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Malvern
Somerset |
31 of 41
Fri 29th May 2020 3:17pm
Here's an auction announcement from the COVENTRY HERALD 16 May 1828
"BUILDING LAND AT WHITLEY COMMON, NEAR COVENTRY
TO BE SOLD BY AUCTION BY THOMAS GRIMES
At the KING'S HEAD INN, in COVENTRY, on WEDNESDAY, the 21st day of MAY instant, at Four o'clock in the Afternoon (subject to such conditions as will then be produced); the following Lots of FREEHOLD BUILDING LAND (as now staked out), most eligibly situated, by the sides of the TURNPIKE ROAD at WHITLEY COMMON within one mile of the City of Coventry:- "
There then follows a list of 20 Lots of land, and some are described as adjoining the Old Turnpike Road and next the New Road.
These became Whitley Village, which was the start of the original London Road Turnpike until the new London Road was built in 1828.
In The Coventry Evening Telegraph Property Guide Saturday 24th March 1973 one particular property is up for sale: "DO YOU want to live at two addresses at the same time - also in a house and a bungalow without moving from under one roof?"
The property is 213 London Road and 28 Whitley Village and is still there just north of the Whitley Roundabout. The ad goes on to state "It was originally an old toll-house". I wonder whether the building was constructed like this to catch traffic which tried to avoid the toll on the new road by skirting round on the old road?
The property at the Coventry end of Whitley Village was the Hertford Arms which was opened in 1829, but had closed as a licensed premises by 1840. This might have been "the last stop before the toll road"! Malvern
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Malvern
Somerset |
32 of 41
Fri 29th May 2020 3:53pm
In 1827 the General Coach Office was situated at The City Hotel, Broadgate, Coventry - There were regular services to London, Holyhead, Shrewsbury, Manchester, Chester, Liverpool, Leicester, Stamford and Norwich, Nottingham, and Birmingham. These included express services and the services had names such as Eclipse, Wonder, Phoenix, Albion, Magnet and Alexander, as well as standard Post Coach and Royal Mail services. Coventry Herald 12th January 1827.
As an example the "Phoenix" service was to London calling at Dunchurch, Daventry, Towcester, Stoney Stratford, Redburn, St Alban's and Barnet. A new fast coach departing The City Hotel every morning at half-past seven to the Bull and Mouth Inn, Bull and Mouth Street same day. [At its peak the Bull and Mouth Inn which was situated close to The General Post office in St Martin Le Grand, just up from St Paul's Cathedral, had 51 coaches and stabling for 700 horses]
In 1838 there were local coaches to Leamington, Warwick, and Stratford departing from The Craven Arms Hotel in High Street.
The London and Birmingham Railway was built in 1836 and Coach travel started to dwindle through the latter part of the 19th century. Malvern
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Kaga simpson
Peacehaven, East Sussex |
33 of 41
Fri 29th May 2020 4:08pm
We seemed to have galloped on from outside the Craven (picture 17 on topic M.P office) the coachman and guard seem to be in their places, the man in front of horses would have been, the coach-office clerk from the Craven in large heavy buttoned overcoat, caped round the neck, gloves and top hat, his overcoat creased from sitting down in the office. He would have checked tickets, the horses groomed, hooves polished. The picture tells us It wasn't travelling far, the guard generally a nimble man, doesn't seem to have a horn to play a good tune on. He would answer enquiries, take fees, attend to parcels, it was the guards duty to utter the magic word 'Right' only then did the coachman sing out ' Loose their heads' to hostler or stable boy and the coach would move on. Once there were 'toll gates' art the end of Much park st, and Barras-lane but they were later moved to Ryton and Allesley In 1872 Toll gates were abolished and became things of the past, the expense of the roads falling upon the local rates. |
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Helen F
Warrington |
34 of 41
Sun 30th Aug 2020 2:49pm
Report on the Road from London, by Coventry to Holyhead.
