ...

Now and Then: Kingsway parade near Stoke Library
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=kingsway
Looking down Kingsway here, reassuringly we can see virtually no change at all from one century to the next. Stoke Library is thankfully unaltered, too. But what is this parade? We see a soldier on ...

Now and Then: Stoke Library
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=library
Camera No.9 Wealthy benefactor, Andrew Carnegie, paid for three libraries to be built shortly before World War One. Stoke, Earlsdon and Foleshill libraries all had their foundation stones laid in...

Now and Then: Paddling Pool at Stoke Green
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=paddling-stoke-green
This 1933 photo of the then new Paddling Pool at Stoke Green will, no doubt, bring back happy memories for many locals - and some not so local, as my own wife recalls walking with her family from Wi...

Now and Then: The Rectory, Binley Road
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=rectory
Few would consider the bland, square flats on the left a pretty sight, which makes this comparison all the more difficult to endure! Click the image to fade back in time to around...

Now and Then: St. Joseph's Convent, Walsgrave Road
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=st-josephs
St. Joseph's Convent School was founded by the Sisters of Mercy as a girls' day and boarding school in 1862, overlooking Gosford Green. Suffering several air-raids during WW2, the buildings were des...

Now and Then: St. Margaret's Church & Schools, Walsgrave Road
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=st-margarets
The foundation stone for St. Margaret's Church was laid on the 29th January 1910, and the building opened in 1911. For the two years prior to that, services were held nearby at the Coronet Works, wh...

Now and Then: Walsgrave Road by Gosford Green
https://stoke.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=walsgrave-gosford
It's easy to forget nowadays, that as we look eastwards from the corner of Far Gosford Street and Binley Road, Gosford Green no longer comes very close to us. With the widening of Binley Road and th...

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Search for '' in Historic Coventry

Results found in page titles: 419


1605 Living History: Apothecary
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/1605/main/content.php?pg=apothecary
In 1605, apothecaries, and others who treated illness, followed beliefs which had been held for over a thousand years about what caused illnesses and other complaints. Anyone making remedies ...

1605 Living History: Calligraphy
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/1605/main/content.php?pg=calligraphy
What is Calligraphy? The word comes from two Greek words, Kallos and Graphe, meaning beautiful writing. Calligraphy's most interesting period is from the Roman period through to the Renai...

1605 Living History: Dance
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/1605/main/content.php?pg=dance
Dancing in the 16th and 17th centuries was an elegant form of exercise and an expected social skill for the nobility. Courtiers showed loyalty to the king with elaborate displays of dance, costume...

1605 Living History: Music
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/1605/main/content.php?pg=music
Musical Instruments of the 17th Century The Renaissance is one of the most exciting periods of musical history. In many senses it is where music as we know it today began, and without the...

1605 Living History: Introduction to the Gunpowder Plot
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/1605/main/content.php?pg=plot-intro
Many of us celebrate bonfire night with fireworks on November the fifth each year. In the four centuries since the failed Gunpowder Plot occurred, many myths and misconceptions have arisen, and ar...

1605 Living History: Surgery
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/1605/main/content.php?pg=surgery
Barber, Doctor, Surgeon and Peruke (wig) maker in the 17th Century Q: Whom would you see if you felt ill, or for everyday cuts and wounds if you could not afford to pay the hugely expensive cha...

1605 Living History: Armour & Weaponry
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/1605/main/content.php?pg=weaponry
By the end of the 16th century, armour and weaponry were advancing. The turn of the new century saw the longbow being used less and less, and ultimately replaced by the musket and other guns as th...

1605 Living History: Elements of Tudor life
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/1605/main/content.php?pg=workshops
Click on each category below to find out more about the various elements of life, and how people lived, learned, entertained, fought and even tried to fix themselves in Tudor times! Apo...

1605 Living History: The four major Catholic plots
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/1605/main/content.php?pg=four-plots
Babington, Bye, Gunpowder & Main; Not many people are aware, but the Gunpowder plot itself was only one of FOUR major plots that had been hatched. For over 26 years, major plots and contriv...

1605 Living History: Robert Catesby
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/1605/main/content.php?pg=catesby
Robert Catesby's Coventry connection Robert Catesby was the ringleader of the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, but his connections with Coventry have been forgotten over time, which is especially surprisin...

1605 Living History: Coombe Abbey & the Coventry connection
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/1605/main/content.php?pg=coombe-cov
The Gunpowder plot itself was only one of FOUR major plots that had been hatched. Take a look at the Four plots page to find out more about these potentially history-changing schemes... ...

1605 Living History: Palace Yard
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/1605/main/content.php?pg=palace-yd
In November, 1605, Princess Elizabeth was hurriedly brought for safety within Coventry's walls, her tutor, Lord Harrington of Combe, boding evil from the news of the baulked conspirators' wild rid...

1605 Living History: 1605 Living History & the Gunpowder Plot
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/1605/main/main.php
From 2005 until 2011 the 1605 Living History Society presented hands on Tudor period educational workshops, using the lessons of the Gunpowder Plot to help to bring about a better understanding of o...

History articles: Sixty Years of Cycling - 1897 magazine article
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=60-yrs-cycling1897
AS an industry and as a popular sport, cycling cannot be accurately credited with an existence more prolonged than a couple of decades ; yet the historians aver that as far back as 1836 Mr. Kirkpatr...

History articles: The Arno Motor Company of Coventry 1908-1916, by Damien Kimberley
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=arno-motors
To add to the previous research frustrations hopefully demonstrated within my Lion Bicycle Company article, permit me to continue the problems encountered, this time with a later Coventry motor firm...

History articles: The New Bablake Schools - 1889 article
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=bablake-sch1889
The new Bablake Schools, Coundon-road, are now practically completed. The headmaster (Mr. J. I. Bates) has taken up his residence at the school-house, and the educational work of the institution, wh...

History articles: Public Baths - The Building News, Jan 24th 1896
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=baths1896
We give the plans and view of public baths which have been built by the Corporation of Coventry. It will be seen that all the baths (both slipper and swimming) and the whole of the service laundry d...

History articles: A short history of Coventry's Theatres and Cinemas, by Bill Birch
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=bill-birch-theatres
Written in 1985 by our Dad, and word processed in loving memory of our dear Dad, William (Bill) Birch (1911-1990) who lived in Coventry for most of his life and who, like me loved the city. Submitte...

History articles: The Brough Superior, by Damien Kimberley
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=brough-superior
Made in Nottingham, but conceived in Coventry? Part 1. A Brough Superior machine of 1927, the first type of the Overhead 680. Note the Coventry "HP" index registration mark. Now hol...

History articles: Proposal for St. Michael's Campanile c1890
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=campanile
The first and last sketches on this page are two detailed drawings by Messrs. Paley & Austin, architects, which appeared in the national magazine, The Builder, on the 20th June 1891. It is app...

History articles: Coventry's Rich Heritage, by Pete Walters
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=coventry-heritage-p-walters
Author of best selling book, The Story Of Coventry As the voices of the Binchois Consort lifted into the high beamed roof of St Mary's Hall, the centuries fell away and we were back in th...

History articles: Coventry, the Home of the Cycle Trade - 1886 magazine article
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=cycles1886
From an 1886 issue of Leisure Hour magazine OLD Conventre, or Convent Town - so named after the priory founded there just before the Battle of Hastings by Earl Leofric and his heroine wife, Lady ...

History articles: The Dragoon Cycle Company of Coventry, by Damien Kimberley
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=dragoon
Grounded in Watchmaking, built upon Bicycles Benjamin Wilkins, (1850-1920) watchmaker of Harnall Lane in ceremonial garb. Brett Dudley. From the late 1860s through to the 1960s, Coventry...

History articles: Edwin Brown, Victorian Animal Artist, by Stephen Catton
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=edwin-brown-artist
There are many Coventry people who have achieved great things but whose names are no longer known to the majority of people. One such example is Edwin Brown (born in 1814), who was a Victorian Anima...

History articles: Coventry Volunteer Fire Brigade - Illustrated London News, Jan 4th 1862
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=fire-brigade1862
A movement was set on foot a short time since at Coventry with a view to the establishment of a volunteer fire brigade in that city, the result being that some fifty or sixty gentlemen were quickl...

History articles: The Great Flood of December 1900, and the lost Bridges, by Damien Kimberley
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=flood-1900
A view of Spon End Bridge from the messy bank of the Sherbourne facing Spon Street towards town. The bus, XVC 276 was registered in 1959 which helps date the image. A very wet looking Spo...

History articles: Coventry's Great Flood - London Daily Graphic, 2nd January 1901
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=floods1901
We take our photographically illustrated newspapers and magazines for granted nowadays, but of course, at the beginning of the 20th century the media people of the day couldn't simply copy and paste...

History articles: New Drinking Fountain at Coventry - 17 Sep 1859
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=fountain1859
In 1859 a building magazine article proudly announced the completion of a new drinking fountain, which had been recently erected in Fleet Street, just outside St. John's church. Of course, nowadays ...

History articles: Henry Cave, and the 'Lady' Autocar of 1899, by Damien Kimberley
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=henry_cave
The famous Motor Mills of the Daimler Company of Coventry, England, where Henry Cave was known to have been employed as an experimental engineer in the late 1890s. When I first began my res...

History articles: The Lion Bicycle Company of Coventry & Wolverhampton 1877-1882, by Damien Kimberley
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=lion-bikes
Historic research can often be quite dull and laborious when persevering with a particular mystery, but then when a discovery is eventually made it makes it all worthwhile. After researching the bic...

History articles: The Beech on Wheels, by Derek Robinson and forum member Foxcote
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=lrc-beech-tree
Why Coventry shouldn't cut down its history NOVEL TRANSPLANTATION. - A singular scene was exhibited through a line of the principal streets in this city, on Tuesday afternoon last, in the remov...

History articles: Phil Silvers Archival Museum, by Paul Maddocks
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=maddocks-p-bilko
Inside the Phil Silvers Archival Museum. Who would believe that an American comedian would have a special museum and archive here in Coventry? Yes, Phil Silvers is remembered here in FarGo ...

History articles: Transport Museum pt.3 - Creating the Blitz Experience, by Paul Maddocks
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=maddocks-p-blitz-exhibition
It's 2022, and the approaching 82nd anniversary of the Coventry Blitz got me thinking of when Coventry commemorated its 50th year in 1990. I was still working at the Transport Museum, which had ...

History articles: What links a Spitfire's landing gear to a baby buggy? by Paul Maddocks
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=maddocks-p-buggy
Owen Finley Maclaren. I have had a good life, a blessed life you could say. I have met many interesting people and learnt many interesting things. One of the first people I met and got to k...

History articles: The sound that almost killed my Dad in the War!, by Paul Maddocks
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=maddocks-p-minesweepers
The story of Paul's Dad who, like many, put their lives on the line in the war Paul Maddocks' Dad, Stan. My mum and dad were both 15 when the Second World War broke out. My mum lived in ...

History articles: D-Day and Monty's Staff Car, by Paul Maddocks
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=maddocks-p-monty
D-Day, 6th of June 1944, was the beginning of the Allies' landing, and was the start of the largest invasion fleet which ever set sail in the English Channel. Many people, ships, landing crafts, pla...

History articles: Transport Museum pt.2 - New Hales Street Entrance in 1985, by Paul Maddocks
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=maddocks-p-museum-entrance
St Agnes Lane and the theatre's stage door entrance. Five years after the Museum of British Road Transport opened the attendance was still very low - partly due to the cost of admission...

History articles: Transport Museum pt.1 - How the Queen's 1977 visit sowed the seed, by Paul Maddocks
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=maddocks-p-queens-visit
In 1977 it was the Queen's Silver Jubilee, and everyone was encouraged to join in the celebrations. Coventry Working Men's Club in Cox Street had just opened their rebuilt new club and asked if the ...

History articles: What links R2D2 to a Coventry Hydrogen/Electric cab company? by Paul Maddocks
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=maddocks-p-r2d2
A good fiend of mine, John Jostins, went to the Coventry College of Art in the late 1960s, the same time as I also was studying there. However, I did not get the chance to know him very well as ...

History articles: Transport Museum pt.6 - The Royal Cars, by Paul Maddocks
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=maddocks-p-royal-cars
Bartleet's book, and the man himself on a 53-inch Ordinary bicycle. The Coventry Transport Museum has many vehicles, from the earliest cycles to the latest land speed record cars, and every...

History articles: Transport Museum pt.5 - The 1987 F.A. Cup Winners' Sky Blue Bus, by Paul Maddocks
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=maddocks-p-sky-blue-bus
The Sky Blue Bus in the Coventry Transport Museum. The Coventry Transport Museum had always had a close relationship with the city's bus service due to their engineering expertise, which of...

History articles: The Tapestry and its Hidden Secret, by Paul Maddocks
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=maddocks-p-tapestry
The tapestry is from the bible which says; "In the centre is seated Christ. Round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the seco...

History articles: Transport Museum pt.4 - Coventry's Land Speed Record Cars, by Paul Maddocks
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=maddocks-p-thrust-cars
The first attempt by Thrust did not end well. Richard Noble was keen to break the world land speed record. His first car, called Thrust, crashed and overturned, but his next car, Thrust 2, ...

History articles: Whitefriars Gatehouse and Toy Museum, by Paul Maddocks
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=maddocks-p-whitefriars
The Whitefriars Gatehouse, Much Park Street, most know it as the "Old Toy Museum". The building dates back to 1352 and was built as the main entrance to serve the huge Carmelite Whitefriars Monaster...

History articles: WW1 and Wyley of Charterhouse, by Paul Maddocks
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=maddocks-p-wyley
Father and former Mayor, Colonel Sir William Fitzthomas Wyley. The First World War, the 'War to end all Wars', is such a big subject, and unimaginable because of its sheer size and scale. G...

