Spon Street

In a continuation of hard to place buildings on Spon Street, the following buildings are at Spon End and took me a while to work out. They're located opposite these cottages. The row of images are on the south side of the road and start at Court No 1 on the left and the rail bridge on the right.

Not quite Helen. The buildings in the third picture were on the north side, west of the arches. The picture was taken in 1927 as they were being demolished to make way for the Plaza cinema.

They are similar but I wasn't aware that the north side had a line of trees. Also There is this picture Which seems to look towards the Post Office on the end of the Butts? There are other pictures that show the lamp post on the left side of the arch looking towards Coventry.

You could be right Helen. I was previously of the opinion that the building extreme-left - set back from the street - was Ivy Cottage on the north side (as also were a couple of local authors) but I have never been able to square that theory with detailed town plans.

Hi Dutchman, I think this is the view in the opposite direction. The view through the left arch could be looking towards Coventry but the map shows curving buildings west of the bridge and a square end to the south east. The building on the right should be the smithy. They're similar views and very hard to interpret. Since the Pictures of Coventry's search function is out of action, I just downloaded every picture and discovered a few I'd never seen before (not just Spon Street). Without any picture description I wasn't tied to any preconceived ideas. Plus I really don't know most of the areas I'm looking at, so placing every photo has to be based on clues in the pictures and guessing. Without being able to blow up small sections of photos it would be impossible to do this. nb the medieval building on the left of the first composite picture I originally tried to place at the junction with Crow Lane. Needless to say it wouldn't fit the maps.

Having walked through Chain Gardens from the Holyhead Road on a number of occasions to the Plazer cinema I wondered when it was finally demolished. I am sure you know Dutchman.

I don't know if this will help or confuse Helen but I will just throw it into the mix. This must be looking towards the bridge from the City, I am looking at the long shadows so they must be coming from the SW so the buildings on the right must be on the North of the street. It is dated 1952.

A very good image Anne and almost identical in view point to this painting by Herbert Cox. Interesting to see the trees grow and the transport change. I suspect that some of the trees that line that street now are the same ones in these images, though most of them have gone. Spon End

You are quite right Anne, I used to get off the bus just before the arches and cut through an entry along side the Broomfield into what was then called Broomfield Place and there were some trees growing there then ( 60- 61 ) There was a large open space at the back of the Broomfield which we can assume was once a 'court'. All grassy when I lived there.

1973, it followed a refusal by the council to allow the former cinema to be reopened as a nightclub.

I love the painting Helen, funny seeing sheep amble down the street instead of buses, and I am positive they could be the same few trees left from that era.

Does anyone know of pictures of the houses in Crow Lane. My mother gave it as her address when she married at St John's Church in 1922.

I have these of Nos10-11 and Nos12-13 respectively. The wall to the left of the chip shop hid where the river passes under Crow Bridge. No13 is on the corner of Trafalgar Street and shares that street's distinctive building style. These were the only houses remaining after the Rudge Works was built.