From June 1820. |
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Helen F
Warrington |
35 of 41
Wed 21st Jun 2023 3:38pm
I've mentioned before that a lot of building works happened in the early 1800s, that included big modifications to the main roads. Here's a notice in the Aris's Birmingham Gazette on the 16th September 1811, warning of the purchase and demolition of buildings, plus the creation of new road surfaces in Coventry. I've translated it from the newspaper article and I've yet to absorb what it says.
Notice is hereby given to all Persons whom it may concern, that Application is intended to be made to Parliament in the next Session, for Leave to bring in a Bill or Bills to authorize and empower certain Commissioners, to be named, to purchase, take down, and remove certain Erections and Buildings, and to purchase certain Land in and near Smithford-Street and Grey Friars Lane, in the Parish of Saint Michael, in the City of Coventry, to make a new Street in the said Parish of Saint Michael, from and out of Smithford-Street aforesaid, to adjoin the Turnpike Road leading from the said City of Coventry to Warwick; and .also to purchase, take down. and remove certain other Erections and Buildings, and to purchase certain other Land, partly in the said City of St. Michael and partly in the Parish of the Holy Trinity, in the said City, for the Purpose of widening and making more commodious and safe for Passengers a Street called Broad Gate; and also to purchase; take down, and remove certain other ' Erections and Buildings in Cross Cheaping, Ironmongers' . Row, and the Bull Ring, all in the said Parish of the Holy Trinity, for the Purpose of removing the Corn Market front Cross Cheaping, in the said City, the Place where the same is now held, to the Place where the said last mentioned Erections and Buildings now stand and thereby render more safe and commodious for Passengers the said Street, called Cross Cheaping, and which said Streets, called Broad Gate and Cross Cheeping, are in the direct main Line of Road from Warwick to Leicester and other northern Parts of the Kingdom. and also to purchase, take down, and remove certain other Erections and Buildings in the said Parish of Saint Michael, for the Purpose of widening and making more commodious and safe for Passengers certain Streets called Much Park-Street and Earl-Street, in the said Parish of Saint Michael, at or near the Corners thereof; and also to purchase, take down, and remove certain other Erections in the Parish Saint John Baptist, in the said City, for the Purpose of widening and making more commodious and safe for Passengers certain Streets, called Fleet-Street and Spon-Street, in the said Parish of Saint John Baptist, at or near the Corners thereof; which Streets, called Much Park Street, Earl-Street, Fleet-Street, and Spon-Street, are in the direct and main Line of Road from London to Birmingham, Chester, and Liverpool; and to purchase, take down, and remove certain other Erections and Buildings in the said Parish of Saint Michael, for the Purpose of widening and making more commodious and safe for Passengers a certain Street, called Jordan Well, the said Parish of Saint Michael, at or near the End adjoining Much Park Street being the direct Line of Road from the eastern Part of the Kingdom through the said City; and also to purchase, take down, and remove certain other Erections end Buildings in the Parishes of Saint Michael the Holy Trinity, for the Purpose of widening and making more commodious and safe for Passengers certain Lanes, called Pepper Lane and Bayley Lane, partly in the said Parish of Saint Michael and Partly in the said Parish of the Holy Trinity, and leading from and out of a certain . Street called High Street towards and unto Saint Michael's Church, and the Gaol, the County Hall, and in many public Parts of the said City; and to purchase, take down, and remove certain - other Erections and Buildings in the said Parish of Saint Michael, for the Purpose of widening and making more commodious and safe for Passengers a certain other Part of Bayley Lane and a Lane Road , or Passage called the Church Yard Side, at the East End of Saint Michael's Church aforesaid; and also to purchase, take down, and remove certain other Erections and Buildings in the Parish of the Holy Trinity ; aforesaid, for the Purpose if widening and making more commodious and safe for Passengers certain Streets or Places in the said Parish of the Holy Trinity, called the Great Butcher Row and Priory Row, leading to the Church of the Holy Trinity and many public Parts of the said City; and to purchase, take down, and remove a certain Messuage or Tenement in the Parish of Saint Michael aforesaid, fur the Purpose of making the Turn out of Saint John's-Street into Little Park-Street, in the said City, more commodious and safe for Passengers. And Notice is hereby given that Provision is intended to he made in such Bill or Bills for defraying the Expenses of obtaining and executing an Act or Acts of Parliament for the Purposes before mentioned, by a Toll upon all Horses, Cattle, and Carriages passing through, and out of the said City of Coventry. Dated this ninth Day of September, one Thousand eight Hundred and eleven,
INGE and CARTER, WOODCOCK and TWIST, Solicitors.