History articles: Miss Bashford, a Teacher's Tale, by Simon Shaw
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=miss-bashford
While perusing the wonderful memories on this page, you'll be pleased to know that you can listen to some enlightening interviews with Barbara Boyle to accompany the text. To play a clip simply pres...

History articles: Motor Panels (Coventry) Ltd, by Damien Kimberley
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=motor-panels
I've always enjoyed tracing the founders of Coventry firms, and in many cases, the more difficult the people are to find then the more satisfying it becomes when you eventually get them. On this occ...

History articles: Not Forgotten, the 1939 IRA bomb attack, by Simon Shaw
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=not-forgotten
John Corbett Arnott aged 15. Elsie Ansell aged 21. Rex Gentle aged 30. Gwilym Rowlands aged 50. James Clay aged 82. On 12th January 1939 the Irish Republican Army, claiming to be the "Gover...

History articles: Let's talk about Rex, by Damien Kimberley
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=rex
The Story of Rex and Rex-Acme. Frederick William Allard (1863-1843), former cycle world champion and founder of Allard cycle manufacturing business at Earlsdon. The "Rex" story is a real...

History articles: Coventry, the Silk Trade and the Horsfall family, by Ian West
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=silk-trade
Lunt Fort, Baginton, as it looked in the 1970s. The first known settlement in the Coventry area was the Roman Fort Lunt at Baginton, although there was at the time a prior settlement at Cor...

History articles: The Saint Joseph the Worker parish in Coventry, by Terence Richards - Part 1
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=st-joseph-parish1
The earlier years - In the beginning. Saint Joseph the Worker Roman Catholic church, De Montfort Way, Cannon Park, Coventry, is in the deanery of Coventry and the archdiocese of Birmingham. ...

History articles: The Saint Joseph the Worker parish in Coventry, by Terence Richards - Part 2
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=st-joseph-parish2
The earlier years - The first church for the parish - then a new priest. The origin/s of the temporary building that became the first church for the Saint Joseph the Worker parish in 1966 is/ar...

History articles: The Saint Joseph the Worker parish in Coventry, by Terence Richards - Part 3
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=st-joseph-parish3
The earlier years - On to the end of the 1970s - Halcyon days. At this point in the writing of the Saint Joseph the Worker parish history, it is distinctly relevant to cite, and emphasize, the ...

History articles: A brief history of Saint Osburg's, in pictures, by Damien Kimberley
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=st-osburgs
Drawing of the church in 1847, before the spire was later added to the tower. This old oil painting of about 1850 shows the church and Priory/Presbytery on the right hand side from Abbo...

History articles: The First Tudor Feast, by Richard Ball
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/content.php?pg=tudor-history-r-ball
Coventry, August 24th, 1485 Summary Henry VII, the first Tudor monarch (1485-1509), was crowned at the end of the battle at Bosworth Field on the morning of Monday the 22nd August in 1485. ...

History pages: Coventry's Bishops
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/history/bishops.php
A full list of Coventry's Bishops, from a list displayed in the New Cathedral. It begins with the Bishops of Mercia way back in Saxon times, and takes us through the various reorganisations when Cov...

Coventry's Blitz: Coventry's Blitz - Moonlight Sonata
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=blitz
Coventry's long history has been shaped by many events, some bringing prosperity; others misfortune. Two particular events have, however, had the most dire consequences; the first being the dissolut...

Coventry's Blitz: Why Coventry?
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=why-cov
Despite the government's reluctance to publicly declare that another war was likely, as early as 1934 preparations were being quietly made in case the unthinkable happened. In the Air Defence ex...

Coventry's Blitz: Preparation for war
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=preparation
As previously stated, it was already acknowledged by 1934 that war was a possibility, and that in the event of such, Coventry would be a probable target. This carefree scene of 1939, show...

Coventry's Blitz: Defending Coventry
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=defend-cov
In 1940 the principal form of defence against night attacks comprised anti-aircraft guns and barrage balloons. By the 14th of November Coventry had 56 barrage balloons, which were typically deployed...

Coventry's Blitz: The raid begins
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=the-raid
If the precise details of the forthcoming raid eluded the authorities, the people of Coventry knew even less, and were blissfully ignorant of what was about to be unleashed upon them. According to vir...

Coventry's Blitz: The raid continues
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=the-raid2
As the raid progressed, mixtures of high explosives, incendiaries, oil bombs and land-mines came down, and gradually our ancient city centre, the street plan of which had not significantly altered s...

Coventry's Blitz: The next day - Friday 15th
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=next-day
At 6:16 am Coventry was sent the 'Raiders Passed' signal. However, due to the damaged electricity supply, the most of the 'All Clear' sirens did not sound, and many people had to be told by pass...

Coventry's Blitz: The King's visit - Saturday 16th
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=the-king
The afternoon after the raid, King George VI was informed of Coventry's incredible ordeal, and decided there and then that he should visit the next day - Saturday. The visit was not publicly announc...

Coventry's Blitz: The aftermath
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=aftermath
The first mass funeral at the London Road Cemetery, Wednesday 20th Nov. After all the dramatic events, from which the citizens of Coventry were still reeling, the future rebuilding of the t...

Coventry's Blitz: Recovery
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=recovery
One small mercy that people were extremely grateful for at that time, was the official suspending of rationing in Coventry for 17 days. It was the only sensible option at the time because many ratio...

Coventry's Blitz: What did Coventry lose?
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=damage
All that remained of Christ Church after a 1941 raid. Although many of our city's buildings could be rebuilt, Coventry is a place with a very full history, and many of the buildings lost to...

Coventry's Blitz: Some blitz statistics
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=stats
Air-raid timeline for 14th-15th November 1940 | Bombing statistics | Casualties | Air-raid shelters | Housing & property damage | Public transport | General statistics concerning Coventr...

Coventry's Blitz: Conspiracies and myths
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=myths
On this page.... Royal visitor | Buried and forgotten | Gone with the Wind | Not a serenade | Coventrated | The Churchill Conspiracy All tragic events are surrounded by mythical tales (or "st...

Coventry's Blitz: Other raids
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=other-raids
While the November raid was obviously the single most shocking and devastating event in Coventry's war, it was by no means the only air-raid, and much destruction was caused by other attacks - parti...

Coventry's Blitz: The Mayor's family tale
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=mayor-with-king
By Andrew Ross, great nephew of Mayor John Moseley At the time of the Coventry Blitz on 14th November 1940, almost two years before I was born, my Great Uncle, Alderman John Moseley, was Mayor of...

Coventry's Blitz: P. C. Rollins
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=pc-rollins
Ian Tew has kindly allowed me to publish pictures and details about P.C. 25 Kenneth Rollins, Ian's wife's grandfather. P. C. Rollins was killed while on duty on the night of the Blitz and, like...

Coventry's Blitz: Victims of Coventry's air-raids
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/victims.php
A list of those who fell victim to the bombing raids or World War Two in Coventry. My sincere thanks to Peter Garbett for compiling this information using records available at Coventry's Archives at T...

Coventry's Blitz: 'The Coventry I Remember', by Miss Miriam S. Garratt
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/blitz.php?pg=coventry-i-remember
I shall remember the city I love Her tall spires gleaming, gold tipped above. Godiva processions, the ancient fair, And where the centuries met in Broadgate square. With glittering windows of ...

Broadgate: Broadgate in our Memories
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/broadgate/broadgate.php?pg=broadgate1
For centuries, Broadgate has been at the very heart of Coventry - and at times, in the hearts of Coventrians, too! Whatever your age, everyone here has a memory of Broadgate. Many peopl...

Broadgate: Earliest photographs of Broadgate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/broadgate/broadgate.php?pg=broadgate2
This must be amongst the earliest photographs showing Broadgate, if not Coventry itself. It was taken around 1860 by Joseph Wingrave (right) - only around a decade or two after the invention ...

Broadgate: The Ever Changing Face of Broadgate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/broadgate/broadgate.php?pg=broadgate3
Whatever the era, Broadgate has never remained static, - major changes were happening long before the 20th century turmoil. In the 1820s, old houses and shops on the west side of what was then a nar...

Broadgate: Pre-War Plans for Broadgate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/broadgate/broadgate.php?pg=broadgate4
Amazingly, a scene depicting the garden was envisaged even before the Second World War and all its associated destruction had begun. This artists impression was made in 1939, and shows that the plan...

Broadgate: More Views of Broadgate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/broadgate/broadgate.php?pg=broadgate5
Walking to the other side of Broadgate and looking back towards the famous pillared bank shows a less desirable modern day view. The view of the once proud bank - the only WW2 survivor from ...

Broadgate: The National Provincial Bank
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/broadgate/broadgate.php?pg=broadgate6
Walking forward towards that bank now, we can see that something is missing.... Indeed, we're back in 1928, the year before construction of the National Provincial took place. The Coventry A...

Broadgate: The Way We Were
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/broadgate/broadgate.php?pg=broadgate7
If you need to be cheered up after that, here's a beautiful photo kindly sent to me by Colin Barnes. It's a view taken from St. Michael's spire around 1982 and allows us to remember how lovely a...

Coventry's Three Cathedrals: Coventry's Three Cathedrals
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/cathedrals.php
Not many cities can boast more than one cathedral.... fewer still can claim to have had three! Most people are of the opinion that this is something to be proud of - others might say we were severe...

Contact me: Contact me about Historic Coventry
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/main/contact.php
Before contacting me, please bear in mind that Historic Coventry is only my personal hobby, and I am not part of any official organisation with archives, records or family information. For this ...

Engraved Coventry: Ford's Hospital Courtyard
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/engravings/content.php?pg=fords-courtyard
In this ever changing city, a little piece of continuity can make a rather pleasant change. Although by 1896 photography was already well established, it's reassuring that we still had many artists ...

Engraved Coventry: Guildhall Entrance Gateway
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/engravings/content.php?pg=guildhall-entrance
The building of St. Mary's Guildhall was begun in 1342, and the entrance through which we all still pass was among the first parts of the Guildhall to be built. The 1829 engraving below shows admira...

Engraved Coventry: Priory Mill Dam
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/engravings/content.php?pg=mill-dam
To say that this rural scene has altered out of all recognition would be the understatement of the century! Clicking on the image will reveal a scene more familiar to most visitors to Coventry, look...

Engraved Coventry: Old Grammar School - east side
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/engravings/content.php?pg=old-grmr-schl-east
The difference between the old and new is even more startling with this pair of images. Published in 1824, this beautiful engraving of the "Free School" depicts a scene before Hales Street was built...

Engraved Coventry: Old Grammar School - west side
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/engravings/content.php?pg=old-grmr-schl-west
In isolation, I'm certain that a look at this 19th century drawing would not quickly reveal its identity. It's only when we compare it with a modern day photograph from a similar viewpoint, that it ...

Engraved Coventry: Pool Meadow
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/engravings/content.php?pg=pool-meadow
Bearing in mind Coventry's current city centre, full of tarmac, conctrete, buses, the hustle-bustle of modern life.... who would've predicted this picture of serenity in the centre of one of Britain...

Engraved Coventry: Sherbourne Viaduct near Charterhouse
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/engravings/content.php?pg=sherbourne-viaduct
Another beautiful rural scene, this time of the Sherbourne Viaduct. Engraved from a picture by Daniel Wilson in 1839, we can see the River Sherbourne meandering its way beneath the railway bridge. S...

Engraved Coventry: St. Michael's Tower and Spire
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/engravings/content.php?pg=st-michaels-spire-1861
An edition of the Illustrated London News of 1861 made use of this fine engraving of St. Michael's tower and spire to illustrate its article, principally about the church, but also tak...

History pages: Coventry - Some History
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/history/history.php
Quick Links to places on this page.... Coventry's Beginnings | Origin of the Coventry Name | Coat of Arms and Motto | Leofric and Godiva | The Seat of the Bishop | Coventry Castle | A T...

Coventry maps: Mapping the evolution of Coventry's streets
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/covmaps/allmaps.php
All the maps on these pages were "hand drawn" on the computer (!) with the Paint Shop Pro image editing programme. I've chosen certain years which best demonstrate Coventry's development.... the rea...

History pages: Coventry's Mayors & Lord Mayors
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/history/mayors.php
Here's a complete list of Coventry's Mayors, from the first one after the Charter of Incorporation in 1345 until the present day. In most cases after the late 15th century, the Mayor's occupation is...

About me: A quick word from the author
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/main/me.php
Hello... and welcome to my personal history of Coventry. I'm Rob Orland, and my interest in this city is simply that in 1965 I was born about a mile from the centre of Coventry in Kingston Road,...

Your memories: The Art School, Ford Street, remembered by Liz Bayly
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=bayly-l
Liz Bayly was thrilled to find a photo of the Art School in Ford Street in my "now and then" section. She attended this Art School around 1956-57 and takes up the story from there.... At ...

Your memories: Schoolday memories of Pauline Bearcock
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=bearcock-p
I  think I was fortunate to have such a lovely, partly rural, twenty minute walk to school along Coat of Arms Bridge road to Stivichall Primary School. I wonder how many youngsters walk that fa...

Your memories: Little Park Street & Spon Street, by Mick Billings
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=billings-m
Mick Billings with his dad. Early days... Little Park Street I was born in Little Park Street on 30th October 1943 to Elsie Rose Billings and George Billings at Court 16, House 4, which ...

Your memories: Memoirs of Stoneleigh Abbey, by Catherine Binns
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=binns-c
I am grateful to Kathy Hahn, who discovered Mrs. Binns through the St. Joseph's Convent 'Mystery' page on this website, for which Catherine had kindly written offering to help if she could. Kathy ...

Your memories: Birch family war-time memories and the next generation, by Wendy Lloyd
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=birch-family
Mum Lilian (nee Ellis) and Dad William (Bill) Birch were married on 5th August 1939 in Liverpool where my Mum lived with her family. They had met when my Dad's friend Eddie Smith had taken my Dad to...

