Bell Green

Looking at the various dates available at old-maps.co.uk, it seems that the western side of the triangle was merely a path in 1889, then in 1906 it is marked as a recreation ground, though there must have been quite a slope if it was used for playing games. The pathway is then back by 1960 and sometime thereafter it becomes a roadway, both the other sides then being marked as Old Church Rd.

Almost opposite our house was the top end of that footpath. It went down a slope and joined Bell Green Rd near the police box. There was a rowan tree on the right of the path.it can be seen on the second McNamara photograph. I don't ever remember it being used as a recreation ground, as you say there was quite a slope on the path but to the left of it, on Bell Green Rd was a retaining wall that made the left side quite level but it was strewn with brickwork. This wall can be seen on the McNamara link.On the point of the triangle and part of Old Church Rd was the remains of a wall but no more than two or three bricks high. I don't know if it was part of a building that once stood there or just a wall to enclose that triangle of land.

I am wondering if anyone had any old photos of Old Church Road near Kundert and Co as I need to find out what my house once was, as it is quite old

Hi, the only photos I know of Old Church Road are on Britain From Above, based on the Courtaulds works - if you register you can zoom in. Most of the photos are based on factories so it's worth searching through all the Coventry collection for neighbouring areas. Courtaulds in Coventry, Little Heath

The pushbike racing on that track was very popular as I remember, it drew crowds of people and D Di did a roaring trade. The kids participating were as keen as mustard, dressed themselves up like real speedway stars and put everything into it. That's about all I can remember. Were there any prizes or was it just for the glory? How long did it go for before it fizzled out, did other places have races and were any photos taken?

Would anyone care to take a stab at identifying this location?

Heathite I'm sure you're thinking it's Stoke Heath, or that great field that Kerbstone called it. I can only think it being just below Roses Garage, but at the time of those type of houses I thought there was a ditch and part hedgerow along the field.

Hello Kaga and thank you for your input. I was actually thinking it was the area opposite the piece of land that Kerbstone refers to. There's not much left of the earlier buildings.

My own fancy is for Henley Road looking from the area of the present Riley Square down towards the present Purcell Road. I'm only going by the general shape of the road. It could be the other side of the junction however, looking down towards Windmill Road. Lovely old photo, thanks for posting. By the way I'm reminded by the image of the child that in the 19th century and possibly earlier it was very common in Warwickshire, because of economic necessity, for children to wear the hand-me-downs of older children regardless of gender. Often boys would wear their older sisters' dresses without comment from other people.

Walrus, Yes I thought of Henley Road, but that would mean the bend would be Deedmore Road, but there was a road opposite or just before Deedmore on the right - it's the house facing the photographer that's throwing me. Wasn't there a little brook ran across the road there? It's certainly not the other side, Hall Green to Windmill Lane. It's a cracking photo of houses I once knew, but just can't place

Henley Mill Lane, Kaga?

There used to be a row of old cottages almost opposite to what is now the junction with Purcell Road. My parents always referred to them as miners cottages and I can remember one of them having a canary in a cage in the window. I believe they were demolished in the early 1960's

I lived in Purcell Road from 1955 and I`m sure they were not there then.

Yes Midland Red, correct. And Walter Willmot used to travel from there all the way to the corner of Lentons Lane to go to our little school. Yes they would have been built for miners and the brook had something to do with the old mill. There's no building in the background so it could be halfway down Henley Road looking towards Ansty and left of the Co-op building on Woodway Lane. And there's no real pavement - that fits to me as well. Behind the photographer would be Easts Garage that stood back from the road and a very wide grass area. Those first two cottages, the stairs would be along the wall from the doorway, the settee would be under the window, the fireplaces would be back-to-back in the centre, and there would be net curtains at the windows, How we doing, Heathite?

Hi all, I'm not convinced Kaga. I've compared the layout of the houses from the photo with maps. Maps from the turn of the 20th century to about 1950. There aren't enough houses (in a group) down Henley Mill Lane. The photo claims to be circa 1908, and the houses on Henley Road are a more likely candidate. But even there, there aren't enough houses, this is just past Henley Mill Lane on the North side of Henley Road. Also the lay of the land doesn't seem to fit, it is too flat to qualify for Henley Road. The best clues are the lie of the land and that green. We need more input.