News

With the CovSoc visit to St. John the Divine Church coming up this week, our Vice Chair, Tim Brown, tells us some of the context of the construction of the church in Willenhall and the city’s post-war estates. Tim writes….. St John the Devine is one of three churches designed by Basil Spence and built… Read more: St. John the Divine and Coventry’s Post War Suburbs

With a CovSoc visit to St. John the Divine coming up later this month, Historian and CovSoc committee member, David Porter, tells us an interesting story about a medieval church, that nearly came to Coventry. David writes…. It is sorely tempting to suggest that the motivation behind writing this short piece arises from an extensive… Read more: Wolfhamcote Church – the one that got away …

Historian and CovSoc member, Peter James, tells us about John Siddeley, one of Coventry’s most famous engineering innovators and the man who “saved Kenilworth Castle”. Peter writes…… John Davenport Siddeley was born on August 5th 1866 in Chorlton on Medlock. He was educated at Beaumaris Grammar School in Anglesey before he moved to Coventry in… Read more: The Man who saved Kenilworth Castle

A new project has been launched to create up to three new community growing spaces within some of the most green-deprived parts of Coventry. As part of its 15-year strategic energy partnership in Coventry, E.ON has provided funding to Coventry City Council to create new community growing spaces in the city. The initiative is called… Read more: Coventry Grows

CovSoc founder member, Paul Maddocks, reviews a book written by one of Coventry’s best known tour guides, Jo Phillips. Paul writes…… A new book has been published called “In the company of the Coventry Coroner, the life and legacy of Charles Webb Iliffe”, by Josephine Phillips. “Step into the smoke-filled streets of Victorian Coventry, a… Read more: In the Company of the Coventry Coroner

Historian and CovSoc member, Peter James, tells us about the history of Smithford Street. Peter writes….. Smithford Street once a key artery connecting Fleet Street to Broadgate played a vital role in the city’s development. In the 12th century travellers crossed the River Sherbourne at a ford known as Smythefford which existed between 1161 and… Read more: Smithford Street Hostelries

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has reported that former council offices in Broadgate House could be turned into apartments after they were deemed to be surplus to requirements. Staff working for Coventry City Council currently work on the upper five floors of Broadgate House, a Grade II listed building at the entrance to Hertford Street,… Read more: Broadgate House to be Flats?

In 2023, Coventry Society member Peter Hunter wrote an article about proposals for a solar farm on Lentons Lane, located on the city’s northern boundary. He also submitted comments on behalf of the society to the local planning authority regarding these proposals. The City Council refused the 2023 planning application for several reasons, the main… Read more: The Return of the Lentons Lane Solar Farm

Over the last decade Coventry has suffered from several major developments on land in the green belt e.g. Eastern Green and Keresley. Solihull Borough Council is now consulting on an outline planning application it has received for a site of over 65 hectares for new housing and a multi-faith cemetery in the green belt between… Read more: More Housing in the Green Belt?

A group of 25 CovSoc members and guests visited Stoney Road allotments on 2nd August to see the three listed summer houses which have been renovated. Stoney Road Allotments, originally known as an urban pleasure garden, is Grade II* listed and contains the last remaining plots of the Cheylesmore Estate’s Park gardens, which were established… Read more: Summer Houses Restored