Your memories: Hillfields memories from the 1930s & 40s, by Jerry Bird
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=bird-j
Born at 13 Canterbury Street in 1932 was the start of my sixteen year life in the UK prior to emigration in 1948, and so I only remember Coventry as it was in my minds eye pre, during and after the ...

Your memories: Bombers over our Radford Streets, by Jerry Bird
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=bird-j-radford
The Radford Road Machine Gunning, 1940 On a Sunday morning at about 9:30 a.m., dressed in our Sunday best, my Dad, Brother and I were on our way to the bus stop to go to town to see our Gran at B...

Your memories: Voyage on the Queen Mary with Cecilia Cargill
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=cargill-c
Kristen Howard has forwarded to me a collection of wonderful photographs, which form the memories of her mother-in-law, Cecilia Cargill. Kristen writes.... Cecilia Cargill & W...

Your memories: Schoolboy fun around town with Patrick Casey
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=casey-p
Patrick Casey and his friends enjoyed seeking out the lighter side of life, and in the 1960s there were plenty of things going on around Coventry's new city centre to keep them amused.... ...

Your memories: Dunlop Rugby Union Club, by Lorraine Clarke
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=clarke-l
Lorraine Clark (nee Bentham) has kindly supplied two super photos here, and has added few words to explain how her family have had a very proud and important part to play in the history of the Dun...

Your memories: Pre-war memories of Norman Cohen
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=cohen-n
Norman Cohen was born in 1923 in the family home, above his father's carpet and linoleum shop at 51 Bishop Street. Apart from a brief spell from 1926 to 1929, when the family moved with the busine...

Your memories: Remembering Courthouse Green School, by Robert Coles
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=coles-r
Robert Anthony Coles was born at Ryton on Dunsmore in the years following the Second World War, and from the age of three moved to Miles Meadow, Bell Green. A recent illness prompted Robert into t...

Your memories: The Life of Riley, by Ron Critchlow
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=critchlow-r
My grandfather came from Huncote in Leicestershire, a quarryman, a strong Baptist and a founder of the quarrymans' trade union. He moved into Nuneaton at an early age, continued in quarrying and bec...

Your memories: Wartime memories of Wyken, by Alan Edgson
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=edgson-a
As an absentee "Coventry Kid", (I moved to South Devon in 1970) Coventry still holds most of my memories. I was born at 24 Heath Crescent, Stoke Heath in January 1934, and after a few temporary home...

Your memories: Boyhood Memories of Peter Ellis
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=ellis-p
Way back in those far off days of the forties and fifties, summers were always like the one we have just had (2018) and winters were always very cold. At least, that is how people of my advanced yea...

Your memories: From boyhood to young adult, by Peter Ellis
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=ellis-p2
Peter outside his house in Station Street West in his first year of working life. Having passed my eleven-plus, I went to John Gulson School in Leicester Causeway and walked past the Roxy c...

Your memories: War and Workplace memories of Mike Fitzpatrick
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=fitzpatrick-m
My earliest memory was in Sept '39, when sitting on our front step with my dad, and him telling me that mum was coming home with a baby sister 19th September. However, we were now at war with German...

Your memories: 1940s & 50s remembered, by Ken Giles
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=giles-k
After reading Derick Parson's memories of his band life Ken Giles was motivated to write to me to say that he was also a member of the Corps of Drums, playing a cavalry trumpet with them around 19...

Your memories: World War Two memories of James Hill
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=hill-j
I was born in a small terrace house at 273 Alderman's Green Rd, Coventry at about 12 noon on a very hot day on the 22nd June 1932. My Father was William James Hill Born 17th Dec 1907. Dad was emplo...

Your memories: A selection of 1940s and 50s memories, by Rod Joyce
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=joyce-r
Rod has many and varied memories of Coventry as a youngster, a particularly vivid one being up the Old Cathedral tower to watch the planting of the Flying Angel onto the New Cathedral fleche by an...

Your memories: Pictures of a Coventry ancestry, by Lesleigh Kardolus
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=kardolus-l
Lesleigh Kardolus wishes to share with us a beautiful set of photos depicting her Coventry ancestry, who all contributed proudly towards Britain's effort in the First World War.... My...

Your memories: Innocence, by John Lane
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=lane-j
Foleshill, Coventry, 1952 One warm summer day in 1952, the children running, chattering or just mooching around in the walled playground of Edgewick primary school in Coventry were suddenly confr...

Your memories: A plane crash over Exhall, by John Lane
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=lane-j2
Old memories - really old ones - are sometimes unreliable. We often discover that what we remember as a huge building which we often walked past as a child turns out, when we revisit it as an adult,...

Your memories: Post-War memories of Keith Longmore
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=longmore-k
Keith Longmore's fascination by the photographs in this memories section prompted his own vivid memories of Coventry in the late 1940s, when he was about four or five years old. In particular, Kei...

Your memories: Growing up in Willenhall, by Josie Lisowski-Love
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=love-j
I went to St. Thomas Moore then Corpus Christi then Bishop Ullathorne Girls. We lived in Eskdale Walk in Willenhall then on Tintagel Close, Willenhall Woods. I was born in Kersley hospital and we ...

Your memories: Coventry Zoo and the Hippo attack, by Paul Maddocks
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=maddocks-p-zoo
In 1966 I was living in Willenhall, and my first full time job was at the Coventry Zoo at Whitley. I was 16, just leaving Whitley Abbey school. I already had a place at the Coventry College of A...

Your memories: The thoughts of a younger Coventrian, by Paul Martin
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=martin-p
Born in the twilight of the 1980s, Paul Martin is a relatively young person who takes a genuine interest in the wonderful heritage of our City of Coventry. Paul laments the fact that, generally, o...

Your memories: Growing up in Hillfields, by Jan Mayo
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=mayo-j
I grew up in Coronation Road, Hillfields, one of five children I was the second from eldest. My earliest memory is of being taken into the air raid shelter in Primrose Hill park, by my Mum, I recall...

Your memories: Winter before central-heating in Hillfields, by Jan Mayo
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=mayo-j2
Keeping warm in the 40s and 50s when I was growing up was a very different story to the way we take central heating for granted today. We only had a coal fire in the living room of our 3 up 3 down m...

Your memories: Viewing the Blitz from Birmingham, by Mavis Monk
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=monk-m
At the time of Coventry's Blitz, Mavis Monk (nee Onley) lived in Sheldon - just on the Birmingham side of what is now the International Airport. Although some miles away from our city, Mavis lived...

Your memories: Family memories of Eric Over
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=over-e
Eric Over was a Coventry kid who moved to Canada in 1963. He was brought up at Rowleys Green Lane where his gran had a small shop and he remembers sitting on the barrel on his granddad's cart wh...

Your memories: Early working days of Barry Page
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=page-b
Entrance to the New St. Michael's Coventry Cathedral, June 1965. Although I wasn't born and bred in Coventry, I lived in the city for six years (1967 to 1973) where I first started working ...

Your memories: Band life with Derick Parsons
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=parsons-d
Here is a super photo of a band rehearsal for a concert, taken around 1941/42 at what was then the 'New' Hippodrome, which had only been built about four years earlier. The people on stage comprise ...

Your memories: Brian Porter, A Coventry Kid
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=porter-b
Born to Gerald John and Lilian Elsa Anne Porter (who was one of twins with Aunty Ivy), Brian was the youngest of five children. He was born in Carlton Road, Foleshill Coventry, on 21st March 1938. T...

Your memories: Experiences of the Coventry Blitz, by Joan Powell
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=powell-j
Looking back on the night of November 14th 1940, the bombing raid on Coventry, I'm thinking how lucky Ron and myself are to be here today. The sirens went before 7pm that evening, Ron was making his w...

Your memories: War-time memories of Brian Richards
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=richards-b
Many thanks to Cathy Clapinson for sending in the memories of her parents, Brian and Jean.... Born in 1932, Brian moved to Coventry at the age of five years. Here are are some of his memori...

Your memories: War-time memories of Jeanne Richards
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=richards-j
Many thanks to Cathy Clapinson for sending in the memories of her parents, Brian and Jean.... On the 17th July 1954, Jeanne Hyde married Brian Richards. Jeanne was born at Lammas Road, ...

Your memories: Coventry Remembered, by Andrew Ross
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=ross-a
I stood awhile in Broadgate today and reflected on the changes that the years have wrought. The post-war redevelopment made Broadgate an island. There were cobble-stoned 'bus stops on the west, nort...

Your memories: The Coventry outings of Brian Rowstron & family
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=rowstron-b
Our next instalment comes from Brian Rowstron who has lived in Australia since 1971. A big music fan, he was the founder and President of the 'Official Mike Batt Appreciation Society' (Australia...

Your memories: Time Gentlemen Please! - Jo Shepherd's Family
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=shepherd-j
My parents, Bill and May Toseland, were married in 1936, and I am sure they had certain plans for their future because my grandparents, on my father's side, were at that time running the Binley Work...

Your memories: The life experiences of Mike Spellacy
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=spellacy-m
For many years Mike Spellacy has wanted to write a biography or diary of his life's memories, and now he has. He's put together a comprehensive chronicle of his lifetime's major happenings - obser...

Your memories: Humber Works photographs of Peter Thacker
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=thacker-p
Maurice Freel has kindly sent me a wonderful collection of photographs and plans, which depict the Humber works, one of Coventry's largest car manufacturing companies, within a few years of the cl...

Your memories: Early Coventry memories of Lizzie Tomlinson
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=tomlinson-l
Elizabeth Tomlinson's father worked for MacAlpine's construction company, and it was through MacAlpine's that the family moved to Coventry, and later on to Derby. One of fourteen children, Lizzie an...

Your memories: Post-war decades remembered, by Mike Tyzack
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=tyzack-m
I moved to Coventry with my parents and sister in 1946 at the age of 3. We lived in Arnold Avenue near the corner of Woodcock Avenue in Styvechale. Half way down Woodcock Avenue was a bomb crater. T...

Your memories: Mike Tyzack's photo mysteries.... Answers
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=tyzack-m-answers
7th July 1962. Mike is standing on the west side of Priory Street looking east towards Cox Street. What we are witnessing here is the beginning of the construction of Coventry Swimming Baths. The ...

Your memories: Fireman Frank Walduck, remembered by Peter Walduck
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=walduck-p
Peter Walduck lived in Perkins Street, Coventry, in the late 1940s and 50s with his mother and father, Vera and Frank Walduck. His mother used to sing on the stage of many clubs in and around Cove...

Your memories: Early memories of Coventry, by Muriel Wells
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=wells-m
In the two years that I attended Wheatley Street School (1942-44), I disembarked from the number 3 'bus in Cox Street. However, I never bothered to find out what the great dark buildings nearby hous...

Your memories: Family memories of Burt West
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=west-b
At the end of Mill Street, where Burt's mum was born, was Naul's Mill Park, pictured here in its prime before the First World War. Born in 1940; the year Coventry changed forever, Burt West...

Your memories: A Childhood in Stoke, by Graham Whitehead
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/memories/content.php?pg=whitehead-g
I was born in 1938 and grew up in my parents' third home newly built on the former Triumph sports ground, in Wyver Crescent, just where the Crescent bends towards Bromleigh Drive. At the rear the en...

Doctor Who: The Doctor comes to Coventry!
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/dr-who.php
On Monday 28th August 2006 The Doctor (David Tennant) and his new assistant (Freema Agyeman) materialised at Ford's Hospital, Greyfriars' Lane in Coventry, to do some filming. (Movi...

Photographic mysteries: 1918 Team photo - but which team?
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=a-bolton-team-photo
Angela Bolton is trying to find out which club is in this photograph, which her husband's ancestor played in. On the back of the photo it says "May 1918" and they are all wearing some kind of un...

Photographic mysteries: Albert Edward Wright, police and military man
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=albert-wright
Cricket team | Football team | Military career | Police career | Albert Edward Wright, the late grandfather of Ian Wright, was born in Countesthorpe and served in the Coventry Police Force...

Photographic mysteries: Bus Driver, Alfred Heath (Solved)
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=alfred-heath
|solved| This particular mystery photograph is a more personal one. Michael Heath was born on the Foleshill Road in 1958, and although he now resides in Chippenham, he can trace his Coventry root...

Photographic mysteries: The Linnett family at work, church and play
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=arthur-linnett
Gail Linnett has sent me some fantastic old photos based around her fathers's and grandfather's life and times. Gail, who has lived all her life in Edinburgh, never met her Grandfather, who died...

Photographic mysteries: Local BBC Radio photo mystery - Find Cheeky!
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=bbc-find-cheeky
|solved| Something a little different this time. This wonderful old picture has come from BBC Coventry & Warwickshire presenter Marian McNamee, and has been titled "Find Cheeky"! Marian found ...

Photographic mysteries: Car Factories (Solved)
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=car-factories
|solved| In the "Your memories" section Maurice Freel sent me a wonderful collection of Humber Works photographs, mostly taken by his brother-in-law, Peter Thacker. Not all the images could be id...

Photographic mysteries: Church Lads' Brigade
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=church-lads-brigade
Having given some stirling help with some of the other mysteries, Vic Terry now offers a 'mystery' of his own. Vic has a feeling that the Church Lads' Brigade had allegiance to St. Marks, Stoney...

Photographic mysteries: Courthouse Green School 1952-53 (Progressing)
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=courthouse-green-1952-53
This Courthouse Green School class photo was sent to me by Cathy Bennett, and it presents us with two fundamental questions: "Are you in this picture?" and "When was it taken?". Although Cathy a...

Photographic mysteries: Dorothy Hancock at the G.E.C. and at a street party
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=dorothy-hancock
By an extremely good stroke of fortune, Barbara Hancock was browsing this site and noticed the mystery portrait of a mother with her child on Julie Stevenson's collection of unknown portraits. I...

