Spon Street

This is the building on the corner of Conduit Yard. It is the only image contemporary with the gate that shows it. All the others show it being open on the left of the gate, which makes me wonder now if the area was demolished prior to the gate's demise. Dr Troughton also drew the area but I think he was interpreting another picture, possible even this one.

Hi all, I don't know if this link will work, it may show the area being discussed, is it post war? apologies if that's an obvious question. View Map online

Yes Heathite, the area on the left, opposite the church is the bit I'm wondering about. The photo shows the building of Corporation Street, in 1931 which looks a lot like bomb damage The buildings opposite the church are relatively new by this point.

Hi, I took another look at the link and the photo is from 1941, they are German reconnaisance images I think.

1941 was possibly when they acquired it. It must be an earlier photo because by 1937 there was a big white building on Well Street that's missing from the linked photo. Alternatively Britain from Above have it wrong.

You have probably looked at this Helen but this is an interpretation of a c1750 map , move it around to find Fleet Street. This map was in the collection of Coventry stuff so I don't know who compiled it. It just says "Coventry circa 1750, and with major features in late medieval times. 1750 map Just found a reference in The Coventry Standard 1856 that says Spon Gate was taken down in 1771, the same year that the cross was wholly taken down.

Thanks Anne, that's the map that tells me the corner was shaved off. Obviously the map maker didn't have any more information than I've seen so far. Where able, the blocks have been divided up using later maps but that area was modified just too early. I'm not going to get a picture of that area I don't think, but I might be able to work out how many front doors there were or if there were businesses. It's a very long shot and I think I might have to bite the bullet and start reading records.

I was in Watch Close on Sunday a.m. as my youngest was at a 'Studio 21' (!) Laserquest party. I had never really noticed the rear of these buldings on Spon Street visible from Watch Close. Anyone know anything about their former usage?

Three images of the same area.

Thanks Heathite. So the stretch was still there after the gate was demolished in 1807 but had gone by at least 1850.

The long building on the right I think was Marston's watch factory. The one to the left of it was a bakery and the one to the left of that could either have been part of the same bakery or else a tripe factory.

I must remember that one Helen.

Hallo I know that Spon Street has old buildings in it which were moved there, but what happened to the ones that were there anyway. My relatives were at 16 Spon Street, The Board Vaults. Is the building still there/what happened to it?

The Board Vaults was next door and to the right of the Recruiting Sargent, and was in the spot in the picture below. However this is from another part of Spon Street and I'm assuming that the original didn't survive the war. It was a bit smaller than the two on either side but I'm not sure it was this small. The buildings tended to get smaller towards Spon End.