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Helen F
Warrington |
36 of 41
Thu 22nd Jun 2023 12:36pm
Some of the plans came to fruition swiftly but others weren't done for almost a century.
1) Build Hertford Street. Was there by at least 1820.
2) Demolish the ancient block at the south west end of Broadgate to create the large area we see in early photos. Was done on or soon after 1820.
3) Remove the buildings between the Bull Ring and Cross Cheaping (Meal Hall) to widen the road. I think that this had been done by 1850.
4) Remove the Corn Exchange on Cross Cheaping (unknown location but might be the corner of Ironmongers Row).
5) Widen west side corner of Much Park Street and Earl Street. Done by 1837.
6) Remove the southern corner of Fleet Street and Spon Street opposite St John's. Demolition in progress in 1823, complete and rebuilt by 1837.
7) Widen east side of Much Park Street and Jordan Well. Not obvious that they widened this side but the buildings most of the way from the Dun Cow to well into Much Park Street were replaced by 1850.
8) Widen Bayley Lane from the High Street to the County Hall. Not sure if they did this, although some buildings were demolished and rebuilt.
9) Remove buildings at the east end of St Michaels to create a route to Priory Street. Done some time between 1860 (Wingrave photo) and 1888.
10) Widen Priory Row at the west end from Butcher Row. While one of the buildings was still there in 1819, it had gone by 1837. The other building, on the corner with Butcher Row, wasn't demolished until the rest of Butcher Row was removed to build Trinity Street.
11) Remove Coventry's first hospital on the north corner of Little Park Street and St John's Street. Not done until after 1888 and before 1906.
Other corners of roads were widened too, explaining why there are so few images of them. |
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Annewiggy
Tamworth |
37 of 41
Thu 22nd Jun 2023 8:54pm
You may also find this interesting Helen. I have recently been looking at the turnpike roads in my area. The main route from London to Holyhead was the Watling Street A5 which was mostly turnpike roads under different authorities, but it was decided to take Telford's A5 Road through Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton. |
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Helen F
Warrington |
38 of 41
Fri 23rd Jun 2023 8:08am
Thanks Anne. In the Roman era, Coventry and Birmingham were nothing. Tamworth was significant for a long time but by the point coaching became king, Birmingham in particular was a major destination. One thing I noticed on the 1837 map is that where Spon End now meets the railway, there used to be a road heading north marked 'Old Road to Birmingham'. It's still there but only leads to the allotments. It's not obvious where it went on the old maps but at some point it would have turned west towards Allesley. |
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PeterB
Mount Nod |
39 of 41
Fri 23rd Jun 2023 11:06pm
Looking at the 1888-1913 maps on the National Library Scotland website the "Old Birmingham Road" lead to a footpath which ran fairly directly to Church Walk in Allesley.
The route looks like roughly the existing footpath to the back of Morrisons, then north west to cross Holyhead Road at Four Pounds Avenue/Moseley Avenue, Batsford Road then avoiding the top of the hill to join Forfield Road/Newington Close. |
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Annewiggy
Tamworth |
40 of 41
Sat 24th Jun 2023 6:36pm
The footpath from Spon End would be the Chain Gardens which did go past the allotments. It was probably only called that after the factory was built. I would imagine that the Holyhead Road would have been part of Telford's turnpike road. I would not think it would have been called that prior to that. We need to find a map before it was built ! I would think the road to Birmingham would then have gone through Allesley and Meriden. |
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Helen F
Warrington |
41 of 41
Sat 24th Jun 2023 6:45pm
Yes Anne, the Holyhead road was the new road but if the 1837 map is correct then the Allesley Old Road was also 'new'. The old, old road may have made more sense when it was being used. Maybe it was less boggy? |
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