Annual Report coventrysociety 2019 - 2020 Chair's report ‘Future Of ’s Past’ Conference It's a strange and difficult time we The Coventry Society’s first Heritage find ourselves in at the moment with Conference took place on Saturday Covid19. I am writing my second 19th October 2019 at the Old Chairperson’s report knowing that Grammar School in Bishop Street. It the AGM will not happen this April. was attended by representatives of It seems that this year has flown by, more than fifty Coventry historical, it has been especially pleasurable preservation, amenity and local working with the committee and all interest groups and organisations. the members of the Society in my Councillor Jim O’Boyle, City Council Other speakers were: Victor Riley - final year in office. Our new chair Cabinet Member for Jobs and Riley Archive; Gabrielle Edmonds will be Vincent Hammersly who I am Regeneration gave the Keynote Baker - Stoney Road allotments; sure you will know as our current Address, “New City, Old Faces”, Iris Weir - Willenhall History Group; vice chair and will be a good describing how many of our much- Victoria Northridge, - Archives at the replacement. I would like to thank loved City Centre buildings and facades Herbert; Mike Polanyk - St John’s all the committee and the sub have been saved by creatively re- Church; Tim Claye restoration of committees members for their purposing them to be fit for the historic walled gardens in Allesley Park. great help especially John Payne requirements of the twenty first Delegates from- who has helped me greatly as century. Next Ian Harrabin, Chairman Allesley Walled Garden Blue Badge Guides secretary and also keeps the of Historic Coventry Trust, gave an Business Improvement District (BID) website interesting and up to date, C20 Society overview of the future of Coventry Civic Voice Les Fawcett and his team for Buildings in the care of the Trust. He Conservation -George Demidowicz Coventry City Of Culture Trust ploughing through all the planning explained that the trust began with The Coventry Transport & Highways Coventry & District Archeology Society applications each week, Peter Charterhouse and had expanded to Coventry Walters for heading up the Heritage include a number of other historic Coventry Canal Basin Trust (Warehouse) Coventry Canal Society subgroup and his team of buildings in the City. He informed the Coventry Cathedral Coventry Charterhouse Association knowledgable helpers, Terry Kenny conference that all of the buildings in Coventry Freemen’s Guild who takes down all the minutes, and Coventry Music Museum the care of the Trust must be self- Coventry Pub History Colin Walker who said last year he sustaining with any income that they Coventry Synagogue Coventry Tree Wardens was standing down as Treasurer but generated needing to be enough to Coventry Irish History Coventry Watch Museum has worked on. Thank you, we will cover staff salary and maintenance etc. Culture Coventry Museum Services try and let you go this year. If I go on His presentation included an insight Drapers Hall Earlsdon Carnegie Community Library naming everyone it will take up all into plans and work being carried out Eastern Green Local History Group Friends of London Road Cemetery the pages. I would just like to say to enhance and bring back into use Friends of the War Memorial Park 'thank you' to you all. George Eliot Fellowship many of our historic buildings and Great Places environments. Cheneine Bhathena, Godiva Trust I look forward to our future Historic Coventry Trust Creative Director of the Coventry City Historic Coventry Website especially with the City of Culture of Culture Trust, was the last speaker Holy Trinity Church next year and all the developments Imagineer before lunch and her presentation was Lanchester Archives around heritage buildings with PhotoMiners entitled “The Role of Heritage in the Police Museum millions being spent. You will see in Positive Images City of Culture”. She introduced the the rest of this publication all the Portals of the Past theme,City of Spires, City of Industry, Priory project good works we have been involved Riley Register City of Dreams. She pointed out that 40 Septimius Severus Caribbean History with and what the future will be. I St. John's Church million people live within a two hour St. Mary's Guildhall will be Deputy Chair during the next drive of Coventry and the aim was to Stivichall Grange Residents Association year and still be around to help Stoke Local History Group inform people from all over the Stoney Gardens Project Vincent and you all. Tudor Coventry Group country, and the world, about the Visit Coventry Weavers Cottage Yours sincerely Paul Maddocks identity of the City and its people. Willenhall Local History Group The Coventry Society has had many interesting talks and tours over the last year, here are some of them - Talks - Visits and Tours - September - Ben Flippance - May -'Phoenix Walking Tour' Design Director of IDP Architects, with Dr Eleanor Nesbit challenged the Coventry Society discovering part of the city centre to think about the impact of autonomous vehicles on the future environment. October - Brian Stote - showed a series of images, mainly photographs, showing how Broadgate and the roads which June - Visit to Amazon have radiated from it have changed Warehouse tour exploring this over time. vast site on what used to be Jaguar Browns Lane, factory. November - George Demidowitz renowned archaeologist and historian 'What Lies Beneath' a talk on the discoveries about the development of the old cathedral as a result of the 2015 excavations. December - Peter James June - Civic Day tour of Post War talked about Sydney Bunney Architecture by Paul Maddocks. famous Coventry artist and his watercolour drawing of old Coventry and Warwickshire veiws. January - Nigel Page talked about archaeological finds from Baginton, amazing Prehistoric, Roman July - Tour of Earlsdon with and Anglo-Saxon cremation cemetery historian Peter Walters. remains, before the new Jaguar Land Rover facility moves on the site.

January - Roger Bailey - ‘Aten’ the Egyptian Sun God. Pharaoh Akhenatena built the ancient city of Amarna. Was this the August - Visit to Tamworth inspiration for Donald Gibson’s hosted by the Tamworth Society design for Coventry Precinct?