Photographic mysteries: Family Studio Portraits
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=family-studio-portraits
David Barron has sent in these classic studio portraits, in the hope that someone can provide some information that might lead to identification of exactly who the subjects are, and when they we...

Photographic mysteries: Football Team Photo (Solved)
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=footy-team
Here's another lovely old photo from June Gibson, who has kindly allowed this super football team photo to be displayed. It originally belonged to her grandfather, William Kent, who worked f...

Photographic mysteries: Where are the Godiva Harriers? (Solved)
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=godiva-harriers
|solved| Colin Kirkham has let me use this lovely group photo of the Godiva Harriers for this particular "mystery". And the puzzle we'd like to solve is - where was it taken? Colin informs me...

Photographic mysteries: Herbert Chapman's Football & Rugby Teams (Solved)
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=h-chapmans-footy-teams
|solved| Andy Bates has sent to me a super collection of mostly football related photographs from around the early 1900s. It's not a random collection, however, they all have a connection with on...

Photographic mysteries: Hare & Hounds, Keresley (Progressing)
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=hare-and-hounds
We have here an absolutely stunning quality photograph taken at the Hare and Hounds in Keresley around 1910. It has been provided by Paul Buttle, who can identify four persons in it, including h...

Photographic mysteries: Highbury Ladies Physical Culture Club, 1920
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=highbury-ladies
Bill Dunn is hoping that someone can give some feedback on the two photos below. All he is able to tell us at the moment is that they came with other photos definitely related to Earlsdon, and t...

Photographic mysteries: Holbrooks/Keresley group photos - recognise anyone?
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=holbrooks-keresley-groups
Archery club | ARP Wardens | Commonwealth party | Civil Defence group | Post-war children in Webster Street | First Aid Post group | Home Guard, group 1 | Home Guard, group 2 | Large...

Photographic mysteries: Horse-drawn Outing (Solved)
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=horse-drawn-outing
|solved| We begin this section with an outing - in a slightly more relaxed manner than we're used to today! This wonderful photograph was sent to me by Simon Shaw, and belongs to June Gibson ...

Photographic mysteries: Keresley VE Day street parties - recognise people & places?
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=keresley-ve-day-parties
Conrad Road, photo A | Conrad Road, photo B | Conrad Road, photo C | Children's gathering, Hardy Road | Frazer Road, photo A | Frazer Road, photo B | Baby parade, Frazer Road | Beresfo...

Photographic mysteries: Leamington Ales (Solved)
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=leamington-ales
|solved| Here's another picture from June's photo collection. A large group posing outside a pub, whose landlord is Frederick J. Gibbs. All we can deduce is that the place sold Leamington Ales an...

Photographic mysteries: Lena Conway and friends (Solved)
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=lena-conway
|solved| Lesley Conway has sent me two lovely photos, both of which depict her mother on her honeymoon, apparently here in Coventry in 1949. Lesley's mum, Lena Conway, is the dark haired lady...

Photographic mysteries: Lester and Harris factory Netball Team
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=lester-harris-netball-team
Mike Burdett has sent me this photo of his mother in a photo of the Lester and Harris factory Netball Team from 60 plus years ago, and it will be great to hear from anyone who can provide an...

Photographic mysteries: Motorcycling trophies?
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=motorcycle-trophy
Anne Williscroft has sent in some smashing photos of her Step-Granddad - and motorcycle enthusiast - Eric Wilson. In the first photograph below Eric is the one with a moustache holding one of ...

Photographic mysteries: Who are all these children outside the Munition Cottages?
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=munitions-cottages
The Munitions Cottages have been discussed on this site in the past (on this postcard page). However, this time we'd like to know if anyone recognises any of the children pictured in this beauti...

Photographic mysteries: Recognise any people or places in these photos?
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=nancy-queally
Nancy Queally found a lot of old photos inside a book she bought at a rummage sale at St. Barnabus' Church Hall, Cromwell Street, back in the 1980s. She thinks that the photos could date back ...

Photographic mysteries: Ladies from the G.E.C. in the Precinct
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=pat-pollock-gec-workers
Pat Pollock hopes that some of our regular visitors will be able to work out the year of this next photo. From the state of the Precinct, the fashions and her grandmother's apparent age, Pat est...

Photographic mysteries: Percy Lewis' Pub (Solved)
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=percys-pub
|solved| Mary Cheadle has been trying to find information about her great uncle, Percy Lewis, born in 1884. She believes that he was a licensee in Coventry during the ...

Photographic mysteries: Are these the Rover factory steps?
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=rover-works-steps
Elaine Evans believes that her grandma, Emma Lena Rose, once worked in the canteen at the Rover factory in Coventry, and the overalls worn by these ladies certainly suggest their job. Emma L...

Photographic mysteries: Did you shop here? (Solved?)
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=shop-signs
Steve Archer has kindly given me a 'photo-mystery' with a difference here. Rather than having some photographs to identify - we have what appear to be the glass signs from a shop. Steve recently...

Photographic mysteries: Small Workforce Photo
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=small-workforce
Once again, June Gibson has supplied a great photo - this time of a group of factory workers. June's grandfather, William Kent, onced owned this photograph too, so could it have a connection...

Photographic mysteries: St. Joseph's Convent (Progressing)
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=st-josephs
We have a wonderful selection of photographs here from Maureen Donald, whose mother-in-law, Emily Taylor, attended a convent in Coventry as a day student. The connection between them is St. Jose...

Photographic mysteries: St. Michael's choir c1906
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=st-michaels-choir
This little piece of Coventry history has been sent in by Elaine Tomlins, whose Dad can be seen in the back row of this choir, third from the right. His name was Lewis Barker and he died in 1972...

Photographic mysteries: Do you recognise anyone in this photo?
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=stansfield-family-friends
Brian Stansfield has sent in this super portrait showing a group of rather happy looking friends in Spencer Park, some of whom he would like to be able to identify. The photo was taken around 19...

Photographic mysteries: Julie Stevenson's collection of unknown portraits
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=unknown-portraits
Julie Stevenson is in possesion of some very old photographic portraits - a varied and wonderful collection of people. There is little information for most of them, so Julie would appreciate any...

Photographic mysteries: Where were these wartime photos taken? (Partially solved)
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/photo-mysteries/content.php?pg=wartime-photos
Members of Graham Bridgeman's family have appeared in two wonderful wartime photos, and he would like some help to find out exactly when and where they were taken. This first photo ...

The New Cathedral of St. Michael's: St. Michael's - Coventry's New Cathedral: Introduction
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/newcathedral.php?pg=newcathedral
Seemingly with a defiance that summed up the resolute character of English citizens during the darkest days of World War Two, the decision to build the New Cathedral was made only the day af...

The New Cathedral of St. Michael's: Sir Basil Spence & Building Milestones
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/newcathedral.php?pg=spence
Sir Basil Spence (left) was the clear winner of that 1950 competition, and his design has been the subject of much controversy over the years due to its unorthodox style. His cathedral was a rad...

The New Cathedral of St. Michael's: St. Michael and the Devil & the West Window
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/newcathedral.php?pg=st-michael-devil
As you approach Coventry Cathedral, you are overlooked by the rather imposing bronze statues of St. Michael and the Devil on the southern end of the east wall. (Ecclesiastically speaking, the we...

The New Cathedral of St. Michael's: The Nave & the Baptistery Window
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/newcathedral.php?pg=baptistery
The most striking feature on entering the new cathedral is the 72 feet high Tapestry designed by Graham Sutherland. Wherever you stand in the building, the eyes of Christ appear to be lo...

The New Cathedral of St. Michael's: Chapel of Christ in Gethsemane & the Tapestry
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/newcathedral.php?pg=tapestry
Another of many highlights is the Chapel of Christ in Gethsemane. This is approached by following the aisle from the Baptistery window towards the altar which is at the north end. (Another break...

The New Cathedral of St. Michael's: Chapel of Industry & Stained Glass Side Windows
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/newcathedral.php?pg=chapel-industry
From the Chapel of Gethsemane a short passageway takes you through to the Chapel of Christ the Servant, - also known as the Chapel of Industry due to the view of Coventry workplaces from its narrow ...

The New Cathedral of St. Michael's: Chapel of Unity & Pennies in the Floor
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/newcathedral.php?pg=chapel-unity
As you return toward the Great West Screen, you will pass on the way many extraordinary features - too numerous to give proper credit to in this brief resume. As well as a place of worship, this...

Now and Then: Arts School, Ford Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=artschool-fordst
Many will be familiar with this view across the back of Pool Meadow, with Swanswell gate in the background. But as time rolls on, fewer people will remember that Ford Street once continued on from i...

Now and Then: Bishop Street, looking north
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=bishop-st
Clicking on the classic postcard view of Bishop Street of 1905 will bring to you an up-to-date scene from 2021. Like 'em or loathe 'em, the student accommodation blocks adorning the end of the stree...

Now and Then: Bishop Street Post Office
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=bishop-st-po
Looking back down Bishop Street in 1957 (below), it's just possible to imagine how the pre-war, undamaged view down a narrow curvy street, drawing your attention toward the two largest spires, p...

Now and Then: Bishop Street, looking south
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=bishop-st-south
How about this then.... a beautiful view of Bishop Street looking southwards towards our two largest spires some time around the 1930s. Without the modern day clutter, even the clerestory windows ab...

Now and Then: Blue Coat School & ruins
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=bluecoat-ruins
Taken from close to the same location as the photos of Priory Row, this view will greet you if you turn to your right. Blue Coat School was enlarged and rebuilt in 1856-57 upon a base co...

Now and Then: Broadgate from Holy Trinity Church
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=broadgate-from-htchurch
2012 has brought about a few changes to this central area of our town centre. Traffic has now disappeared from the top end of Trinity Street and Broadgate altogether, with the new space in front of ...

Now and Then: Broadgate from Hertford Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=broadgate-from-htfdst
In recent years the Cathedral Lanes shopping centre has been one of Coventry's most controversial buildings, central to the well-being (or otherwise) of Broadgate, which has long been the focal poin...

Now and Then: Burges from Bishop Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=burges-from-bish
Two years after the photograph of Well Street was taken we can turn the corner into Bishop Street, then look back for a 1932 picture of the Burges containing many elements still recognisable in 2003...

Now and Then: Burges from Cross Cheaping
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=burges-from-crosscheap
This 1892 shot looking back from Cross Cheaping down the Burges towards Bishop Street is not quite so recognisable. Most of the shops at this top end of the road on the right hand side were ...

Now and Then: Burton's in Blitzed Broadgate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=burtons-bgate
It's January 1942 and everyday life for the people of Coventry is not being interrupted quite so often by the raiders from above. The following month King George VI with Queen Mary will visit the ci...

Now and Then: Butcher Row, Great
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=butcherrow-gt
Click on this early 1900s postcard view to see how it looks in 2021. to see the two images separately. After years of planning for, and objections against, an ...

Now and Then: Butcher Row, Little
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=butcherrow-little
Looking westwards towards the place I stood for the Burges photo, this view is slightly unusual compared to my other "now and then" pairings. I normally have surviving buildings or the l...

Now and Then: Cheylesmore Manor House
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=ch-manor-house
if you wish to see the images separately. This rather ordinary looking 1940s view certainly doesn't give the impression that this was once part of a grand building and th...

Now and Then: Coat of Arms Bridge
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=coa-bridge
This peaceful scene is of a bridge built in 1844 and popularly known as the Coat of Arms Bridge. The reason for the name originated four years previously when, in 1840, the London and Bi...

Now and Then: Cook Street gate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=cookst-gate
And now here's a triple "now and then" helping of one of our two remaining city gates! Although the surroundings have changed out of all recognition, at least the gate itself ...

Now and Then: Council House
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=council-hs
if you wish to see the images separately. Despite its old Tudor styling, the Council House is not as old as it appears. Construction started the year before the first wor...

Now and Then: Cox Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=cox-st
How many folk would now be able to place this wonderful scene as being in Cox Street in 1910? It is actually looking northwards towards Ford Street and I personally would much rather see this view t...

Now and Then: Far Gosford Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=far-gos-st
Six years further on from the photo of the Humber Works, and Far Gosford Street looks very different in 1912. The first building on the right can still be recognised as the recently vacated Humber M...

Now and Then: Fire Station, Hales Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=fire-station
Although no longer a working fire station, the attractive structure built in 1902 is fortunately quite unchanged since it ceased its working life in 1976 to be superseded by the Radford Road station...

Now and Then: Fleet Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=fleetst
Once again, here's a another glimpse of Edwardian Coventry - this time taken from Spon Street looking into Fleet Street. I would guess that most of the people in the photograph didn't "just happen" ...

Now and Then: Ford's Hospital
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=fords-hosp
if you wish to see the images separately. Here's another chance to see Ford's Hospital from another angle. I have a little more about the history of Ford's in the Tour sect...

Now and Then: Golden Cross & Pepper Lane
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=gold-cross
Comparing these two street scenes is another painful reminder of a long distant past that needn't have been swept away so brutally. Click the image above to fade forward in time...

Now and Then: Greyfriars Lane
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=greyfr-la
Until the building of Hertford Street in 1812-13, this lane was the main entrance into the city from the south west. All visitors of importance, including armies, would have travelled up this narrow...

Now and Then: The Grove
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=grove
The first of this pleasant pair of photographs was taken from a postcard used in 1921 - the same year that the ground beyond, formerly Stivichall Common, was used to build the War Memorial Park at t...

Now and Then: Guildhall & 22 Bayley Lane
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=guildhall-22bayley
A short walk up Bayley Lane brings you to a small garden at the spire end of St. Michael's ruins. Looking across at St. Mary's Guildhall and 22 Bayley Lane looks appreciably no differen...

Now and Then: Hales Street to Corporation Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=hales-corp
Dominated by the Opera House, there is very little we would recognise here in 2021. The Old Grammar School is just visible beyond the Opera House in this c1920s postcard view, but where once the Bur...

