Kings Head Hotel, Broadgate

As a hobby I'm putting together the history of Coventry in a computer model - I'm currently working on the Kings Head Hotel and hope you might be able to help with a mystery. You have probably seen or heard of the Kings Head Hotel of 1879 that stood in the corner of Broadgate with Peeping Tom at the top. When (this version of 1879) opened, it has some stunning stained glass in the ground floor bar. It soon became known as the Church on the Spree. Unfortunately, the stained glass was short lived. The ground floor was turned (for the most part) into shops and the majority of the glass removed by about 1909 (ish). With some trawling through the newspaper archives I've come across the flowing description and history of where the glass went - but where did it end up?? Saturday 20th December 1879. The Kings Head Luncheon Bar, Coventry - The Kings Head luncheon bar which was opened for business on Saturday, is without doubt the most gorgeous room of its kind in the city, its chief feature being the stained glass windows with which it is lighted. The first window on the west side of the room comprises a representation of Lady Godiva with the apt quotation from Tennyson "Then she rode forth; clothed on with chastity". The second window is illustration of the scene in which Earl Leofric grants the charter of freedom to the city. The fanlight of the door which opens into Smithford Street bears a delineation of the city arms, the west panel represents St George and the Dragon, and the east panel Edward the Black Prince. The first window in Smithford Street shows Edward III granting the Charter of Corporation to the city in 1344. The second window illustrates the scene of the trial by combat of Gosford Green between the Dukes of Hereford and Norfolk of 1397. The third window represents the arrest of Prince Henry of Monmouth, by Horny, Mayor of Coventry in 1411 and is one of the most effective windows of the series. The fanlight of the central door contains the sword and mace and three ostrich feathers arranged in their original form as worn by King of Bohemia. The door panels contain portraits of Henry VI and Queen Margaret, benefactors of Coventry, the portrait of the Queen is taken from the tapestry in St Mary's Hall. The first window in Hertford Street represents the knighting of Robert Onley, Mayor of Coventry, by Henry VII after the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. The second window portrays Sir William Dugdale summoning the city to surrender at New Gate, Much Park Street in 1642. Each window bears the head of one of the kings connected with the story below and the unoccupied spaces are quarried with foliated emblems associated with the separate subjects and in the small room adjoining the grill bar is a window representing Prince Henry, afterwards Henry V and his companion. Below is the appropriate quotation from Shakespeare: "Get thee before to Coventry: fill me a bottle of sack". The fittings of the bar were supplied by Mr Samuel Mason of Birmingham who also fitted up the Queens Hotel. Most of the glass was removed by 1909. 12th June 1914 - Dye Works, Meadow and Trafalgar Street, Coventry: Edgar Whittindale is instructed by Messrs. T Hawley and Co. (having sold the Freehold) To Sell by Auction on Thursday, June 18th 1914. The Contents of the Dye Works, Four Hydro Extractors, Two Centrifugal Steam Pumps, 31/2 h.p. Vertical Steam Engine 2

Thanks for that, CR - it sounds a bit of a long shot but let's hope some information can be discovered about the stained glass

That would be wonderful! I never knew the inside of the King's Head was so very unusual and interesting. What a loss to Coventry!

CR wrote: "The ground floor was turned (for the most part) into shops and the majority of the glass removed by about 1909 (ish)." I feel sure I've seen a photo or post card of King's Head with Dunn's the hatters as a ground floor shop left of the entrance. Just found it.

To me this is another old building that points to our grandparents fully loving the legend of Lady Godiva, and expressing it vividly, and why I, like everyone who lived through those years, had been profoundly influenced by them.

That's a nice picture of the King's Head, Prof

That's a great image, haven't seen that one before. I've put together a rough model of the internal layout of the Kings Head based on the 1880s plans. It seems the Victorian structure saved the older internal wall along Hertford Street - the fireplaces, thickness and alignment are completely different to the rest of the structure. I've also come across a plan of the internal restructuring of the hotel in the 1930's - out with the smoking lounge, in with the cocktail bars! When I get around to it I'll put a film together of the model / history

Very cool. Just a question, how did you do the land slopes?

The topography took a lot of work to get sorted. You can download topography from Google Earth, and there are various other height maps - the trouble is the more detailed you get the more issues arise when comparing historical land surfaces to modern. For example in Coventry the ring road is a significant difference from the original land surface. If the resolution is less than 10m then the ring road gets 'smoothed out', any more you end up with a steep canyon. There was a lot of earth movement when Broadgate square was built in the 1950's but on the whole I don't think it altered the topography more than 1-2 metres on the whole. Unless a height map is made from the old topographic maps, I doubt any 'imported' topographic map will be completely accurate.

Helen F, I have no idea what you people are talking about, way above my head, But to me and what I heard, and can well believe, The Kings Head, The White Lion, The Royal Opera House, were all places of beauty that were pleasing to the eye, you only had to stand outside to feel the warmth, the gaiety, the opulence and cheerfulness that oozed from them, even if you lived in a slum area, this was part of the city's great charm. If that was not what you needed then you only had to walk across Broadgate and into the churchyard and feel the peace, quiet and solitude of the great church all within a few yards of each other, in a time when people responded more to their feelings than today.

Another pic.

Helen F. Thank you, that explains things a little better, I couldn't really understand, lack of education I suppose. Derrick Arthur. Another nice shot, I would think early thirties? Such richness, such depth. It is extraordinary how the name of a place or a photograph will recall to one from years ago the vision of it.