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NeilsYard
Coventry |
91 of 102
Wed 7th Jan 2026 12:51pm
Love that one - Corporation Street at that time was very Deco with the Rex just further along.
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| Streets and Roads - Corporation Street | |
| PhiliPamInCoventry |
92 of 102
Wed 7th Jan 2026 1:55pm
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rocksolid
Bristol |
93 of 102
Sat 10th Jan 2026 5:56pm
This is an intriguing little building, Fretton House on the corner of Fretton Street. As Neil says, in the Deco style and when completed a little fancier than in the photo on the Ebay page. Here is a side view towards Corporation Street taken for the National Buildings Record:
As you can see from the name over the opening it was the offices of the Coventry Billposting Company/(Mills and Rockley) who were presumably responsible for putting up/taking down advertising posters all over the city and beyond. There is also a very good view of Fretton House and the Rex Cinema taken from the roof of the Gas Showrooms in David McGrory's book City of Coventry - Images from the Past (1996), a very well-illustrated volume.
Judging from the Britain From Above image of 1946 of Corporation Street:
https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW001832
it appears to have lost the upper storey to bombing and was presumably demolished when Corporation Street was developed in the 1950s.
Incidentally does anyone know why Corporation Street took so long to be developed. By the time war broke out there were many vacant plots of land which came in very handy for building the prefab shops which rehoused those that were bombed out. But considering the street opened in 1931 it seems strange that so few companies took possession of the available land. Was it lack of money? just post-Depression, or did the city council ask too much? Does anybody have any ideas? |
| Streets and Roads - Corporation Street | |
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Helen F
Warrington |
94 of 102
Sat 10th Jan 2026 7:18pm
I don't think that it was a shortage of money. There were multiple areas of the city being developed at the same time. Small and large schemes eg Trinity Street, St Mary's Street, Broadgate, White Friars Street, etc. Plus housing and factories on the outskirts. There may have been a shortage of construction capacity or the supply of sites exceeded demand.
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| Streets and Roads - Corporation Street | |
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Mike59
Coventry |
95 of 102
Sun 11th Jan 2026 6:02am
On 10th Jan 2026 5:56pm, rocksolid said:
This is an intriguing little building, Fretton House on the corner of Fretton Street. As Neil says, in the Deco style and when completed a little fancier than in the photo on the Ebay page. Here is a side view towards Corporation Street taken for the National Buildings Record:
I remember the prefabs that used to be on the corner of Hill Street and Corporation Street.
As you can see from the name over the opening it was the offices of the Coventry Billposting Company/(Mills and Rockley) who were presumably responsible for putting up/taking down advertising posters all over the city and beyond. There is also a very good view of Fretton House and the Rex Cinema taken from the roof of the Gas Showrooms in David McGrory's book City of Coventry - Images from the Past (1996), a very well-illustrated volume.
Judging from the Britain From Above image of 1946 of Corporation Street:
https://britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW001832
it appears to have lost the upper storey to bombing and was presumably demolished when Corporation Streeet was developed in the 1950s.
Incidentally does anyone know why Corporation Street took so long to be developed. By the time war broke out there were many vacant plots of land which came in very handy for building the prefab shops which rehoused those that were bombed out. But considering the street opened in 1931 it seems strange that so few companies took possession of the available land. Was it lack of money? just post-Depression, or did the city council ask too much? Does anybody have any ideas?
Mike "Yesterday I was a child of the sixties…. Today I’m a cynical adult…"
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| Streets and Roads - Corporation Street | |
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Annewiggy
Tamworth |
96 of 102
Sun 11th Jan 2026 10:36am
Articles in the CET show that in 1959 the demolition of Fretton House was imminent. The council were going to buy the premises and rent it to Mills and Rockley in the meantime. Mills and Rockley were having new premises built in Queens Road. The building was being demolished for the completion of Belgrade Square. Newsomes were to move across from Smithford way to improve access to the shops there.
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| Streets and Roads - Corporation Street | |
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NeilsYard
Coventry |
97 of 102
Mon 12th Jan 2026 10:58am
So did Fretton House only last 24 years then? Seems a real shame considering the stone for the build must've been of some value and its style.
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| Streets and Roads - Corporation Street | |
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Annewiggy
Tamworth |
98 of 102
Mon 12th Jan 2026 2:59pm
It looks like it Neil. Fretton Street was being discussed in the newpaper about 1927. I presume it was named after W G Fretton and the house named that as well. Yes, it is a pity that the building could not have been utilised in some way.
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| Streets and Roads - Corporation Street | |
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Rob Orland
Historic Coventry |
99 of 102
Mon 12th Jan 2026 8:38pm
The earliest mention of Fretton House itself seems to be May 1936, and although in August 1956 they were given two years notice to move out, there was still an advertisement for a Typist/Telephonist wanted, 5-day week, at Fretton House, Corporation Street, as late as 15th September 1959 !
It must have gone very soon after that, though, as in April 1960 work had already begun on Belgrade Square - soon to have a fountain..... and bubbles!
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| Streets and Roads - Corporation Street | |
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Helen F
Warrington |
100 of 102
Tue 13th Jan 2026 10:38am
I wonder if Fretton Street was renamed when Well Street was completely cut off from Upper Well Street (and Well Street became the bottom end of Chapel Street)? Before that, it would have been odd if Upper Well Street was lower than Well Street itself, so they'd named the little section to the south Fretton Street.
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| Streets and Roads - Corporation Street | |
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Annewiggy
Tamworth |
101 of 102
Tue 13th Jan 2026 12:12pm
From CET 1927: Two new streets opening from Corporation Street to be known as Fretton Street and Bablake Street, which side streets will provide a direct link between Upper Well Street and Smithford Street to be between 40 & 50 ft wide, considerably more spacious than many of Coventry's main streets today.
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| Streets and Roads - Corporation Street | |
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rocksolid
Bristol |
102 of 102
Wed 14th Jan 2026 10:20pm
According to the 1937 directory I have (which lacks its spine so I'm not 100% sure it's that year but definitely late 1930s) both Fretton Street and Bablake Street have 'No houses'. HoweverTrinity Street is described as 'A projected street from Broadgate to Hales Street'.
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| Streets and Roads - Corporation Street | |
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