Coventry's lost subways

There are several pictures in the newspapers of the construction of the subway but they are not very clear so not worth posting. Thinking about the one on the Holy Trinity side it was at the end of the shops, which were probably still the prefabs, I think it was a ramp not steps but I may be wrong. It was not far from the 16 bus stop so under the road and start shopping, or in the evening waiting by Burtons's!!

Yes, Anne, it was at the end of the temporary shops, and was a slope. The nearest bus stop was no.9 to Earlsdon, then 16, 17 and 2 (outside Lyons)!

Annewiggy, hello and good morning, Anne, on post 208, I assume the newspaper cutting was from the Coventry evening paper, 1950s. It said several middens were found - wonder what they had in mind? Midden was waste rubbish, like fish bones, old small feathers and the like, that you threw away.

The article was 15th April 1950, Kaga. A midden to my mind is a cesspit but I thought the old hole in the ground was called a midden.

This is my model of the subway ramp at the Holy Trinity end of the row of temporary shops, built from memory as I'd not found a reasonable image. The other end had a ramp alongside Owens as well as steps up to Broadgate and also a direct entrance to Owens lower ground floor.

Thanks Mcsporran, yes, it all comes back now, that is just as I remember it.

Annewiggy, good morning, As there is no date, there were no tunnels before 1960, except the service tunnel that carried the cables, pipes etc from the Precinct to the church side, as far as I am aware.

The subway was definitely opened by 1954. A comment in September 1954 "A Warwickshire Man's Diary" says that a notice should be put up because people were not using the subway and still trying to cross the road. A spokesman from the corporation said that they had considered it but people would be more aware of it when the Owen Owen block opens. Owen Owen opened on 1st October 1954. The pedestrian crossing went out of use on 1st July 1954 when new regulations came into use.

mcsporran did you get any further with this digital mapping?