Hostels and Guildhouses

Hi, I was born in 1949, same year as photo taken. My Birth Certificate says "J6 Charter Hostel" Not sure which block that would be on photo shown. Can anyone help with this?

Hi Murrjam, Welcome to the forum. The Charter Hostel is shown on the 1948-53 OS Map, but unfortunately without building numbers. It might be worth trying Coventry Archives at the Herbert when they re-open.

Hi everyone, I am doing a bit of research on the Belgrave Road Hostel. I understand that the Wyken Community Centre is what is left of the main complex and having grown up on the estate that the the rest of the complex occupied has fascinated me for years. Growing up it was the pace to go skating and dancing and my mum even worked there for a while as a cleaner. It was only as an adult did I learn what the Community Centre was. I would love it if anyone has any stories or memories of the Wyken Community Centre more presently or when it was still a hostel that they would like to share. It is still very much in use today for skating, dancing and Blood Donations by the National Blood Service. I'm also interested in the human aspect what was it like to live there what were accommodation blocks like? Who lived there? Where were they from? Where did they work? I know that there was another Hostel further down Clifford Bridge Road closer to the hospital and the same side of the road. I have access to the maps and can see that right up till the 1930's there was nothing on the sight except fields. I love history especially local history and it would be a shame if the history of these buildings and the people who lived in them were lost.

Hi OurLot, welcome to the forum I hope that someone can help you. It might take a while, so it's always good to pop back every now and then.

When were the hostels in Chase Ave, Willenhall, built?

Some time between 1938 and 1948? I think it was Chace, which might help search for more info. Link to Old Maps

Searching on Google, it was commissioned in 1942 by the Ministry of Supply to house war workers

Hello Choirboy, I have a slightly earlier (?) edition of the Wakelin - see scan, it's priced at 4d and I reckon it's just pre-war as it includes Drinkwater Arcade and Vicar lane, Smithford Street (both destroyed in November 1940 Blitz). It lists Bodmin Road but not Westmoreland Road. On the map Bodmin Road exists but is not named and Westmorland Road is yet to be built. In the unnamed Bodmin Road is named Caludon House, presumably demolished to make way for the present housing. I estimate the map to be dated c 1947/1948, there are a lot of adverts for smal shops and businesses, one mentioning television so clearly not pre-war. Do you have a particular interest in the Westmorland Road/Bodmin Road area? Post copied from topic Books on Coventry on 23rd Jun 2024 10:49 am

Thank you Rocksolid, I lived in Wyken for my first 18 years but my parents had moved to Coventry in 1937. I remember dad always kept the Wakelin's in the inside pocket of his sports jacket. I recall my first (and only!) brush with the law was accompanying my brother of 7 years older to the 'Guildhouse' that later became the site of Westmoreland Road to 'borrow' some used bricks from the buildings being demolished. Having loaded them on a home-made trolley we were stopped by a policeman in Belgrave Road and ordered to take them back. There must have been previous successful raids because the bricks were placed as a hard standing in front of our garden shed, where for all I know they still remain. The hill towards Clifford Bridge Road was a thrilling place to stress the speed capability of the trolley. I think I was about 4 years old but dating the Wakelin's edition and the demolition of buildings (I think they were called "Stoke Guildhouse?") would allow me to fix the event more accurately. The communal hall became the "Wyken Community Centre" and was not demolished. I suspect my dad's edition must be early 1950's. CB

It depends what you mean by 'available. When you have an inexhaustible supply of people needing accommodation, there will never be a surplus. For others, there will never be places that can cope with their level of self destruction, without removing every freedom they have.

I had a small two-wheel bike my Dad taught to ride in Ambler Grove. Once when I was about eight I rode down Binley Hill and up along Hipswell Highway. When I reached Stoke Guildhouse the chain came off. I was at that age in tears. A kindly man saw my predicament took me to his home and put all to rights I pedalled happily to Walsgrave road and completed the curcuit home. I'd been gone a long time so questions were asked by my parents. I only understood much later why this was..

I did not know the purpose of the Stoke Hill Guildhouse. I had assumed it was for war-time workers brought in to keep the factories running and was now being demolished as redundant in the 1950's. My brother remembers some Italian POWs building the Hipswell Highway, perhaps that is where they were interred. (An unfortunate choice of phrase, I don't mean their bones are the foundations to Hipswell Highway. ) Correction: 'interned' (My dyslexia is showing!)

The "Guild House" that's now Wyken community centre was the Belgrave Road Hostel. I had a map with its layout with the accommodation blocks on. If I find it I will share it with the group. I live on the Westmorland Road/Keswick Walk estate & the properties were finished around 1961. The estate was award winning. You can see footage from a news reel at the time, which is on MACE - https://www.macearchive.org/films/midlands-news-06091963-council-housing-estate-wins-award. It's an amazing resource.