High Street

In the 60's I went to the comp school which was up a few floors and at the back of Halifax chambers, which would have been the old frontage one. I can just about remember walking through eerie empty corridors and rooms to get there. Looking out of the window at the back we could see the kitchens of the Craven Arms as the Bear was then. I recall (I am going back a long long way) lots of old buildings and roofs between the two places, we used to talk to the junior chefs in our break time and when we told them it was one of the girl's birthday in a few days (one of them was trying to chat her up) they made her a birthday cake and brought it across the roof. So at that time the rear of the buildings were still quite old.

Hello, This looks a bit uhy,

Had some great nights watching bands in the 'Rose' in the 80s.

Another picture of The Craven Arms - laterly The Bear has turned up -

What a classic looking place that was. It really wasn't replaced by anything that we'd be wanting to put on here in future years.... Google Street View.

Agreed Rob - why did it actually go anyway............. Fire?

I've just done a bit more newspaper digging, and have now added this to The Bear's pub webpage.... On the 18th July 1977 the Coventry Evening Telegraph published a list of the current planning consent requests, which included: "MITCHELLS and Butlers Ltd., of Camp Hill Brewery, Birmingham, have applied to demolish The Bear Inn in High Street, Coventry, and erect offices suitable for building society, banking or insurance company purposes." Coventry City Council actually opposed this request initially, attempting to persuade the brewery to retain the pub, but in the end commercial pressures won the day, and in mid-November 1980 the Bear's demolition was begun, in readiness for the new "ultra modern" Barclays Bank premises.