Coventry Pubs

Hi Jim, I do know you, I've sent you a message through the contact system and my email address which I hope has gone to your email as I think we've gone off topic and don't want to upset the owners of the website, all is explained in the message, we'll continue our chat on email if that's ok. Apologies to Historic Coventry if we've gone off topic Mods note: Interesting posts from the two of you, which started off on "Local Hauliers" thread so have been moved to here as a more suitable home - and thanks for recognising that you have a lot more personal discussion to undertake off-forum

The Grange - today

Hi Midland Red thanks for the photo`s although rather upsetting to see the place like this it still brings back happy memories. In photo 1 the tree in the foreground was paid for by my father in law Pete Gilbert the landlord at the time as the old tree was in a dangerous state, he did this when the pub was renovated in the mid 70s. ps did you take the photographs today?

Yes, this afternoon

Hi all I never ever thought as a child growing up in Wyken, that I would witness the closure of pubs, anywhere, leave alone substantial & large pubs like the Grange.

Hi Philip Many of those still open are "eateries", as we experienced last Friday with a fellow forum member - The Styvechale Arms now being The Styvechale Harvester

Hi all yes I agree there`s not many real pubs left with old school landlords that's why people used to go to pubs for the banter with the landlord

Am I correct in thinking that at one time all of the M&B pubs in Coventry had their own bowling green?

Hi Mick that's very interesting I know the Walsgrave had one may still be there and the Rose and Crown further down the road and pubs like the Wallace, Pilot and Devonshire Arms all have large car parks at the rear which could have been bowling greens. Oh dear I`ll have to start visiting all these old M&B pubs to find out if its true about the bowling greens!!! Anyone want to help me

Hi Philip, I know what you mean about pubs closing. Years ago it just didn't happen. In actual fact when I was a youngster attending Ravensdale School, I remember a pub being built on a piece of waste ground that me and my pals used to play on, namely The Painted Lady on Longfellow Road. I guess this must have been around 1965/66.

Certainly the Walsgrave still has bowling - the up and over sort (crown green)

Hi MR I remember the green at the Rose and Crown, as a child my dad used to take me there to watch the bowling, I looked to the pop and crisps

There used to be a Bowling Green at the rear of the Maudslay on the Allesley Old Road. I'm sure that was an M&B Pub too. I don't think there was one at the 'Bowling Green' pub in Spon Street though! (Maybe Dutchman will know)

Nice one Wearethemods, just thought of two more, The Bulls Head, Binley Road, and The Holyhead, all of similar design, small parking area to front, very large area to rear. I would have thought that there were not many cars around in the days these pubs were built. I think The Grange had a green many years ago, it had a massive garden which had a toilet block and covered seating area, but that was an Ansells pub

There was a bowling green some distance behind the original pub of that name. It became separated from the pub when the latter was rebuilt in 1959 and is now just a lawn on the corner of Windsor Street and Wellington Gardens. I always thought rebuilding the pub was a mistake and its eventual closure suggests I was right.