Now and Then: Hales Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=hales-st
Very little of this next scene now remains as you stand under the new Whittle Arch and look up Hales Street towards Corporation Street. It has seen many changes throughout the 20th century; two Hipp...

Now and Then: Herbert Art Gallery & Museum
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=herbert
The seeds for Coventry's first central museum were sown in the 1930s by the "father of Coventry's archaeology", John Bailey Shelton. A decade of extremely prolific rebuilding in the centre of Covent...

Now and Then: Hertford Street from Broadgate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=hertfd-from-bgate
It's not easily visible here in this wonderfully busy street scene of 1927, but Peeping Tom used to watch out from the top corner window in the King's Head Hotel on the right. The statue used as Pee...

Now and Then: Hertford Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=hertfd-st
Again we see an old photograph of a Coventry street which is not at all recognisable to present day visitors. Here in 1914 Hertford Street was a busy shopping street carrying traffic - although gene...

Now and Then: High Street aerial view
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=highst-aerial
The view from the St. Michael's spire is always rewarding, and an almost infinite number of scenes present themselves as you look around. One thing that strikes me when comparing these two scenes, i...

Now and Then: High Street from Broadgate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=highst-from-bgate
Here's another view from around the turn of the 20th century, when High Street was a bustling shopping street. Ambling down the road the horse and cart will one day be replaced by the modern tin box...

Now and Then: High Street from Earl Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=highst-from-earl
If we'd turned around from the scene of the Council House photo, and gone back to 1913, this sight would have greeted us. Although virtually all these buildings in High Street are now gone, there st...

Now and Then: Hill Street, Bablake & Bond's
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=hillst-bablake
It's always reassuring to see that not everything changes! By clicking on the photograph, you will see that Bond's Hospital and Bablake School on the right look much the same today as they did in 19...

Now and Then: Hippodrome, New
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=hippo-new
Although by the time this photograph was taken in the late 1980s the theatre had been converted to a bingo hall, the attractiveness of the 'Art Deco' design was still plainly evident - in fact it lo...

Now and Then: Hippodrome, Old
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=hippo-old
Coventry's first "Hippodrome" was an old corrugated structure which had stood at Pool Meadow since 1884. The increasing demand for a better theatre brought about the building of this one in ...

Now and Then: Humber Motor Works
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=humber-wks
Moving briefly out of the town centre, here's a quick puzzle for you.... Does anybody recognise the Humber Motor Works? Not only this, but despite the fire shown on the right on 24th Dec...

Now and Then: Ironmonger Row
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=ironmonger-row
Well, as I mentioned for the West Orchard page, Ironmonger Row is now the road leading towards the West Orchard shoping mall, but here is where it used to be.... We're now on ...

Now and Then: Jordan Well & Earl Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=jrdn-well-earl-st
Here's a view that will be quite familiar, not only to the majority of Coventry dwellers, but many students too. Just out of shot on the left is what used to be the frontage to a cinema, previously ...

Now and Then: Jordan Well & Gosford Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=jrdn-well-gos-st
Staying in Jordan Well, we can now look back in the "out of town" direction towards Gosford Street, which begins at the junction where Cox Street goes off to the left and Whitefriars Street to t...

Now and Then: Kenilworth Road
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=ken-rd
Isn't this a wonderful scene as you drive into the city? It is of course, the Kenilworth Road, known in times gone by as "Long Avenue" and pictured here in 1929. Cli...

Now and Then: Leamington Road
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=leam-rd
Clicking on the picture to compare the views of Leamington Road as it looks in 2009 and nearly a century earlier reveals a pleasingly moderate amount of change. The small grassy mound ahead to the l...

Now and Then: Much Park Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=much-pk-st
Once the through road to the "Great Park", one of Coventry's most ancient and appropriately named streets is Much Park Street, seen here in 1912 and 2003. The views above are looking in a ...

Now and Then: Naul's Mill Park
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=nauls-mill
The original pool here was a mill pool serving a mill which operated for centuries until ceasing use in 1889. In 1909 the area was turned into a recreational park, including a bands...

Now and Then: Old Rope Walk
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=old-rope-wk
In general, most of the comparisons between the "now" and the "then" images have been rather one sided in terms of what views we would prefer to see. It is a rare thing that we find a modern day Cov...

Now and Then: Opera House, Hales Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=opera-house
Click the image above to fade forward in time over a century. if you wish to see the images separately. Opening on the 29th of March 1889 with A Midsummer Night's Dre...

Now and Then: Palace Yard
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=palace-yd
The "Palace Yard" photographed around 1910. The narrow entrance to the yard in the centre of the picture leads through to Earl Street, directly opposite where the eastern end of the Council H...

Now and Then: Pool Meadow
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=poolmeadow
This wonderful scene from 1911 is certainly one that's unlikely to be seen again. It shows thousands of school children gathering in Pool Meadow on the 23rd June 1911, to celebrate the Coronation of...

Now and Then: Precinct & Old Coventry aerial view
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=precinct-aerial
As you may have already noticed, hovering the mouse cursor over the photograph below will substitute a view of 1930 Coventry with a modern day photo of the precinct area taken from the same ...

Now and Then: Precinct, upper
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=precinct-upper
Not so far back in time now - just to 1955 as depicted by this postcard proudly showing off Coventry's newly completed Upper Precinct. It wasn't to everyone's taste though. I must admit to not being...

Now and Then: Precinct, west view
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=precinct-west
As we walk back through to the precinct again, this view can be gained by taking the ramp opposite Lady Godiva's bronze statue up to the under utilised second level of the precinct. A pleasant pavin...

Now and Then: Priory Row
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=priory-row
I consider this area surrounding Trinity Church and stretching around to St. Michael's and Bayley Lane by far the nicest and least spoiled sector of our city centre. The Lychgate cottages pictured h...

Now and Then: Priory Street, lower end
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=priory-st-lower
The University is responsible for most of the view in this 2003 scene looking down Priory Street, near to Fairfax Street. if you wish to see the images separately. My th...

Now and Then: Priory Street, upper end
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=priory-st-upper
Right in front of the ruins of the Old Cathedral is Priory Street, shown here in 2004 - a scene that will look familiar to anyone who has visited our cathedrals or Coventry University on the right. ...

Now and Then: Queen Victoria Road flood of 1900
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=queenvicrd-flood
When the disastrous flood of 31st December 1900 occurred, Spon Street wasn't the only place to suffer. Property owners in nearby Queen Victoria Road were also subjected to misery, as can be seen in ...

Now and Then: Railway Station, Eaton Road
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=railway-station-eaton
Back in the early 1900s, Coventry Railway Station was a much more basic affair than today. The station was opened in 1838, and Eaton Road, named after the Lord of Cheylesmore who owned the land, was...

Now and Then: Railway Station - the platform
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=railway-station-platform
Like most areas of Coventry during the Second World War, the train station didn't escape its fair share of destruction. However, within days of the air raids, work was underway to get people and goo...

Now and Then: Smithford Way
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=smithford-way
There's been a lot less physical change between this next pair of photos, and yet a totally different feel is obtained, mainly from the addition of the glass canopy. People older ...

Now and Then: St. Michael's spire from Pepper Lane
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=spire-pepper-la
And here is the tower and spire of St. Michael's in 1932. Click on the photograph to see what it looks like in 2003. In total contrast to the previous images of St. Michael's, relat...

Now and Then: Spon End arches
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=spon-arches
We can now take a visit to the west side of town, about five minutes walk from the centre, up the Allesley Old Road to one of Coventry's oldest sub-districts. Any Coventrian will instantly recognise...

Now and Then: Spon Street flood of 1900
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=sponst-flood
Spon Street is still full of character and well worth a visit for its wealth of medieval buildings. Many structures from other places - mainly Much Park Street - were moved here in the 1970s and 80s...

Now and Then: St. John's Church, Fleet Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=st-johns
This church hasn't changed significantly of course, for centuries, but it's seen many an alteration to the surrounding landscape during the 20th century. The nearest building directly to the phot...

Now and Then: St. Michael's Avenue
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=st-mikes-ave
Although some of the trees had to be felled to make space for the porch adjoining the New to the Old Cathedral, this is still an attractive view thanks to the thoughtfulness of the inspired architec...

Now and Then: St. Michael's ruins
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=st-mikes-ruins
As we're in the area, I couldn't resist revisiting our favourite old buildling again for a triple photo helping! It's sobering to think that in the hands of a less sympathetic architect, all this co...

Now and Then: Stoke Green & Pool
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=stoke-green
The pool Moving a little farther out of town, to Stoke, we find a feature that is long gone, but still has pleasant surroundings. The photo shows an old pool next to the Binley Road - one which h...

Now and Then: Swanswell Gate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=swanswell-gate
if you wish to see the images separately. Around the time this photograph was taken in 1910, the upper floor of the old Priory gate, as it had also been known, was a dwel...

Now and Then: Swanswell Pool
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=swanswell-pool
A quick comparison of these two images shows relatively little change over a century. In the first photo, taken around 1900, the original Coventry and Warwickshire hospital, built 1864/65, can be se...

Now and Then: Swimming Baths, Priory Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=swimbaths-priory-st
Looking rather stranded here in 2010, the Gala Bingo hall stands in what's left of Priory Street next to the Pool Meadow Bus Station. A click on the photo will fade back to the early 20th century......

Now and Then: Trinity Church
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=trinity-ch
Moving back into the centre of the town, we return to the excellent photographic aerial platform, which is the tower of St. Michael's, for another view of Holy Trinity church. (See the Historic Tour...

Now and Then: Trinity Street & Hales Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=trinity-hales-st
Rather than the usual "old Coventry" being swept away, it's only 20th century Coventry that's disappeared between this pair of scenes. Built in 1937, the near end of Trinity Street has been bulldoze...

Now and Then: Trinity Lane & the Free Library
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=trinity-la-library
We're now in Trinity Lane looking towards Lychgate cottages. The larger half-timbered building on the left is a relatively modern construction, begun in 1938, that replaces an old corner...

Now and Then: Trinity Lane from Priory Row
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=trinity-la-priory-row
As a photographic image, this beautiful postcard view of Trinity Lane in the early 1900s is an extremely rare sight indeed. Both the original photographer and myself had our backs to the Lychgate...

Now and Then: Trinity Street aerial view
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=trinityst-aerial
Once again, this 1938 aerial view gives us so many aspects of Coventry's past to look at from an elevated position. The main feature on display is the newly built Trinity Street, including a shy Owe...

Now and Then: Trinity Street from Broadgate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=trinityst-from-bgate
Remarkably, despite the devastation only a very short while earlier, and in the very near vicinity, nearly all of the buildings in this photograph survived the ravages of the Second World War intact...

Now and Then: War Memorial Park
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=war-mem-park
In honour of the fallen during World War One, plans were made for the laying out of a Memorial park in 1919 on the land which covered much of Stivichall Common. The park was officially opened on the...

Now and Then: Warwick Row, Hertford St & Warwick Lane
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=warw-row-hertfd-warw-la
A classic view from around 1920 of Hertford Street and Warwick Lane. On the left is the Bull Yard, on the corner of which is the famous Peeping Tom pub - with its famous statue peeping from the top ...

Now and Then: Warwick Road
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=warwick-rd
Here is a pair of views of Warwick Road taken not too far apart. The first picture was taken from the Grove, which today means having your back to the War Memorial Park entrance. Before clicking on ...

Now and Then: Well Street from Hales Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=well-st
Before you click on the image to reveal the 2003 version, can anyone place this scene? The Old Grammar School is recognisable on the right, which means that the Burges must be on our left and Bishop...

Now and Then: West Orchard
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=west-orch
Without the title here, there are absolutely no landmarks to help the modern day folk identify the scene on the left. A close up of the original photo tells us that the pub on the corner...

Now and Then: Wheatley Street Schools
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=wheatleyst-sch
Opened in 1893, Wheatley Street School was large and handsomely built, and although some people thought this was extravagant, the school became something of a showpiece and educated 1,228 pupils fro...

The Old Cathedral of St. Michael's: St. Michael's - Coventry's Old Cathedral: Introduction
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/oldcathedral.php?pg=oldcathedral
The building that we now know fondly as The Old Cathedral was formerly the parish church of St. Michael. The present structure largely originates from the 1300s to 1400s, with additional chapels add...

The Old Cathedral of St. Michael's: The Ruins Today
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/oldcathedral.php?pg=ruins-now
Here are a few photographs taken around the old cathedral which is now in ruins since the infamous nine-hour Blitz of 1940. For many centuries the structure had looked much the same as in the...

The Old Cathedral of St. Michael's: Surviving Stained Glass & the Glass in Iceland
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/oldcathedral.php?pg=stainedglass
In typically defiant fashion, some of the original stained glass hung on to the tracery to survive the onslaught of the blitz, as is shown by this lovely photo below of a window in the north wal...

The Old Cathedral of St. Michael's: The Icelandic Saga and the Coventry Glass, by Kenyon Wright
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/oldcathedral.php?pg=canon-wright-glass-saga
Early in 2008, soon after our return to the Midlands from Scotland, I was rung out of the blue by Karl Smari Hreinsson from Iceland, whom I subsequently met in Coventry in March 2008. He was res...

The Old Cathedral of St. Michael's: Inside the Cathedral Now and Pre-War
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/oldcathedral.php?pg=ruins-nowandthen
Below is a shot of the Altar and the east end of the cathedral as it stands today. It increases the feeling of loss to compare this photograph with the grand view beneath it, taken a few years prior...

The Old Cathedral of St. Michael's: The Charred Cross, Cross of Nails & Bishop Yeatman-Biggs
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/oldcathedral.php?pg=charredcross
Here's a close-up of the world famous "Charred Cross". In the January after the Blitz, Reverend Howard asked the cathedral's stone mason, 'Jock' Forbes to make an altar from the rubble and place beh...

