Little Park Street

Similar to Cliff's earlier photo -

I think this is the same Coventry Machinists building Anne showed us in post #155 (Cheylesmore side)

A picture from yesterday showing the construction of the Salt Lane car park.

I fear for how that's going to look from the other side by Fords Hospital.

Have we had this one before? 84-85 Little Park Street, Ladkins Tobacconists shop, 1941. The entrances to courts 18 and 19 either side.

I think that it's an image from Historic England.

Regarding picture 803 in Rob's pics. It does look like a watercolour Rob. I think that the building on the left is the King's Head Inn and the buildings on the right are the Girl's Reformatory. The bushes and curved walls are part of the park. By the time Sydney Bunney paints the same view after 1906 there are factories in the park and beyond the King's Head Inn. The original inn was replaced with this- Is that a date at the bottom of the painting? I can't read it but I'm guessing that it must be mid 1800s? I don't think that it's as early as a William Henry Brooke picture which was about 1820. Ebay is coming up with some crackers

I've had a better look at the painting courtesy of Rob and there doesn't seem to be a date. Although there looks like there was going to be another figure in the foreground. I've found another picture by H Masters dated 1888, so it's in that ball park but my gut instinct is slightly earlier.

As requested this is a picture of the first Coventry Machinists' Company building on LPS in 1890. It was built on the empty plot of Bridgemans and an additional 3 buildings to the south. It abutted a Ladies Seminary, which you can just see on the left. I know very little about that other than its footprint and what you see. The factory was then joined by a similar 4 storey to the south, removing the seminary and one of Coventry's most interesting timber buildings. It's that new factory building you can see through the Roebuck as it was being demolished. I've only seen images with both buildings in place and had assumed that they were the same building. Both were there by 1906 and it had become the Swift Motor Company. I'd assumed that these buildings were older and it gives me hope that there might be images of the 3 buildings demolished to build the first factory.

Hi, here's a more comprehensive listing of Little Park Street for 1911. I hope it's visible, it is easier to zoom in with a smartphone.

Thanks Heathite. As you can see, there was a big gap between 37 and 53, which is what the factory wiped out.

Ace again both Heathite do you have a later directory to cover Court 20 - Little Palace Yard, circa 40's/50's? Helen, I have to admit I had to google what a Seminary was!

I keep thinking of "Three little maids who, all unwary. Come from a ladies' seminary," from Gilbert and Sullivan every time I read it on the map. Though I'd normally associate 'seminary' with a religious school for boys who were destined for ordination. For accuracy's sake I can't say if the seminary was still there when the etching was made, although I'm sure that the building was roughly the same. There is a 30 years difference between the map and the picture. The house with the Catholic church was not very far away on the other side of the road.

Does this help Neil, 1955 directory, no mention of Old Palace Yard but court 20 of Little Park Street is listed. For 1937 there's no listing for Old Palace Yard, nor in the 1940 Kelly's that I have. That's the good thing about the 1911 directory, all the courts are listed, as far as I've looked at for now. Larger, showing court 20. And . . 1960 Little Park Street

Re-reading the description of the Coventry Machinist's company works in Coventry up to date I am now a little confused as to which way round the building was ! It describes it as thus in 1896 :- " The Cheylesmore Works are situated in the quarter of the City which bears that name, and which has given rise to the title of one of our latest peerages. As will be seen from our illustration (picture I posted in 155) the structure presents an imposing frontage of four storeys to Little Park Street of about 250 feet. The works are seprated into two nearly equal portions by the main gateway, which gives access to the various departments on either side. The offices, which are commodious and well arranged, occupy the centre of the main block, and over the principal entrance are conspicuous the armorial bearings of the Prince of Wales, whose Royal warrant the firm hold. The works have a depth of some hundreds of feet into Little Park Street. When the Company acquired the present works 20 years ago, having removed from their original premises in King Street, the factory only consisted of a two-story building, occupying less than a quarter of the present area. As time and necessities of the growing business required, the works were extended on the other side of the gateway, and about five years ago the elevation was increased by the addition of two other storeys - now constituting a handsome and lofty range of buildings. Further additions in workshops and show rooms have subsequently been made, so that the works are now probably the most complete of the kind to be found in the United Kingdom" It goes on to describe the different buildings inside, there are also some lovely pictures of some of the range of cycles they made including a quadruplet !