Holy Trinity Church and Bell Tower

But those old churches hold the key to our history, They shaped the way we lived through centuries, our rules, our punishments. You won't find Joe Bloggs buried in those churches, or pews, you had to have money or land to give them for that. But they were made to stand up or kneel in chairs, and pews for the public only came in, I believe, in the seventeenth century. But that's a long story.

Your host provides. Though court 3 is on the other leg of New Buildings, next to where the mill pool was originally (later the cattle market). So Court 3 is this view Follow the fence in from the left to the gable end of a building, that's the east side of court 3. You can see the end of the court and the gable end of the west side of court 3.

As for the clock on Holy Trinity, I confess that I hadn't noticed it before. Well spotted Kaga.

Helen When I saw that picture, I thought brilliant, just as I had thought of old Coventry, but when I saw the clock, just didn't fit. Doubts crept in, was there a clock sometime? Not as history had taught me. Now I'm thinking, one thing wrong, how many more? The picture soured, could I trust this artist? So Helen, what do you know of the clock, and what do you make of the artist? Look forward to your brilliant knowledge of old Coventry.

Here's the proof about the clock - an actual photograph from the 1860s....

Are you talking about the picture of Holy Trinity or the Grammar School (clock installed May 1691)? I don't know much about any of the clocks or the sundials that dotted the city but there were quite a few eg St John's Church and the Gosford Gate. The churches in particular tended to have clocks, partly because they could be seen from afar, partly because they were used to tell everyone when to attend services. Bells were also rung for much the same reason. Churches did have many of the earliest clocks (see Russian tourist attraction in Salisbury Cathedral) and while initially the bells were rung by hand, later the clocks triggered the chimes. I have other images (including a 1797 coin, see below) showing round features on the sides of Holy Trinity in the same place but in other instances on the spire. The artist was Henry Edridge, ARA, who lived 1768-1821. So essentially, the problem is not that you remember things wrong Kaga but that by your time (at least 100 years later), things had changed. The clocks on the church probably weren't needed after the Market Tower was built.

Brilliant Rob, I had no idea, but when did it disappear, it was long before the blitz surely, have we had any posts before on this clock? Thanks Helen, restored my faith in the artist.

It's not on the picture in my 1896 book

We are referring to it as a clock but in Taunton's History of Coventry he says there was originally three dials for the clock but in 1782 a fourth was added. These dials were placed on the four sides of the tower, just below the battlements: but in the alterations made at the tower, about the year 1830, they were removed and placed above the battlements, at the bottom of the spire. This would explain the difference between the medal and the previous picture.

Thanks Annewiggy, It's not mentioned in my 19th century book, and it's not on that coin. Surely this has to be a big interest in the history of Coventry?

Whilst searching for the clock on the spire, I came across this photo from 1965

It is on the coin, only lower down the tower than on Rob's photo

They are on the coin Kaga, well there are 2 round circles just below the parapet. Probably the most detail you could do on a coin.

The picture below, with accompanying close-up, is by G. R. Webster, drawn in 1887. This would tie in with your date Anne - perhaps the 1887 restoration was when they took the opportunity to remove the clock?

A Coventry newspaper report in 1887 after the inspection of the steeple says that some years ago the clock and dials were removed altogether. According to the churchwardens account the salary of the man whose business it was to look after them ceased in 1865 and the clock was doubtless removed some time afterwards. Interesting the Market Hall clock tower was built in 1860, no need for the church clock!! So I think we can can pin it down now to sometime between 1865 and 1887. Wonder what happened to them?! I took the date of 1860 from an article from google but looking through the newspaper archives it was not in place until 1870. Which a lot of people were not happy about.