Lost Coventry views (photos and pictures wanted)

As some of you know I've been looking for an old image of Silver Street for some time because of a family connection. Seems this is one street that has no old views of. Thought it might be an idea to list the areas/streets which seem to have been 'lost in time' and that we have no views of and are looking for. 1. Silver Street

Great idea for a topic Neil, like it. One famous old street that I've rarely seen any views of is West Orchard... anyone got any? The entrance between Smithford & Fleet Street is often seen, but none of the actual road itself.

Did you get the second drawing I sent you? It was by Sydney Bunney. I didn't post it on the site because it's from the recent book Impressions of a Graceful City.

I would love to see photos or images of the Paradise area, I had a lot of relatives who lived there 100 years or so ago. My grandad's family lived in Old Yard but later moved to Webster Street. All photos they had were lost when their house was bombed in the war. Luckily no one was killed

Apologies Helen - yes I meant to pass on thanks - really interesting to see. I'm just amazed though that there's seemingly no photos around. I'll start a list, Rob then get on the hunt! 1. Silver Street 2. West Orchard 3. Paradise

Hi Neil Just dived into my box of Coventry goodies again and came across these. I think they are someone's copy of Troughton Sketches but will give you some idea of West Orchard. The picture also says it is West Orchard Alms Houses

Thanks, Anne! That'll please Rob

Wow - very pleased indeed - thank you! The photograph is especially interesting, as I've seen very few taken in West Orchard ever - only a close-up of the Congregational Chapel there. The sketches are great too, but don't quite look like Troughton's sort of drawing. Neither of them are in the Mary Dormer Harris' 1906 Troughton sketches book (unless I haven't looked carefully enough), and the lines make them look a bit different. Still lovely to see such rare views though. You're very lucky having such a wonderful "box of Coventry goodies" though.... many of us will be envious!

I have just picked up a copy of Troughton's Sketches with 49 plates in it, more than the 34 mentioned in the archive. Also, there are no sketches of West Orchard that look like those in this thread. I had assumed that the pictures in the archive and those published in the book were the same, but now I wonder if they are perhaps a different collection. Incidentally, there is one rather poignant line in the book: "Coventry, had it been better preserved and early repaired, would surely have borne the look of an English Nuremberg".

Pallmall, there are 34 folders, not sketches.. Yes, what an interesting city Coventry would have been if even half of it had been kept, and they can't blame the war for all the destruction.

Another plea for Swan Street, as one of my grandfathers and his family were shown living there on the 1911 census. I should also like to see images of Vicar Lane, especially the non-conformist church where several of my ancestors were baptized .

I have 'Coventry Past and Passing' which also has the Troughton drawings of old Coventry. How I endorse the quotation that had more been saved and restored we would have had in Coventry an English Nuremburg.

Ok I've now got an amazing number of images of Coventry's medieval buildings but I reckon there might be a few more gems out there. A lot of factories were built post 1850 and maybe, just maybe, someone photographed the areas before they demolished the buildings. While I'm missing just a few buildings in other areas they were probably modified in the Georgian era and unless there are sketches, they will remain unknown. The list below are those bits where there are some photos already but there might be a treasure trove out there that ticks all the boxes. Parts of the mid to north end of Cox Street. I've got bits of both sides but some images are very poor. The south side of Cow Lane from halfway to the corner of Little Park Street and then round until you get to Banner House. This whole area became a factory. On the same side of Little Park Street but further south, there are about three houses south of Bridgeman's including a ladies' seminary that are unknown. These might have been demolished too early for photography but were still there in 1850. The buildings on the north side of Earl Street, where they built the Council House. I have clues as to what they looked like including some sketches at the back but maybe there are some photos too, especially of the ones on the corner of St Mary Street. The east half of St John's Lane, particularly the south side. The final area that I feel certain must have been better recorded was the south end of Much Park Street. I've got bits of this area but not much early from the south side before Short Street and the school were built.

Several posts have been made about Swan Street, so it now has its own thread.