February - Aidan Ridyard Coventry’s postwar suburban Churches, focused our attention on St. Nicholas Church in Radford. Plus other example of post-war September Heritage Open Church building in the city. Days - plans for the area of Burges and a tour by Paul Maddocks March - Lesley Durbin talked on the subject of restoration of the Cullen Tile Mural, plus architectural tiles their conservation and restoration. The Coventry Society has been involved with many other interesting projects - Coventry’s Heritage Action Zone - Peter Walters and Paul Maddocks Much Park St. Gate, Cook St. St. Mary’s Guildhall. represent the Coventry Society and Gate and Swanswell Gate are The committee was able to see the attend the HAZ meetings. The the three remaining gatehouses of progress of the major plans to make initiative is to unleash the power in Coventry’s medieval times. They St. Mary’s Guildhall fit for the 21st Coventry’s historic buildings to will provide studio units, including Century. A total of £5.5 million is to breathe new life into old places kitchen, bedroom and bathroom be spent on the building. restoration that are rich in heritage, working facilities accessed by new stairs etc. of the medieval kitchen (see photo) with Historic Coventry and the City plus conservation and showcasing Council. Historic England through, of the tapestry, a City Council lead the Heritage Lottery Fund, is project. helping to making them attractive to residents, businesses, tourists and investors. They are doing this through joint-working, grant funding and sharing their skills. The Burges - One of the most building and places that are involved prominent routes into the City are - centre which is now sadly neglected Charterhouse Priory and the but still has a large number of grounds, Historic Coventry Trust historical buildings mainly used as has been awarded a National shops. The River Sherborne, that Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £4.3 flows behind the shops in the Lychgate Cottages. 3-5 Priory million to restore Charterhouse Burges, has been covered over and Row are three remarkable close- Priory and the adjoining land. unseen by the public for many years. studded timber frame properties Restoration work has started on the The Historic Coventry Trust is dating from around 1415 and the main building and wall murals. bring back the charm of the area and only upstanding buildings surviving upgrading the shopping experience. from the 12th century St Mary’s There are plans to re-open the Priory complex. Historic Coventry River as much as possible and bring Trust will revive and provide much in new buildings in line with those needed visitor accommodation in already present. the lead up to City of Culture 2021.

London Road Cemetery The restoration of the Grade II* listed cemetery, its Anglican chapel and the Non-conformist chapel that the Historic Coventry Trust Drapers' Hall Historic Coventry The concept for reusing and will be restoring. The cemetery is Trust is working in partnership with saving old building was a Coventry run by the Council's Bereavement The Princes Foundation and Society idea many years ago when Services. The cemetery has many Coventry Music Service to restore Keith Draper and David Tittle from interesting buildings including the this beautiful building which will be the Society organised a conference Entrance Lodge, Prospect Tower open in time for UK City of Culture in the Coventry University and the memorial for Sir Joseph 2021. Prince Charles visited the Architect's Department. Many Paxton. building before work started. different people from the City Council and other organisations attended to discuss the five major empty building at the time - Old Grammar School, County Court, Drapers' Hall, Charterhouse and Whitefriers Monastery. From this the Coventry Society launched a 'Save the Big Five' Campaign. The Coventry Society is always interested in plans and projects for the future - Abbotts Lane. The Coventry The Telegraph Hotel. The Coventry Society is very Society committee were consulted The old Coventry Telegraph building interested to know what is going to on the plans and walked the site. We is being converted to become a new happen to the now closed Sports welcome the proposed provision of boutique hotel. The Coventry Centre, Swimming Baths, Priory high quality residential flats and Society was consulted on the plans Visitor Centre and the Whitefriars' welcome the return of a residential and welcomes the proposed Monastry. We would also like to population into the city centre new hotel know what is happening to the old rather than just more student and attached Paris Cinema (now the Empire) accommodation. There will be new Digital Art which is moving to Hertford Street. access from Naul's Mill Park into Gallery. Also what is happening to the Belgrade Square with a park area Coventry Canal Basin & Spon St. under the ring road, plus the opening (which seems to be failing)? Where up the Radford Brook. will the Police Museum be located and where will the Naiad be placed? What will happen to the City Centre South Scheme re development? Where and when is Favourite Conservation Area the Coventry Cross to be re- By a public vote and confirmation erected? The Society will be from our members 'Hill Top' following all these issues keenly and conservation area, which includes scrutinising any developments. Cov. & Warwick Hospital old the two Cathedrals, Holy Trinity The committee of the Coventry site development. Again the Church, St. Mary's Guildhall, Society has had various one to one Coventry Society was consulted on Drapers Hall, old County Court and meetings with different people the plans and pleased with the re- the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum. including Cllr. McNicholas, Cllr. Jim use of the old Nurses Home and the 'Hill Top', was voted the favourite. O’Boyle, Cllr. Ed Ruane. Colin hexagonal out patients building, the It was entered into the Civic Voice Knight, Director of Transportation committee had a visit there. Conservation Area competition. & Highways, plus Carol Pyrah, Executive Director and Ian Harrabin Chair of Historic Coventry Trust and discussing many different topics which all help to keep in touch with what the future of the city could be. We also hope to have talks with people from UK City of Culture Old Civic Centre Two site. 2021 soon. The Coventry Society was consulted on the Coventry University proposals Coventry Society publication This year is the Coventry Society's and felt too much of the original old of brochures - 50th anniversary 1970 - 2020. Architects and Planning Offices would 'Postwar Architecture', 'Public Art', Because of the developing Covid-19 be lost. We put our objection to the and 'Heritage' tours are the first of crisis, we will have some difficult loss of the listed building. The city many new publications for the decisions to make on our future Council will make the decision based Coventry Society which should be programme of meetings and on the advice of Historic England. We helpful for people who are visiting activities, so please look on our now await the decision on this. the city in 2021 UK City of Culture. website for ongoing details.

Campaigning for a quality Coventry