Pool Meadow and Fairfax Street (new and old)

Hi all. This certainly looks like the building, photo from 'Britain from above' 1950. Link info below. EAW030282 ENGLAND (1950) The city centre, Coventry, 1950 It's in the right orientation and that recessed flat roof is clear. Looking on google maps with satellite view, measurements can be taken from the fire station - 250m - and 70m from Ford street. So, was it there in 1950? If it was an electricity house, then maybe the cost of re-routing and connecting whatever it supplies is too dear to consider.

As it was behind the baths - pump room maybe? Or would it be too small for that? Actually looking at the photo is there a factory between the two? I love a good mystery

The only reason for it still being there is because it contained or contains something too difficult to remove for just a couple of parking bays. Electricity is the most likely option but it may have had a fuel tank underneath to supply a pump/heating system with an access hatch in the building. The 'window' bays are just decoration I think to make it look a little less industrial and probably never held glass. With the whole area being rebuilt it makes sense that the innards have been stripped out. Whole cables/supplies may have been rerouted just to do the excavation and demolition.

Just another theory! In 1939 a decontamination plant for washing contaminated clothes was discussed (it doesn't say if it was built) at the Priory Street baths. It was to be a large shed, open on all sides. Could the recessed area have been open? It could also account for the shape of the roof to hold water. Contaminated clothes would be collected at various points and brought in containers to the plant and put in to tanks. After treatment they were to go to the laundry at the baths.

Anne, this photo is a wall with recessed panels, they were never windows and like Helen said are decoration only and look better than a plain wall.

It's not like NormK not to demolish them, either!

Right, another theory ! This is the waterworks on Wall Hill Road in Brownshill Green. The small building on the right is similar to the building we are looking at. If you look on Google maps the roof on this and some of the other buildings are flat and recessed like the mystery building, so is it something to do with water ?

This one, on the right? Yes, it looks very similar from what you can see

Yes that's the one, forgot the link, senior moment.

I drove past the carpark this morning, and - I can't be 100% certain - I think it's gone Most of the carpark has had the tarmac lifted and is fenced off

Confirmation yesterday that the building HAS been demolished (The car park is actually "Cox Street" but I think we'll leave the conversations as they are in "Fairfax Street")

mcsporran. Ah! but does the new Pool Meadow come up to scratch with old? The last-second dash for the last bus home, the last last lingering kiss, the last farewells, the 'tiffs' that had you in tears and wondering what you had said or done wrong. The Fire Brigade held their open days on Pool Meadow, all the machines parked there, the T.L being the pride and joy, crowds of people, kids everywhere, demonstrations, competitions between the red and blue teams, stand pipe races, boys turning every wheel or touching every switch they were asked not to, the ice cream van, the man with the contraption of musical instruments playing them all, The Salvation Army Band, the guy with boards saying 'the last day's approacheth', the bits of lollipops melting on the seats, the bell being rang constantly, the spearmint gum placed on the machines that took a devil of a time to clean. Coaches to the races, coaches to the seaside, a constant stream of people entering and leaving . . .

Ah! I remember the old Pool Meadow vividly Kaga, even the steamed up cafe. Nothing will ever give off the same atmosphere as that one. Thanks for the memories.

Yes, it does come up to scratch with the old - just depends on which you were brought up with. I've similar memories as yours, but they're associated with the new Pool Meadow due to my age. Doesn't make the old one better than the new, or vice versa. The new one I think the architectural detail (classical columns etc) is pretty naff but the layout to allow a lot of buses etc to park up is pretty good. A lot of what is wrong with it relates to it's surroundings, most notably the hotel. As I've said before, I'd close Pool Meadow, move the whole bus/coach station into the Friargate development to make an integrated transport interchange and run a loop hop-on/off service into and around the city centre. Apart from for deliveries etc you could have an almost traffic free city centre inside the ring road because it's such a small area to cover.