Derby Lane, Pepper Lane and the Cathedral Quarter

I heard there was an archaelogical dig in the 1990s, or something??? Any info on this? I've never felt like going in there for years so if it happened I would have easily missed it.

Hi Osmiroid Does any of this ring any bells? Time Team

Hello Philip, thanks, I wasn't aware of a watchmakers episode, I have a Coventry Astral pocket watch so I wish I'd seen it. I can vaguely remember one about the original cathedral, I think.

I certainly remember excavations when the old prefab shops were removed, they were on the Broadgate clock side, about where Waterstones was. It was cordoned off for a while. I think it was too early for Time Team though and would have been pre-90s before Cathedral Lanes was built. Mid-80s perhaps?

I don't know, but I've read an article in 19th century magazine that talks about a Roman pavement on Broadgate and refers to Foleshill Road as a Roman Road! They also found some stone walls at some point in the past.

Roman Broadgate - Publicum forum Domina Godiva

rofl Osmiroid. You'll have us believing that Godiva was a dominatrix soon.

Apologies if the owner is here but there are some fantastic images of Derby Lane (amongst others!!) here

Osmiroid, if you type excavation or derby into the library pictures, you'll find pictures of a dig. I'm not sure where they are bar the one where the man is pointing to an archway to a cellar. start at comment 6 for explanation

Thanks Helen, interesting to see

Fascinating, it's quite hard to picture this as it's changed so much. I always thought it was a shame that the route from the Cathedral Quarter down Bayley Lane and Pepper Lane takes you past service areas. Cathedral Lanes is a bit inside out!

Those lanes were truly a place of wonder. To me the birth of Coventry. It was like another world within the confines of those ancient houses. I felt like a furtive intruder. The quiet whispering of the past. Those narrow lanes was, as it had been for centuries, except that nature had crept in. Tumbling into ruin the exposed split beams and rafters, the chimneys, without the presence of smoke to soften them I doubt if the temperature inside had ever got into double figures, I imagined oak panel long, a sword hung over a huge open fireplace, an old bible laying open on the table. The nooks and crannies, such was my nature. Those quiet narrow lanes provided sanctuary from a world I didn't quite fit in.

A good view here postwar showing the line west along Pepper Lane towards Smithford Street. You can see the old City Hotel building to the right ahead. Post copied from topic St Michael's Baptist Church on 12th Dec 2022 10:28 am

Apologies if we have had this one before, from the Coventry official handbook dated about 1937, Pepper Lane, the front of the bank can just be seen at the end

Super photo Annewiggy. What we have lost!!!