The Old Cathedral of St. Michael's: The Tower, Spire & Bells
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/oldcathedral.php?pg=spire
A view of the old cathedral's Spire which still stands proudly above the pleasant west entrance to the cathedral pictured below. You may notice that the small spire, known as a 'fleche', of the ...

The Old Cathedral of St. Michael's: The 'Misaligned' Pillars
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/oldcathedral.php?pg=bent-arcade
A feature of the church layout that isn't immediately obvious, is the apparent misalignment of the southern arcade - now, of course, only represented by the row of short stumps which remain...

The Old Cathedral of St. Michael's: Coventry Rose Poem by Neville Macaulife
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/oldcathedral.php?pg=coventryrosepoem
COVENTRY ROSE A poem by Neville Macaulife - (NevilleMac@aol.com) A long time ago, in a land far from here, a city was destroyed in a single night by people from other cities. 554 m...

A Postcard from Coventry: c1900: St. Michael's Church - like a cathedral!
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postcards/postcard.php?pg=1900-st-mikes
I have Patrick Casey to thank for sending me this fine Valentine's postcard showing a photograph of St. Michael's Church taken in 1889 - some years before it was raised to cathedral status in 1918. ...

A Postcard from Coventry: 1918: Coat of Arms Bridge
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postcards/postcard.php?pg=1918-coabridge
Some postcards don't need to say much to get a point across. The sender of this one was obviously impressed with Coventry, and decided to share their thoughts, and a picture, with a friend or relati...

A Postcard from Coventry: 1920s: The Council House - one of the finest
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postcards/postcard.php?pg=1920-councilhouse
The designers of Coventry's Council House, Edward Garrett and H. W. Simister, would have certainly been pleased to know the contents of this postcard. Postcard text: If you ever c...

A Postcard from Coventry: 1933: Postcard to a monk
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postcards/postcard.php?pg=1933-monk
This postcard is certainly not typical of the usual "having a great time, weather good" sort of message - perhaps the most distinguishing feature being the person it's being sent to.... someone in a...

A Postcard from Coventry: 1939: Postcard to Evacuees
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postcards/postcard.php?pg=1939-evacuees
Popping back a few years to when the war had only been going on for a few weeks, this card displays a pleasant, and for the time, essential, sense of humour. Postcard text: Lest you...

A Postcard from Coventry: WWI: Nice at Coventry this Easter
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postcards/postcard.php?pg=1940-gosfd-gn
It's nice to know that Elsie was having a 'nice time' in Coventry that Easter! Although there's no date or stamp present on the card, there is a small clue that hints at a particular time period.......

A Postcard from Coventry: 1948: The Grove - only pretty area in town!
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postcards/postcard.php?pg=1948-grove
What a difference a war makes! This postcard was sent at a time when our city was still recovering from the traumatic times endured during the Second World War, especially since the Blitz. The war h...

A Postcard from Coventry: 1953: New Hippodrome
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postcards/postcard.php?pg=1953-hippodrome
Two years before it was renamed The Coventry Theatre, the Hippodrome managed to impress many visitors to the 'Showplace of the Midlands', including the writer of this 1953 postcard, who had obviousl...

A Postcard from Coventry: 1955: Work in a Coventry car factory?
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postcards/postcard.php?pg=1955-car_factory
Postcards can also give away useful bits of period information that fill in the gaps between seeing an old photo and hearing yet another story about "the old days". In this example from 1955, we pic...

A Postcard from Coventry: 1965: The New Cathedral - thumbs down!
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postcards/postcard.php?pg=1965-new-cath1
You can't please all of the people all of the time! Coventry's New Cathedral courted a lot of controversy around the time it was first built, back in the early 1960s. It seems that the people who sa...

A Postcard from Coventry: 1966: The New Cathedral - glorious!
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postcards/postcard.php?pg=1966-new-cath2
To bring a little balance to our postal reviews, here's a postcard from someone who is far more enthusiastic about the then recently built New Coventry Cathedral. Postcard text: Y...

A Postcard from Coventry: 1966: Impressed by the New Cathedral
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postcards/postcard.php?pg=1966-old-cath
Here's another postcard from Ben to another of his relatives in Windsor. Although the postcard he selected this time depicted the Old Cathedral as it looked in the 1930s, he once again picked out it...

A Postcard from Coventry: Cars outside Coventry Council House in the 1920s
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postcards/postcard.php?pg=cars-by-councilhs
Click here to return. ...

Post-war redevelopment: Post-war redevelopment: Introduction
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postwar/postwar.php?pg=postwar
Even before the Second World War broke out, the architectural department at Coventry Council were drawing up ways of rebuilding the outdated medieval city. Such a department would previously have be...

Post-war redevelopment: A Model Town!
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postwar/postwar.php?pg=model
At the 1945 exhibition held at the Drill Hall in Queen Victoria Road, a model was unveiled showing one of the proposed reconstruction plans for Coventry's city centre. At first glance, this ...

Post-war redevelopment: The Civic Centre
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postwar/postwar.php?pg=civic
Now we're looking north-east at the same model from the region of Warwick Road, and here we see the council's plans for a Civic Centre to be laid out between the intersection of the proposed...

Post-war redevelopment: The Precinct
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postwar/postwar.php?pg=precinct
As this pleasant image testifies, the architects plans for a new pedestrian precinct were quite mature well before the Second World War came to a close. Of course, as we have come to expect in recen...

Post-war redevelopment: Broadgate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postwar/postwar.php?pg=bgate
As one of the first reconstruction projects to be completed after the war, Broadgate was undoubtedly the centrepiece of Coventry's Phoenix-like rise from the ashes. From a narrow street which ha...

Post-war redevelopment: Pool Meadow to the Priory
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postwar/postwar.php?pg=poolmeadow
The first two conclusions I can draw from this artist's impression looking across the Pool Meadow area are; either the town planners were dreamy idealists.... or they were attempting to pull the woo...

Post-war redevelopment: Redevelopment Plan & Ring Road scheme
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postwar/postwar.php?pg=develop
Hovering your mouse cursor over the old cathedral (marked "1") will magnify that part of the map. The pink part is the existing ruined shell of St. Michael's and the blue represents the design submi...

Post-war redevelopment: Baginton Airport
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postwar/postwar.php?pg=airport
In 2004 the subject of airport expansion was a hot topic. However, this is nothing new: - In 1945 the plans were for an even more substantial airport. The council planned for three runways; ...

Post-war redevelopment: Other Proposals
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/postwar/postwar.php?pg=other
This is a view of the planned Retail Market Hall. Quite simple in its design, yet attractive also.... ....so what went wrong? The present day market serves Coventry well and is gen...

A 1941 Post-war plan, by Coventry Council: A plan for the city centre
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/postwar-plan.php?pg=postwar1
To put this following article in perspective it is worth noting its date. At the time it was written Coventry was still undergoing air raids, and indeed, two of the largest raids were still to com...

A 1941 Post-war plan, by Coventry Council: This must not happen again
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/postwar-plan.php?pg=postwar2
THIS MUST NOT HAPPEN NOT AGAIN COVENTRY FROM THE AIR Above. A pre-war view of the City Centre, showing approximately the area affected by the new plan. A scheme for replann...

A 1941 Post-war plan, by Coventry Council: The legacies of wartime
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/postwar-plan.php?pg=postwar3
Open space is the keynote of the plan. Apart from the hygienic advantages which spacial planning gives, by admitting air and sun, the vistas and skylines afforded by such treatment are worth m...

A 1941 Post-war plan, by Coventry Council: Immediate and Proposed plans
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/postwar-plan.php?pg=postwar4
IMMEDIATE PLAN The plan (right) shows work which can proceed immediately after the war. The buildings and sites marked black are either historically interesting or recently erected, and for t...

A 1941 Post-war plan, by Coventry Council: Laissez faire
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/postwar-plan.php?pg=postwar5
Elevational treatment, as we have pointed out, will be secondary to the plan. It will depend on the availability of materials and constructional methods and legislation regarding heights of ...

A 1941 Post-war plan, by Coventry Council: Preliminary sketches
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/postwar-plan.php?pg=postwar6
.... OR THIS Sketch perspectives drawn by members of Mr. Gibson's staff shewing possible treatment. At the moment it is the plan that is of primary importance, the details can f...

A 1941 Post-war plan, by Coventry Council: Viewpoints
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/postwar-plan.php?pg=postwar7
VISTAS AND ... KEY TO VIEW POINTS Some of the views which the new plan would make possible are illustrated on these two pages. References are given on the accompanying plan. ...

A 1941 Post-war plan, by Coventry Council: Spacious planning
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/postwar-plan.php?pg=postwar8
  VIEWPOINT No. 8 Above, St. Michael's Church Yard, flanked on the left by the new Civic Buildings and on the right by the Museum and Chapter House. VIEWPOINT No. 7 ...

The Priory Cathedral of St. Mary's: St. Mary's Priory & Cathedral: Introduction
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/stmarys.php?pg=stmarys
If one were to have stood by Pool Meadow and faced southwards before 1539, a view looking something like this would have greeted you.... Original sketch by Brian Hobley FSA, after exten...

The Priory Cathedral of St. Mary's: Comparison with Lichfield Cathedral
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/stmarys.php?pg=compare-lichfield
St. Mary's was built shortly before its sister church in Lichfield with which it shared the diocese. Whereas our cathedral appears to have been a replacement for an earlier Saxon structure, Lich...

The Priory Cathedral of St. Mary's: The Tower & Spires
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/stmarys.php?pg=nw-tower-spires
On the right is a view of Lichfield's north-west tower. One fundamental design difference between the two cathedrals is that the towers of Lichfield are built almost in line with the outer wall ...

The Priory Cathedral of St. Mary's: The Building of the Cathedral
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/stmarys.php?pg=building-stmarys
The exact date that building commenced is unknown, although it was certainly underway by around 1115 to 1140; the period to which some of the early Romanesque architecture has been dated. Fortunatel...

The Priory Cathedral of St. Mary's: What Remains of St. Mary's today?
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/stmarys.php?pg=stmarys-remains
The first photo shows the quite substantial remains of the inside of the great west front. The main door would have been in the centre and leading down from this entrance towards the nave ...

The Priory Cathedral of St. Mary's: The TV Time-Team dig
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/stmarys.php?pg=timeteam
In 1999 and 2001, the Channel 4 Television programme - Time Team, fronted by Tony Robinson (better known by many as "Baldrick" in the TV comedy, Blackadder) came to Coventry to do an historic archae...

