City centre shopping precincts

hi dutchman where the camera is pointing is showing down from the Upper Precinct to the left is Market Way to the right is Smithford Way and from looking forward you are pointing, down to the old Lower Precinct where I remember very well it was one of my old stomping grounds

Wasn't the white building immediately beyond the left side of lower precinct a pub? For the life of me can't remember the name of it.

Pix - do you mean this one?

Brilliant MR - thank you! That pub name had been eluding me for many years. I hadn't realised it was quite so old. Looking at the picture it also explains why the doorway spaces were so tall. It is so they would have a large fanlight above the door to let the light into the passageway before we had electricity. In our modern world we tend to forget these little necessities.

Hi Paul , I was actually describing the buildings beyond the Lower Precinct in the far distance.

Appearances can be deceptive, the pub was rebuilt in the 1930s in the mock-Tudor style which was popular at the time.

Dutchman " the pub was rebuilt in the 1930s" And the building it replaced may not have been that old either as the 1750 road went much closer to St John's. I haven't found a decent image of the building, though I have several partial views. It was a very boring, ugly building, one that was ripe for replacement rather than photographing.

This map shows the position of the George IV relative to the lower precinct. Comley's warehouse is behind it in Conduit Yard on the map but to the left of it in the photograph which NeilsYard posted:

A little more is visible in this image thanks to the True Coventarian Facebook page:

Interesting shot of the changing Smithford Street to the new Precinct. This one really shows the line of Smithford Street compared to today, and real perspective given you can see the likes of the old City Arms pub on the corner of West Orchard

Interesting picture NeilsYard, thanks for sharing

Greetings! I'm wondering, can anyone supply a photo, which would be taken standing by the entrance to the little tunnel where the current 'Cosmo' restaurant is, with the photo looking at where Davies Sports and the giant Chess game used to be, please? I'd be VERY grateful

Hello Mjollnir14 and welcome to the forum Click on the image for a bigger, clearer version:

Dutchman, you never cease to amaze.

Dutchman , I notice the Locarno/Tiffany's had already become the Library in the photo. What year was it taken ?