Coventry Pubs

If you leave a building derelict long enough the planning dept will always roll-over in the end. There is now nothing* left of the Much Park Street I remember from my childhood except for the stone gateway. That is another part of my personal history and my identity which has been lost forever. *Strictly speaking the 'Admiral Lord Rodney' was a part of Much Park Street before the Ring Road was built but even that is now unrecognisable from the outside.

Coventry City Council have destroyed more of my city than the Nazis ever did!!

And it started before WW2, when historic locations such as Butcher Row were demolished to make way for the new Trinity and Corporation Streets.

They are trying hard to make us lose our heritage, history and sense of identity as it is not "PC" nowadays! They want everyone to be the same "Common Purpose"! Well, NOT ME!

That's (another) absolute tragedy. Been some years since I last drank in there I admit but still. I remember my dad recalling this was one of his locals and the landlady used to look after them all well (will get her name - this was in the 50's/60's). Very upsetting.

Please, please, someone must remember the Navigation Inn on the Stoney Stanton Road, although now demolished, but my father was the licencee during the early 60's. Happy days.

Re the Navi. I was born in Bridge Row in 1931. The cottages are now demolished. Would you remember a shop just round the corner, 'Henry's'??

Sorry, No, cannot recall 'Henrys' but Bill Toseland (my father) built a little landing stage at the back of the Navigation, strictly for fishing in the canal. Also arranged the harvest festival on the back lawn. That would have been around 1962/3

I parked in Whitefriars car park last week (£4 for 2 hours!!!!) and walked through the Gate and past the site. Just tragic. Whoever gave the go-ahead for that Severn Trent building wants locking up. It's monstrous.

Does anyone know why they demolished The Smithfield? Took my lads to the Transport Museum a few weeks ago which brought memories back about drinking in there. There's merely a piece of grass there now. I know it was not as old as it appeared to be.

Not specifically but the council has a history of clearing large areas of land when there is not yet any viable plan for a new development on the same site. In fact when walking though any familiar street in Coventry I always take a long hard look at the buildings in the knowledge that they'll soon be gone forever.

Hi all. Does anyone remember The Fobwatch Tavern (later known as The Butts Retreat)? I was only a child then (so my memory is not that brilliant) but the main reason I am asking is to try to track down an old family friend who I believe once was running The Fobwatch with his wife (during the early 90's) - I believe his name was Roy Smith? Does anyone have any memories of this pub or its former landlords/ladies? Any help would be very much appreciated. Many thanks in advance. Marie

I live within sight of the pub (which is still open by the way) but haven't used it since the 1980s. It's always been the "Summerland" to me, that being the name of the pub for most of its history:

I had my very first pint in this pub! I was 15 at the time but looked older! It was a pint of M&B and it cost 1/11d (which is just under 10p to you youngsters!)

Can anyone remember the Malt Shovel pub in the Butts? I was there in the early sixties. The pub had changed little in centuries. I remember it was half timbered and inside there was an inglenook and large fireplace. I returned in the seventies and of course the brewery "taliban" had ripped the heart out of it. I think I was there in 1963. Dave