The Priory Cathedral of St. Mary's: What did they find there?
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/cathedrals/stmarys.php?pg=stmarys-finds
The large scale excavation of the priory site presented historians with the first realistic opportunity of modern times to learn about Coventry's beginnings in the Saxon era. The legend of St. Osbur...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Gosford Gate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1932_11
I. GOSFORD GATE EXCAVATIONS Gosford Gate was without doubt the second gate to be built, the first being New Gate, protecting the London road. The White Friars, who established their Monastery 13 year...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Co-op Site, West Orchard
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1932_12
II. EXCAVATIONS IN WEST ORCHARD (Co-op. SITE) EAST AND WEST OF RIVER Excavations reveal what may have been hidden for several hundred years or more, and although no great quantity of material was foun...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: West Orchard, Bridge etc.
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1933_01
III. EXCAVATIONS IN WEST ORCHARD (BRIDGE, &c ) Having dealt with part of West Orchard in Article II. will readers keep the Leather Hall in mind while reading this. The bridge just destroyed was n...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Broadgate Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1933_02
BROADGATE EXCAVATIONS Broadgate, the centre of Coventry, with its large shops and banks, with its common meeting-place for the people, was a very different place a thousand years ago. Surprise may be...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Broadgate Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1933_03
BROADGATE EXCAVATIONS. (II.) Continuing the story of excavations on the Lloyds Bank site, a peculiar formation of stone was found at the east corner, near Messrs. Waters & Co. The builder, clerk ...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Broadgate Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1933_04
BROADGATE EXCAVATIONS. (III.) If Broadgate should be excavated, it would be found to be honeycombed with cellars. Until early in the 19th century it was little wider than Grey Friars Lane, and just b...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Black Bull Inn, Pepper Lane
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1933_05
During excavations in Pepper Lane for the foundations of the pillars at Messrs. Tetts buildings it was necessary to reach a depth of 15-ft. 8-ins. before the rock was found, thus showing that the grou...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Black Bull Inn
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1933_06
BLACK BULL INN (continued) In 1569 Mary Queen of Scots was brought from Tutbury, and kept prisoner from Saint Andrew's Day until Candlemas (about two months) when she was returned to Tutbury. She was...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Cox Street - River Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1933_07
COX STREET EXCAVATIONS The excavations of river beds are always of great interest, especially on the site of old mill dams, etc. This site proved to be of exceptional interest, and no one living can ...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Cox Street - River Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1933_08
COX STREET EXCAVATIONS (Continued) Close by was a pond of water called "Hobb's Hole," and a Mayor of Hobb's Hole was chosen yearly, and dipped in the pool. The small brook running through the Swanswe...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Cox Street - River Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1933_09
COX STREET EXCAVATIONS (Continued) The last sentence in my last article on Cox Street Excavations ran, "Strange it seems but up to the present no buttons have been found." Less than 24 hours after th...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Cox Street - River Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1933_10
COX STREET EXCAVATIONS (Continued) The excavations beneath the brick culvert running under the Triumph Works did not yield a great number of articles, but those found were of great interest. One wa...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Cox Street - River Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1933_11
COX STREET EXCAVATIONS (Continued) At the end of the culvert near the back of the Baths a very interesting roadway was discovered. It was at the depth of about two feet beneath the present river bed,...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Park Side Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1933_12
PARK SIDE, LITTLE PARK STREET GATE, AND DISTRICT Little Park Street is supposed to have taken its name in 1388, but it can be traced as far back as 1384, when the Large Park would be divided. The str...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Park Side Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1934_01
PARK SIDE, LITTLE PARK STREET GATE, AND DISTRICT On the south side of Parkside were the quarries from which Richard the Second gave the stone for the building of part of the city walls, and, up to th...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Burges Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1934_02
EXCAVATIONS IN THE BURGES The name "Burges" is derived from Bridges, there being two bridges at only a short distance from each other, one to carry the water of the Sherbourne, the other the water fr...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Benedictine Site Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1934_03
THE STORY OF THE BENEDICTINE MONASTERY, AND DISCOVERIES ON ITS ANCIENT SITE The story of the Benedictine Monastery is one of great interest to all Coventry people and to thousands who have never ente...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Benedictine Site Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1934_04
MAIN TEXT OF THE CHARTER OF KING EDWARD THE CONFESSOR TO THE ABBEY OF ST. MARY, COVENTRY. (In the British Museum.) " Eadward, King, greets Edsie, the Archbishop, and all my bishops, abbots and earl...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Benedictine Site Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1934_05
THE FOUNDATION CHARTER OF THE MONASTERY OF THE BLESSED MARY AT COVENTRY. [1043]. (English Translation from the Latin) "I, Leofric Earl: by the advice and license of King Edward, and who hath sent...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Benedictine Site Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1934_06
THE FOUNDATION CHARTER OF THE MONASTERY OF THE BLESSED MARY AT COVENTRY. [1043] THE POPES BULL CONFIRMING KING EDWARD'S CHARTER (English Translation from the Latin:) "Alexander, bishop, s...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Coventry Castle
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1934_07
Where did the Castle stand, in which the Earls of Coventry lived? Some think it stood in the Cheylesmore district, and not far from the Manor House, which was built in 1234 by Roger de Mantault, Bro...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Benedictine Site, Palmer Lane Guest House
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1934_08
EXCAVATIONS Excavations for a new river course over which the new Trinity Street is to pass have been going on for a year or more, and are still being proceeded with. In the made up ground of from ...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Benedictine Site, Wooden Bridge
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1934_09
EXCAVATIONS My last paragraph in the August issue of this Magazine dealt with a bridge I hoped to find during the next few weeks, where Catesby Lane may have joined up to Palmer Lane. On Friday, Augu...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Antiquities Exhibition at the Drill Hall
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1934_10
EXHIBITION OF ANTIQUITIES AT THE DRILL HALL, COVENTRY Excellent reports have been published by several newspapers concerning this fine Exhibition, including one by the "Nuneaton Tribune," which is as...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Well Street Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1934_11
WELL STREET EXCAVATIONS As the Gas and Electrical Showrooms are shortly to be opened, I must ask my readers to excuse me for malting a break in the story of the Benedictines, though in fact even in t...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Priory Pool & Mills
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1934_12
PRIORY POOL AND MILLS Excavations revealed the depth of the Priory Pool. It is not known when the pool was made, but by what was revealed I should say about 13th century, or at least enlarged then. I...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Priory Pool & DIstrict
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1935_01
PRIORY POOL AND DISTRICT My readers will remember the boundary wall reaching to the factory buildings that stood towards Palmer Lane. This wall actually stood on the foundations of the original bound...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: New Buildings, Tower Foundations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1935_02
CITY TOWER DISCOVERED At the Hales Street entrance from New Buildings the foundations of a City Tower was discovered at a depth of about 12 feet. This tower was actually in the river bed at a short d...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: City Wall, Cook Street Gate, Plumb House
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1935_03
The complaints of the Prior were many, and besides the complaints mentioned in the article last month, he said that they broke open the gates at Spittlemore letting out his cattle, and made it a gener...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Priory Tower
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1935_04
PRIORY TOWER (Continued) The timber was from large elm trees, with all branches trimmed off, and the trunks made into square beams, about 2-ft. 3-in. in width. The task of getting them in position mu...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Priory Tower, Gulson Road, Round Tower, New Gate Foundations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1935_05
PRIORY TOWER (Continued) One piece of wood which was found was so straight that it was probably a level. Many hammers were brought to light, one with claws like a blacksmith's hammer, and with the sh...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Broad Well, Burges Ford, Palmer Lane
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1935_06
A FOOTPATH Since the finding of the bridge at the bottom of Palmer Lane, another footpath has been revealed at a distance of about 10 yards to the west of the bridge. A number of piles had been drive...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: White Friars
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1935_07
THE WHITE FRIARS Excavations during this month (June) at the site of the White Friars Church have revealed the foundations. The Church stood at the top of the present Gulson Road, and joined up to th...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Meeting House, Smithford Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1935_08
THE MEETING HOUSE, SMITHFORD STREET This building was originally called "The Great Meeting." In 1672, when Dr. Green, of St. Michael's Church, and Dr. Bryan, of Holy Trinity Church, were expelled fro...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Meeting House, Smithford Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1935_09
EXCAVATIONS ON SITE OF THE MEETING HOUSE My last article dealt with the building of the Great Meeting House; now I want to describe what excavations reveal. For many years it has been said that benea...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Meeting House, Smithford Street, St. John's Hospital Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1935_10
EXCAVATIONS ON SITE OF THE MEETING HOUSE Since writing my last article no other digging on this site has been done, but on the site of St. Nicholas, Corpus Christi, or Leather Hall, quite a lot of ...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: St. John's Hospital, Barracks Square, Black Bull Inn
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1935_11
EXCAVATIONS ON SITE OF ST. JOHN'S HOSPITAL One important discovery was not mentioned in my article last month. At a depth of 10 feet a large quantity of oak beams and planks were found, morticed to...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Barracks Square, Black Bull Inn
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1935_12
BARRACKS SQUARE BLACK BULL INN Expecting to hear of the death of her father, and little knowing the plot had been discovered, and the Princess being safely hidden only five hundred yards from the Bul...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Barracks Square, Black Bull Inn
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1936_01
BARRACKS SQUARE BLACK BULL INN The excavations for the new market revealed how the ground had been filled in from time to time. At the corner nearest the old hospital buildings the depth of the natur...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Butcher Row
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1936_02
BUTCHER ROW AND ITS SURROUNDINGS I ended my last story by saying I would give an article on the excavations in the river at Pool Meadow and "St. Osburg's Pool," which was where Pool Meadow now stands...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Butcher Row
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1936_03
BUTCHER ROW AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. (Continued.) The name of Thomas Grascome is painted on the board at the Grey Friars' or Ford's Hospital as a benefactor. In 1825 William Hindman lived in this house....

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Butcher Row
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1936_04
BUTCHER ROW AND ITS SURROUNDINGS. (Continued.) I find on searching the cellars that the stone pillars are left and still contain one gate hook complete and another partly corroded away. It was near t...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Butcher Row
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1936_05
BUTCHER ROW AND ITS SURROUNDINGS (Continued.) Excavations in the Cross are going on apace and are revealing an old quarry where stone was hewn. The formation of the stone is of a very irregular shape...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Owen Owen's Site
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1936_06
EXCAVATIONS IN THE CROSS Since writing my last article work has been going on, both day and night, employing about 50 men. Every five minutes there are tons of material brought to the surface and the...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Owen Owen's Site
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1936_07
EXCAVATIONS IN THE CROSS Night and day the noisy drills penetrate the hard stone, and massive timbers are being reared at the sides to hold them in safety. In one place where loose soil formed the si...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Owen Owen's Site
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1936_08
EXCAVATIONS IN THE CROSS Only a small portion of the quarry yet remains to be finished, and one interesting place will be excavated later in the month, and should it reveal any article I will report ...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Owen Owen's Site
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1936_09
EXCAVATIONS IN THE CROSS On the day I sent the copy for my last article to be printed a quantity of human remains were unearthed at the top end of Butcher Row. These have been interred near the spot ...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Trinity Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1936_10
EXCAVATIONS IN TRINITY STREET Nothing more is likely to come to light in the quarry, but in the new Trinity Street itself a number of things have been revealed. Quite a lot of pieces of stone used in...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Trinity Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1936_11
EXCAVATIONS IN TRINITY STREET At one time a conduit stood at the lower end of Lady Herbert's Garden, and was called the Conduit Meadow, being 1 rood 38 poles in extent, and at one time belonged to Th...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Trinity Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1936_12
EXCAVATIONS IN TRINITY STREET Excavations have been going on in Trinity Street slowly, and sewers have been laid at a depth of 14 feet at the Ironmonger Row end. The crypt has been cut through, and t...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Benedictine Museum
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1937_01
I had intended giving my reasons for continuing my historical research in my last article, but space would not permit, so I have given it first place in this January issue. You can imagine how difficu...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Pool Meadow to Priory Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1937_02
At the north end of the Chapel the excavators found it was built on a large brick archway over a manure heap of six or seven hundred years ago; it is about ten feet deep and nearly as wide as the Chap...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Pool Meadow to Priory Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1937_03
I should like my readers to follow the course of the river bed through Pool Meadow. I mentioned the finding of the Mill foundations and conduit in my last article. Just below this Mill, and lying leng...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Pool Meadow to Priory Street Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1937_04
When digging out the river bed on the east side of Priory Street bridge a large amount of pottery of the 16th century was found, also many glass flagons, with here and there a piece of fourteenth cent...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Bull Ring, Pottery Kiln, Hippodrome
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1937_05
Some months ago I recorded finding what I thought to be a pottery kiln in the Bull Ring, Butcher Row. Early in April this was excavated, and one more jug was found, and a number of thick slates, large...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Hippodrome, Rex Cinema
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1937_06
HIPPODROME SITE Before giving the history of "The Rex" site, I should like to report the discovery of a round tower in Hales Street, at the corner of White Street, where sewering has been in progre...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Bablake Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1937_07
BABLAKE EXCAVATIONS During the past two months excavations have again been taking place in the Bablake area, near the St. John's Church. This is at the corner of Corporation Street, and so near the C...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Cow Lane Site Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1937_08
COW LANE SITE Cow Lane is mentioned in history books of Coventry less than any other lane or street I know. It could not have been looked upon as an important lane. Its name denotes the use it was pu...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Rex Site, Trinity Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1938_05
REX SITE, CORPORATION STREET Since writing my last article on this site, another part of the site is being excavated, and is situated at the West End. Opposite this site when making Corporation Str...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Broadgate Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1938_07
BROADGATE DEMOLITIONS Many people have watched with interest the demolition of the corner property of Broadgate and the Spicerstoke. Some of the buildings would date back to the 15th century in the S...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Bablake Excavations, Co-op Site, West Orchard
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1938_09
BABLAKE Once again the Bablake is being excavated on the Corporation Street and Bablake Street site, for a new building for the Coventry Co-operative Society. The lake must at an early period have be...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Trinity Street, Bull Ring
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1938_10
EXCAVATIONS IN TRINITY STREET Extensive excavations have been taking place at the back of the hoardings in the "Old Bull Ring," now Trinity Street, which once was the west front of the 13th century C...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: St. Mary's Cathedral Site, Bull Ring
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1938_11
EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL, BULL RING (now Trinity Street) When under-pinning the Blue Coat School and other premises at the rear of Trinity Street, quite a lot of very interesti...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: St. Mary's Cathedral Site, Bull Ring
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1938_12
EXCAVATIONS ON THE SITE OF ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL, BULL RING (now Trinity Street) I have written in a previous article that the Cathedral of St. Mary (13th century) was in style and outward form believ...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Post Office Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1939_01
EXCAVATIONS ON POST OFFICE SITE Lying at the rear of the Post Office sorting station is a piece of ground which might be called "No man's land." Bounded on the West with Grey Friars Lane, on the Nort...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: St. Mary's Cathedral Site
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1939_02
CATHEDRAL OF ST. MARY. (Continued) Since writing my last article on this Church in the December issue of this Magazine, another extension has been made to the large building being erected, and to do ...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Art Gallery and Museum
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1939_03
SITE OF THE MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY My readers may be interested in the site of the Museum and Art Gallery, which munificent gift by Sir Alfred Herbert will be welcomed by the citizens of our no mean ...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Art Gallery and Museum
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1939_04
SITE OF THE MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY. [Continued] The members of the Drapers Guild were expected to attend Church services and they employed a Priest at a stipend of £5 per annum. If a member of t...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Art Gallery and Museum
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1939_05
SITE OF THE MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY. [Continued] St. Mary's Hall, built at different periods, stands as a monument of beauty. Caesar's Tower, which may really have no real connection with St. Mary's H...

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by JB Shelton MBE: Bablake Excavations
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/articles/j-b-shelton.php?pg=1939_06
BABLAKE SITE Excavations which had ceased for six months, have commenced again on the old Bablake site. Varied are the places where 700 years ago, the rubbish was deposited to form the basins or da...

The Birth of the Sky Blues, by Ron Osmond: BIRTH OF THE SKY BLUES
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/skybluebirth/index.php
Birth of the Sky Blues BIRTH OF THE SKY BLUES THE STORY OF THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF COVENTRY CITY'S SKY BLUE ERABY RON OSMOND Tell Me More In the su...

Coventry Theatre: Hippodrome / Coventry Theatre / Apollo show archive
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/theatre/index.php
An attempt to list all the shows ever performed at our Hippodromes, beginning with the temporary circus buildings, which from 1884 were specially erected on Pool Meadow for each visit - then, in 190...

History pages: Coventry's Historical Timeline
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/history/timeline.php
To put our local history into some sort of perspective, here's a timeline showing many of the significant events in Coventry's history. England's reigning monarchs plus a few relevant national event...

Historic tour of Coventry: William Shakespeare Carving on the Old Coventry Cathedral
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=bard-rollover
Click here to return. ...

Historic tour of Coventry: Angels on the Guildhall ceiling
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=guildhall-ceiling
The carved angels also suffered their share of damage in the fire, but despite the devastation much remains original. On closer inspection, the angel pictured bottom left can be seen to ha...

Historic tour of Coventry: Old Grammar School, Hales Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=old-grammar-sch
If you begin your visit to Coventry at Pool Meadow Bus Station, then walking westwards along Hales Street past Swanswell Gate towards Corporation Street, the first ancient building that you will...

