G6915 CITY COLLEGE - COMMEMORATIVE BROCHURE V5 1/7/08 10:11 Page 1 Our History Design and print: Watermark Design Ltd 01926 493666 Design and print: Watermark Tel: (024) 7679 1000 Email: [email protected] Website: www.covcollege.ac.uk Swanswell Centre Swanswell Street Coventry CV1 5DG Butts Centre Butts Coventry CV1 3GD Coventre G6915 CITY COLLEGE - COMMEMORATIVE BROCHURE V5 1/7/08 10:11 Page 3 01 02 developed into a nine storey Introduction tower block with over 550 My name is Carol Bloxham flats and a range of cafes, and I started attending IT bars and restaurants. Part courses for blind people at of the site is also going to City College Coventry in become home to the Quality February 2003. I enjoyed & Curriculum Agency, who it so much that I have are moving their continued, it is now 2008. headquarters from London. The only thing to remain Contents The courses started in from the college is the 1999/2000 with four students theatre, which will have a Ye Olde Cofantree 03 at the Resource Centre in complete revamp by the Earlsdon and moved to the developers. The new City Butts in 2002 for technical College will be situated in Coventry in the reasons. Now there are the Hillfields area of the city Middle Ages 04 four classes per week with within the Swanswell approximately 30 students. Learning Quarter and is Coventry’s Royal The courses are for blind being built in two phases. Connections 05 and partially sighted people, Phase one is already in use and Phase two is due for from beginners who have Coventry’s Coat completion by the end never used a computer of Arms 06 before to people wanting of 2008. to gain a further IT While I was researching the Early Education in qualification. The class is for Coventry 07 all ages and we use various history of the college I came software packages such as across some very interesting The Origins of Jaws which is a speech facts about Coventry and the College 08 package and Supernova decided to include them as which is a magnification well, because this will then package. This software show how the early stages of A Study in Time 08 enables us to do things we education in Coventry came never dreamed of doing into being and resulted in The Birth of the before, such as sending the system we have today. Butts College 11 Emails, internet browsing and word processing. During my research I Recollections of my Everyone in these classes realised that the address Time at the Junior needs a support worker on of the new college building Technical School 15 a one to one basis to be is 50 Swanswell Street, which is rather a strange their eyes when we or Apprenticeship coincidence as my mother the computers go wrong, Courses 19 which can be quite often! grew up at this address after the First World War. My support worker is The College 2008 21 Claire Hodge. I would like to take this The Theatre 23 It was suggested by a opportunity to say a very big thank you to all the staff at My thanks to Carol Bloxham, who with the help of Claire Hodge member of staff that I tried my hand at writing a history the City College Coventry Last Year at has compiled this brief history of Coventry with particular for their help and support the Butts 24 reference to City College Coventry. of this college, in its final year as it will be closing in during this project. Paul Taylor, Principal December 2008 and will be Acknowledgements 26 G6915 CITY COLLEGE - COMMEMORATIVE BROCHURE V5 1/7/08 10:11 Page 5 03 04 Key to Map: 1. St Michael’s Church 2. Holy Trinity Church Ye Olde Cofantree 3. St Mary’s Hall 5. Greyfriar’s Spire It is widely of ‘Lady’ however she was From the early 12th century a city and in 1348 John referred to by many as Coventry in Coventry was divided into Ward was duly elected as thought that the ‘Countess’. Even before two halves; the northern half the city’s first Mayor. name Coventry marrying Leofric, Godgifu the Middle was controlled by the Prior The Charter effectively was a woman of high status Ages and the southern half was excluded the Prior from any was derived and owned much land. controlled by the Earl of involvement with the more from a great Leofric was one of the three Chester. From 1265 the Prior powerful Earl’s half of the tree known most powerful men in the At the time of the Domesday slowly lost his power and city and in 1355 the Prior country, reporting directly to Book in 1086 Coventry had rented his half of the town gave up all his claims on it. as “Cofa’s tree” King Cnut. King Cnut was a population of about 350. to the Earl. which was within one of the most famous of Lady Godgifu of course is The Domesday Book was Coventry’s central location the Anglo Saxon English kings although he remembered these days for commissioned in December In the Middle Ages Coventry favoured its growth and the was not English and was her naked ride through the 1085 by William the became famous for its River Sherbourne provided settlement of probably the most powerful town on horseback, which Conqueror and the first weaving and dyeing industry water supplies and power Barrs Hill. king ever to rule over Anglo- was allegedly in an attempt draft was completed in (which is where we got the for the mills. In 1329 Saxon England. His name to persuade her husband to August 1086. Coventry sky blue colour Coventry became so rich has been incorrectly spelt for lower taxes. This story has from). There were many that it was felt it was worth Cofa was a Saxon magnate generations (Canute) and of spanned many centuries At this time Coventry had workers in the cloth trade, protecting with a wall and and trees were often used as course he is best known for but it is unlikely that it ever a castle which was built in drapers, fullers, dyers and money to pay for it was meeting places. The name sitting on his throne on the happened at all. Coventry at the 11th century by Ranulf weavers. There were also raised by “murage” which was spelt in many different seashore and ordering the that time was a small hamlet Meschines, Earl of Chester. many other craftsmen such was a tax on goods coming ways during the first few tide not to come in (but of so it would have been a very It is believed that it stood as millers, bakers, butchers, into the city. The building of centuries but the most course it did not obey him!). short ride and it was not where the Cathedral blacksmiths, carpenters, the wall began in 1355 and common spelling used written about until over Lanes shopping centre coopers, cutlers and was finally completed in until 400 years ago was Leofric died in 1057 and 100 years later by Roger is now situated. goldsmiths. In 1340 the 1534. At this time it was 2 “Coventre” before evolving when Godgifu died ten years of Wendover, a man not merchants of Coventry were miles long, 8 feet thick, over into what we know it later, she was the most known for his accurate The castle was razed to the formed into a guild, which 12 feet high and had 20 as today. powerful lady landowner in recording of historical ground in the 12th century looked after their interests. towers and 12 gates. It was England. Leofric was buried events. And the story of and then rebuilt again, the A meeting hall, St Mary’s the most substantial town In 1043 Coventry was a with great ceremony in one Peeping Tom the boy who castle then fell into disrepair. Hall, was built for the guild. defence outside London. scattered settlement when of the porches of the Abbey stole a peep at Lady Godgifu It is rumoured that the This beautiful building It took 179 years to build Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and church and many believe did not emerge until several crumbling hulk of the castle survived the blitz and is still and it only stood for 128 his wife, Godgifu, founded a that Godgifu was buried years after her death. was used as a quarry for used today for special years before King Charles II Benedictine monastery for there too, although there is However the stories remain stone to build other town functions. in 1662 ordered it to be an abbot and 24 monks. no evidence of this and it part of the city’s legend and structures and the city wall. demolished leaving only the The early development of is actually recorded that a Godiva procession is still Coventry was granted gates and part of the wall Coventry owed much to her final resting place held each year. Visitors to Archaeologists have found a Royal “Charter of intact. Some of the wall can this famous couple. Godgifu was Evesham Abbey. Coventry are directed to the the defensive ditch to the Incorporation” in 1345 by still be seen today. (pronounced Godgivu) statue of Lady Godiva on castle. This is referred to King Edward III. This meant meaning ‘God’s gift’ was a horseback and the Peeping as the Red Ditch which that Coventry could now popular name at that time. Tom mechanical clock both probably gets its name from have its own council and Today she is remembered as situated in Broadgate.