Spicerstoke (inc Trinity Lane)

Brilliant, Helen

Agree - Anyone know why the name Spicerstoke kinda disappeared, Priory Row, Ironmonger Row, etc has always been around but I have never heard the name Spicerstoke until this forum, can't remember it being mentioned by anyone or in any of the bombing reports.

I'm not sure if anyone on here runs the oldcoventry.wordpress site but there some terrific images on here. Some of which I have not seen before of the Spicerstoke area which are superb!

Time to reveal. I am the author of that blog! I didn't go around plugging it because it wasn't about competing with this great site. (Glad you like it )

Excellent Osmiroid, thank you and so clear too. You are right it isn't about competing, it's bringing all this wonderful information and pictures together for all of us from all of you members that spend your time in finding them so thank you once again.

Neils yard, A big thank you from me for revealing this item. Osmiroid. Brilliant, you cannot imagine the pleasure it gives to people who no longer live in the city, to see these photo's, please keep them coming. One of them gave me a clearer view of the layout of the area, I had no idea it was called the 'Vaults' with eyes about three feet from the ground. But from those shots, yes, I do remember, quiet exciting for me. Thank you. Should we ever meet, drinks on me. Kaga.

Kaga excellent! You will always have one-up on most of us though, having seen it in real life

Midland Red, this made me go back to your photo's of old Broadgate, like a jigsaw in my mind, trying to picture it back in the day, quiet amused when I saw McDonalds on one shop, be hard pressed now to find a rope and twine shop and such, you notice how people just wandered around on the street. Hard for me to believe now, that I would run off and wander round the churchyard and the lanes, and meet up with Mother under the clock half-hour later or whatever. Sorry if I bore you but my thanks to you as well MR.

Nothing to apologise for at all, Kaga - as Osmiroid says, you have one (bigone) up on us

In the late thirties as far as I can remember, the entrance from the pavement of Broadgate was known as the churchyard, I never heard it called Spicerstoke or anything else. Remember once father was asked by a neighbour to take a jacket or something to the police station, this was a big impression on me, he said we can cut through the churchyard, why I remember, from there we went to Highfield Road, plus the cop shop frightened me.

It's also referred to as "Trinity Churchyard" in the entry for Butcher Row in Spennel's Directory for 1912-13:

Spicerstoke at the junction with Derby Lane in 1930. Another of my favourite old 'spots!' The young chap would have been looking towards Holy Trinity - the photographer be in St Michaels Avenue I think (I presume it was classed as running down to Derby Lane?) - Trinity Lane to the right - with Butcher Row in the back of the photo Old Cov was a film set!

You struck gold there Neil! Through the gap, the back of the Royal Vaults pub at the top of Butcher Row.

Would he be here then?

Yes spot on Heathite. Is that the Board of Health Map? If so where can you get copies of that?