Historic tour of Coventry: Spon Street - left hand side
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=spon-st-left
Return to the Historic Tour Page The historic buildings of Old Spon Street - moving in order up the left hand side of the street - then back down the right. Left hand side.... ...

Historic tour of Coventry: Spon Street - right hand side
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=spon-st-right
Return to the Historic Tour Page Right hand side.... The north side of Spon Street looking eastwards towards the town centre. St. John's Church tower can be viewed in the ...

Historic tour of Coventry: Bablake School & Bond's Hospital, Hill Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=bablake
The first half-timbered Tudor building in the picture below is the old Bablake boys school, and beyond that, the cream fronted building is Bond's Hospital. The latter, also known in days gone by as ...

Historic tour of Coventry: St. John's Church, Fleet Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=st-johns
Standing proudly between Fleet Street and Hill Street is the church of St. John, also known in times past as Bablake church. Above and to the right are two views of the church; from ...

Historic tour of Coventry: Spon Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=spon-st
Just around the corner from Hill Street is Spon Street where there is still a high concentration of Tudor aged buildings. Many of them are not original to the street and have been rebuilt there ...

Historic tour of Coventry: Christ Church, New Union Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=christchurch
Here are two views of Christ Church, which stands between New Union Street (originally Union Street) and Warwick Lane. Both photos are from a similar standpoint but separated by over one hundred yea...

Historic tour of Coventry: Cheylesmore Manor House
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=cheylesmore-manor
A little farther up New Union Street you can access Cheylesmore Manor House through an alleyway opposite the Greyfriars Lane junction. Known nowadays by most Coventrians as the "Register Office"...

Historic tour of Coventry: Ford's Hopital, Greyfriars Lane
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=fords
From the Manor House, you can cross New Union Street into Greyfriars Lane and on the right you will arrive at Ford's Hospital. This hospital or "almshouse" provided sheltered accommodation for ...

Historic tour of Coventry: Pepper Lane & Bayley Lane
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=pepper-la
Here is another view that is largely unchanged in around two hundred years. You are looking from Pepper Lane into Bayley Lane. On the left is the old County Hall at the end of Pepper Lane. When ...

Historic tour of Coventry: St. Mary's Guildhall, Bayley Lane
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=guildhall
On the right of this picture, the half-timbered building jutting out is 22 Bayley Lane. To the left is the ruins of St. Michael's cathedral. The view of the Guildhall from the outsi...

Historic tour of Coventry: Council House, Earl Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=council-hs
Although not an ancient building, the early 20th century Tudor design Council House is still worthy of inclusion on a walk around Coventry. Taken around 1970 by my friend Brian Ro...

Historic tour of Coventry: Coventry Cross
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=coventry-cross
.cov_cross_overlay { background:url(bgate-aerial-modern.jpg) no-repeat; opacity:0; transition:opacity 1s ease-in; } .cov_cross_overlay:hover, .cov_cross_overlay:active { background:url(bgate-aerial...

Historic tour of Coventry: Holy Trinity Church
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=trinity-ch
This first view of Holy Trinity Church was taken by our son, Steven, when he was only 8 years old. The view is from Broadgate with the Cathedral Lanes shopping centre just visible to the right, ...

Historic tour of Coventry: Lychgate Cottages & Priory Row
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=lychgate
Adjacent to the entrance to Trinity church can be found these three 15th century cottages. Originally one building named "Lychgate House" they have long since been split into three separate dwel...

Historic tour of Coventry: River Sherbourne - Palmer Lane & beyond
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=sherbourne
As with virtually all major settlements, Coventry developed in the vicinity of a waterway. For well over a thousand years the River Sherbourne has been central to our town's history, and...

Historic tour of Coventry: Whitefriars' Gate & Much Park Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=whitefriars-much-pk-st
Whitefriars Gate Tuilt in 1352, this was the gateway to Whitefriars monastery which was 300 yards to the east. After restoration in recent decades, the building became a toy museum in 1973 an...

Historic tour of Coventry: Whitefriars' Monastery
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=whitefriars-monastery
It was from the Oriel window in the photograph on the left that Queen Elizabeth I addressed the people of Coventry in 1565. The words of her speech were unfortunately never fully recorded but it...

Historic tour of Coventry: Charterhouse - Carthusian Priory of St. Anne
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/tour/content.php?pg=charterhouse
Rear of the Charterhouse Monastery. (Photo: Steven Orland, 2013) Alongside the River Sherbourne, just a few minutes walk down the London Road from Whitefriars' monastery, lies the monastery...

History pages: Vicars of St. Michael's Church & Cathedral, Coventry
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/history/st_michaels_vicars.php
A full list of Vicars of St. Michael's Church & Cathedral in Coventry, compiled from a list displayed in the New Cathedral. If you notice this list become out of date, please contact me to remin...

Coventry's City Wall & Gates: Coventry's City Wall: Introduction
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/wall/wall.php?pg=wall-history
In January 1329 King Edward III granted permission to the Prior and 'goodmen' of Coventry to collect taxes, specifically to fund the building of a protective "Town Wall". By that time, Coventry had ...

Coventry's City Wall & Gates: The 12 Gates of our Town Wall
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/wall/wall.php?pg=gates
Beginning near Pool Meadow and moving anticlockwise around Coventry, the twelve gates were: Swanswell gate (previously known as Priory gate) - completed c1440, still standing. Cook Stree...

Coventry's City Wall & Gates: Swanswell (Priory) Gate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/wall/wall.php?pg=swanswell-gate
Of the original twelve city gates, only two remain.... Cook Street Gate and Swanswell Gate, also known in times gone by as Priory gate; pictured left in an 1840 engraving. A large portion of wal...

Coventry's City Wall & Gates: Lady Herbert's Garden & City Wall
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/wall/wall.php?pg=lh-garden
Between Swanswell and Cook Street gates exists the best preserved surviving section of Coventry's old city wall. Either side of this lies Lady Herbert's Garden which was laid out by Sir Alfred H...

Coventry's City Wall & Gates: Cook Street (Tower) Gate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/wall/wall.php?pg=cookst-gate
The plaque affixed to the gate informs us that it was built around 1385, and presented to the city by Col. W. F. Wyley in 1913 prior to its first restoration five years later. The next tw...

Coventry's City Wall & Gates: Bishop Gate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/wall/wall.php?pg=bishop-gate
As you approach the top of Bishop Street, you'll be ale to see the 'Canal Basin' Bridge, which stands very close to the original site of Bishop Gate. (Pictured in David Hale's illustration below...

Coventry's City Wall & Gates: Lamb Street to Well Street
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/wall/wall.php?pg=lambst-hillst
City Wall & Tower near Lamb Street From the base of the Bishop Street footbridge you can head westwards towards Birmingham along a pathway parallel to the ring road, and after a hundred yards...

Coventry's City Wall & Gates: Hill Street to Spon (Bablake) Gate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/wall/wall.php?pg=bablake
Hill Street Gate Hill Street Gate by Coventry artist, David Hale. (This image must not be copied or reproduced in any way without permission from the artist.) The David Hale illustration...

Coventry's City Wall & Gates: Greyfriars' to New Gate, London Road
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/wall/wall.php?pg=greyfriars-newgate
Greyfriars' Gate The next gate in our tour is Greyfriars' Gate, which would have stood near the bottom of the modern day Hertford Street, at the corner of New Union Street. Thi...

Coventry's City Wall & Gates: Gulson Road to Gosford Gate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/wall/wall.php?pg=gulsonrd-gosfordgate
Town Wall at Gulson Road A little farther east and the next section visible is an incredibly substantial length of wall still in use alongside Gulson Road. Although showing the wear and t...

Coventry's City Wall & Gates: Cox Street Wall & Mill Lane (Bastille) Gate
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/wall/wall.php?pg=gosford-milllane
Town Wall near Cox Street On the north side of Gosford gate you will arrive at the longest existing section of wall, around two hundred metres in length. It stretches from west of the Sky ...

Coventry's City Wall & Gates: Completing the circuit: The Wall around Pool Meadow
https://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/wall/wall.php?pg=poolmeadow
The original line of the wall between Mill Lane and Swanswell gates was rather different to the finished product seen laid out in John Speed's map of 1610. The original route taken by the wal...

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Family ancestry: Steve Orland's Family in photos
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/family/family.php
Here are five generations of my family caught on camera. How come my great grandmas look younger than me??? You can hover over each picture to see who they are. ...

Lichfield: Steve Orland's Lichfield Cathedral Photo Gallery
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/lichfield/lichfield.php
After getting my Olympus 4040 camera for Christmas 2004, I couldn't wait to try it out. Our first special outing was to Lichfield to see their lovely cathedral. As we walked from the car park, th...

Now and Then: Bayley Lane
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=bayley_la
Just outside the Old Cathedral is Bayley Lane. This street has been around since early medieval times and was once next to the castle. The postcard in the first picture above was from about 1...

Now and Then: Bishop Street & Hales Street corner
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=bishop_hales_st_corner
The Old Grammar School in this picture is now the only remaining building if we compare it to how this looked back in 1939. Bishop Street was once a busy shopping street where trams trundled up and ...

Now and Then: Bluecoat School
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=bluecoat
Blue Coat School used to be a girls school and was on this spot for about 100 years until they were evacuated in World War 2. The school was built upon the north west tower at the west en...

Now and Then: Broadgate viewed from Hertford Street
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=broadgate_from_hertfd_st
If we look out of the small alleyway now linking Hertford Street into Broadgate, we can see that Broadgate is a pedestrianised area but back in 1892 it was a thriving shopping street. The picture in...

Now and Then: Broadgate viewed from Holy Trinity Church
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=broadgate_from_htchurch
Most visitors to town will be familiar with this view from the garden at the front of Holy Trinity Church looking across the top of old Trinity Street into the newly paved Broadgate. In 2012 the top...

Now and Then: Bullyard & Hertford Street
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=bullyard_hertfd_st
Down the other end of Hertford Street lies the Bullyard. It's now an open square, but before the war it was a narrow street with the Peeping Tom pub on the corner. If you were now to tu...

Now and Then: The Burges and Corporation Street
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=burges_corp_st
This next photograph was taken in 1927. It shows the bottom of the Burges, and the photographer was standing on the corner of Hales Street and Bishop Street by the Old Grammar School. ...

Now and Then: Council House Earl Street
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=councilhouse
The Council House is not as old as it looks. It was built between 1913 and 1917, rather surprising considering it was during the Great War, and opened on the 11th June 1920 by the Duke of York who l...

Now and Then: Ford's Hospital and the Cottage
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=fords_cottage
In the old days before the second world war there was a lovely old house next to Ford's Hospital. Ford's Hospital got damaged by a bomb in the war but was renovated in 1953. The old house n...

Now and Then: Hales Street and the Old Fire Station
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=hales_st_firestation
Now we can see what Hales Street used to look like before the war - 1933 in this photo - the year before the Fire Station gained another three bays. The old Hippodrome was still there - about to be ...

Now and Then: Hales Street Flood of 1900
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=hales_st_flood
Standing in almost exactly the same place as above, we now turn to our left and look towards the Old Grammar School. On the very last day of 1900 there was a terrible flood in Coventry when the Rive...

Now and Then: Hertford Street & the Empire Theatre
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=hertfd_st_empire
...

Now and Then: Lady Herbert's Garden and Cook Street Gate
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=lh_garden_cookgate
It's nice to see that some things don't change too much, especially when they are nice things like Lady Herbert's Garden. You can see that Cook Street gate is still behind the garden on ...

Now and Then: Lychgate Cottages, Trinity Church & the old Campanile
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=lychgate_trinity_campanile
This was the rather bleak scene at the top of Trinity Street shortly before the Second World War broke out. The old belfry is still in the background, just visible to the left of Holy Trinity Church...

Now and Then: Martyr's Memorial
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=martyrs_mem
This monument is known as the Martyrs Memorial and was erected in 1910. We've had some help from Cliff Jones to identify the streets pictured here leading from the memorial. We now know that Quint...

Now and Then: Priory Row and the old Belfry
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=priory_row_belfry
Most of Priory Row has not changed much since before the war, but one thing that is now missing is the old campanile, or belfry, which belonged to Holy Trinity Church, and stood just across Priory...

Now and Then: St. Michael's viewed from Bayley Lane
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=stmichaels_from_bayley_la
Here is another picture of the tallest medieval tower and spire in the country. Although Salisbury and Norwich cathedrals have taller spires, they are much younger, unlike ours, which ha...

Now and Then: St. Michael's viewed from New Street
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=stmichaels_from_newst
Once again, here's another photo of the old cathedral that we're all familiar with. But if you roll your mouse over it you'll see it go back in time again, to the 1930's. In the old...

Now and Then: St. Michael's interior
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=stmichaels_inside
Here's my favourite place in Coventry again - the Old Cathedral in 2005 as it has looked since it was bombed on Thursday 14th November 1940. Now by rolling your mouse over the pho...

Now and Then: Trinity Street & Timothy White's
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/nowandthen/content.php?pg=trinityst_timothy_whites
The shape of Trinity Street hasn't changed much since this old photo was taken, probably in the mid-1950s, but the shape of the transport certainly has! Many Coventry people will remember Timothy Wh...

Old Coventry: Old Coventry Photo Gallery - Page 1
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/oldcov/oldcov.php?pg=oldcov
The old cathedral spire. (So nice, I photographed it twice... well, actually, lots of times!) Looking out of the west entrance of St. Michael's ruins. The same spire seen over B...

Old Coventry: Old Coventry Photo Gallery - Page 2
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/oldcov/oldcov.php?pg=oldcov2
We start page 2 with two spires again and some trees in blossom making Holy Trinity Church look very attractive in both photos. The photo above is taken in Priory Row,...

Stoke, Coventry, now and then: Stoke, Coventry
https://steve.historiccoventry.co.uk/stoke/stoke.php
Church End ...

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