St Nicholas Church, Radford Road

I've just replaced the links in post 2 with downloads of the two images

Hello! I'm so glad I found this forum, it's been so informative and helpful, as I'm trying to find information about my family history. My Grandparents, who sadly died before I was born, were married in St Nicholas Church, Radford, in 1939, the year before it was destroyed in the Blitz. Does anyone know where I can get a copy of the original church photograph? I'm getting a book together for my mum as a surprise (luckily she isn't on the internet so won't see this post, hehe) so any information would be much appreciated!

Hello & welcome to our Coventry History Forum Winnie. I hope that someone will come up with info for you. We hope that you enjoy your membership with us. Best wishes Philip

Thank you Philip!

I was at the doctor's opposite St. Nicholas Church in January and had to take this photograph of the willow tree in the churchyard:

That is one beautiful tree Richard, I can imagine how it looks in summer. Thank you for sending it in.

Hi Richard Haddon & welcome to our forum We hope that you enjoy your time with us, as well as the warmth of a welcome from Dreamtime. It's good hey! Your first response has travelled half way around the globe. Best wishes from us all, ps. Also for you, Winnie, Don't give up hope regards a response. I have just had info on a thread from an enquiry from over a year ago. Keep your eyes on, or with anything else that you see.

Just come across this site showing an interesting picture of a painting which is in the Herbert of St Nicholas Church Radford, also Nauls Mill and Coventry Baths. Link

If you enter the graveyard past the modern (but now derelict church) and walk to the far end, in to the corner to the left, you end up at the other side of the now blocked off gate from the Radford Road (where the previous photo on this thread shows the bricked up gate with the hinges still intact). Turning around as if you've just entered through that gate off the Radford Road (if it were still possible) then you can see the natural lay of the path that runs up to the right towards where the original Church stood. Brambles surrounding a modern building now pretty much occupy the spot. Interestingly we did some family research recently in to some of our ancestors from the Riley motor company. Towards the city centre the course of the Radford road has changed to accomodate the ringroad. If you were waiting at the traffic lights where Sandy Lane comes out (looking down to the Ringroad) you can see the original route higher to the left. A good way to see this is to skip from modern to 1945 history view on Google Earth. One of the original Riley factories was near to that location and our distant ancestor lived in a house that was originally on the Radford road but which is now part of St Columba's Close. St Columba's close is the original Radford road route that joined with St Nicholas Street. We have been to the house and chatted with the current occupants about the history of the property. Directly over the road is where another of our ancestors lived (again connected with the Riley motor company). He owned a property which has since been replaced by the large tower block that dominates the area. The original outer walls of the area still exist however and have very ornate stonework which is really interesting to view. I'll take photos and post them on here if I get a chance. We know our ancestors of that time went to Holy Trinity Church and that St Nicholas Church was used for burials for Holy Trinity. I guess thats why the post blitz book by the vicar describes St Nicholas as being their daughter church. Having worked on the family history in depth it gives you a great sense of life back then in the area pre-ringroad. From the location of there properties they would walk up to Holy Trinity. They could walk the opposite way to St Nicholas. Some of there children went to Bablake School (or Doctor Whites as they called it). They were close enough to the motor works. Everything about their lives at this point was based in this area. And just to get back to topic, if you walk from the bricked-up Radford road gate inside the graveyard of St Nicholas you can see the gravestone up to the right (on the main path to where the original church was) of one of our Riley ancestors and pioneers of the fledgling cycle and motor industry in the city.

Here is a picture of my brothers christening in 1954. You can see a corner of the church hall which was used as a church until the new one was built.

Recalling recently the plates being stolen from the memorial at Radford Road and Radford said they hadn't got a copy of whose names were on the plates, I came across this which most all but one is readable, if you click on each little photo below. LINK

Great call morgana As I recall it was reported that the information was received almost immediately after it being requested

Thanks Midland Red so pleased someone gave them the names.

I have been talking to someone about the Radford war memorial outside St Nicholas Church. They are saying there are no plaques in it at the moment. I know the memorial was rededicated after the attempt to steal them in 2013 and they were removed. Does anyone know if the new plaques were put on or are they still work in progress or have they been stolen recently?

There are some plaques on it now, not sure what they are made of. Hopefully they stay on the memorial this time.