Wyken Slough

Yes, that would probably be the Rose in June. I remember it as a long low building with exposed beams in the gables. Large country garden at the rear with hollyhocks, foxgloves and the usual half wild flowers. Several fruit trees and soft fruit.. With an act of breathtaking vandalism it was knocked down along with Hall Green Manor. The various councils of this city have much to answer for. I have a feeling that it was demolished long before 1998. The web site where I lifted the above information from has many errors. Norman

Ah! Yes, those were the two shops that I mentioned in an earlier post but looks that they had become one. Next to the shop was the Sowe, first house was Pedleys, short way up was newsagent then Green the cobbler who worked from a garden shed. I returned to Coventry mid 2000s, went for trip around Bell Green, Henley Green etc and was not impressed. Norman

Above the cobbler was Swains the Milkman, outside those shops was where I held up the Mayor of Coventry, but they look modern brick, and not so curved as I thought, certainly been big changes since my day.

They used to have a little Fair there, sometimes we would go to it, the Croft down Hurst Road across the potato fields to Aldermans Green Road then along a little bit to the Slough. I can well remember cross country running from Foxford School when the Slough overflowed it was up to at least our knees and we still had finish the couse wet through if you slipped

Hi everybody, I tried posting this photo a few weeks back and got in a right mess, nothing would work for me so I left it till now. Norman on post 104 talked about Skinners, the smell and the path to Deedmore Road. The name Skinners rings a small bell but cannot remember it being in general use and I can't remember any smell, maybe I was immune to it or something. The picture shows the bridge that went over the Sowe on that path although the Sowe wasn't a general term either, we as kids knew it as the Miller's Brook and from the history of the place I now know why. At the top of the path at Deedmore Road was a thatched cottage, I remember doing an essay at junior school at Courthouse Green on how the cottage was out of place with all the new development around it. The photo was taken about 1960 when the Sowe was flooded. Cheers.

Thank you for the pictures Kerbstone. Not only was there a water wheel and mill at Mill Race Lane there was another close by. Henley Mill at the end of Henley Mill Lane off Henley Road. Last year after taking my granddaughter to Henley College I went down the lane to see, if after 70 years there had been any changes. Of course there had. The wheel had gone as had most of the wheel house but the millers house was still there. Norman

Thanks for that Norman, I didn't realise that there was another mill down Henley Rd, as kids we didn't get around that area much, the Slough, Clod Banks and the area that became Wood End was more our stomping ground. One of the places we visited was the mill that was across the Alderman's Green Rd from the south end of the Slough, we usually accessed it from Windmill Rd by walking along the Sowe. Here is a photo of the sluice gate of the mill taken around 1960. One day we figured a way of opening that gate and drained all the water out from the other side, the mill race would that be? and this exposed all the mud and rubbish that had been thrown into the river over the years, what a mess, and quite a stretch of the river was affected. We tried the same trick at a later date but the gate had been securely locked. Getting back to Skinners, when was the yard closed down? Cheers

Thank you kerbstone for picture and comments. I remember that mill pool well as we occasionally swam in there. I only went in because my mates did, I couldn't show myself as chicken. Skinners closed when I was a child but the footpath continued to be used up to the building of the Wood End estate. Thinking back I think it was a poor exchange, Wood End for Skinners Yard. Just where did you live Kerbstone? I lived in the second cottage in Old Church Rd on right hand side. I think its a florist shop now. Norman

When we moved to Aldermans Green (47 years ago), our next door neighbour worked part time at the flour mill where Sandpiper Road now is. I was coming home one day many years ago and spotted smoke coming from the site and went to have a look. The council, yet again, had allowed a piece of history to be pulled down and burned and on the bonfire were the original beams from one of the main mill buildings. The only thing that remains is the large mill house which now lurks in a corner of the small housing estate.

Thank you Greg I often wondered what it was prior to housing, as when that housing estate was first built my daughter lived at no 4.

Morgana, Greg, asI explained on post 134 I visited the mill twice a week or more for over three years, can't remember the millers name. The house stood on one side the road the mill was on the right hand side from A G Rd every xmas my boss (Farmer) gave the miller a turkey, it was wartime so it was a kind of blackmarket. The mill was built of more solid beams than the house, so are we sure what is left standing. Down to the mill it was just an hedgerow on that side, on the left hand side starting from the top was a big milk bottling plant. Dead opposite was the stile that led down to the little bridge, over the slough. Next to the stile was a hardware shop. But there was a gap, about five houses wide between the shop and the next house, must be filled in now? Even then the mill was struggling, horses being replaced by lorries. Cattle replaced by arable land.

The only hardware shop I can recall was on A.G.Rd, and was called (Dobbs?) and Peggs, Now a hairdressers I believe the mill was run by Mr Faulconbridge.

Here's a recent view from above, courtesy of bing.

Thanks for view from above and image of the mill. That is the mill run by Faulconbridge as I remember it, all little boxes now. To the right of the picture was where the Faulconbridge family lived. The footpath to the Slough started where Eburne Rd now starts, the ironmongers was on left. I see that the footbridge over the Slough is still there but modernised somewhat. I am amazed that our town planners have not yet demolished the 18th century bridge over the Sowe in Hall Green Rd. I hope that our planners don't read this or they will be at the bridge with a JCB on Monday. Norman.