Gibbet Hill

I have some documentation on the Gibbet that stood on Gibbet Hill, I would like to know the exact location. Many thanks Graham

Wikipedia refers to it being "at the crossroads at the apex of the hill" - but I'm sure someone else might be able to be more precise

I understood it to be set back a bit, on the far left hand side of the crossroads, going towards Kenilworth. I've seen a drawing of it somewhere.

The spot where the Gibbet was is past the traffic lights at Stoneleigh Road, carry on towards Kenilworth to the last bungalow on the left, that is where the hangings took place.

Thanks to all, I now know it was on the land of Tocil Farm, but I am unable to find a map of the farm at this time. Regards Graham

I think it it was close to where Wainbody Hall is now. Not on the Gibbet Hill Road side of Kenilworth Road, but just off Stoneleigh Road. Gibbets were normally put at crossroads, very close to the crossroads, so that as many as possible saw the dire warning, I suppose.

It's obvious that there is no circle of trees now, Graham. I don't remember one ever being there in my lifetime. As I said, gibbets were by crossroads, so it should have been where Gibbet Hill Rd, Stoneleigh Rd and Kenilworth Rd meet. I think the question that would clarify it, if it were answered, is whether or not the Kenilworth Road as it is now is on the same line as the original when the gibbet was there. Graham, you mentioned Tocil Farm; Tocil Wood is too far away from the apex of Gibbet Hill for it to be there. Here's what Wikipedia says: The hill itself is named after the crossroads at the apex of the hill (just beyond the campus on the Kenilworth road) on which a scaffold for public hangings called a Gibbet used to stand. Ironically it is now the scene of many car accidents. Incidentally, between 1945 and about 1953 or 4 my father had a business in Cherry Orchard Brickyard, which was near Whitemoor Lane in Kenilworth. PoWs were employed in the brickyard, and my father employed two of them, when they were released, until about 1956 or 7. I take it Cherry Orchard Brickyard is long gone? Cheers Keith

Hi Keith, I am at present doing some deeds on Tocil Farm and this is why I am looking into this subject. When the Gibbet was in use the farmer of Tocil when the Gibbet was not in use, would remove the timber and chain and use them on his farm. Why a chain I do not know but the family records state this. As for the brick yard, I have just written my sixth book on Kenilworth and this has a little on the brickworks but most of it is on Hawkes on the other side of the road from Cherry Orchard, it comes out in May. The info on the Gibbet location is not stated, and I do not have any maps on the deeds for more info. Again thanks for the help and I hope I will crack it Regards Graham

Wikipedia link. I've typed into Google street maps Tocil Wood, and past the island towards the Kenilworth Road coming from the uni, there is a pathway on right hand side at the side is a field with a single tree planted in a small circle, not sure if that's the marking for the spot.

I always understood it was on the Stoneleigh side of the crossroads. Tocil Wood is too far away from the crossroads (much lower ground too - Gibbet Hill is the apex of the hill, which is literally the crossroads.) It's possible that Tocil Farm extended up to beyond the crossroads, so the farmer would quite easily have been the custodian of the chains when they weren't needed. (I wouldn't have fancied them, myself ) Bits that I found (acknowledgements to "Coventry Woodland") 'Coventry was once within the forest of Arden - in 1250 the Constable of Warwickshire was commanded to cut six acres of wood between Coventry and Warwick for the security of foot passengers. The road towards Kenilworth was first recorded in 1313. The road traversed Stivichall estate, and further to the south the Stoneleigh Estate which, in 1153, was granted to Cistercian monks who founded Stoneleigh Abbey. During the dissolution of the monasteries, the Abbey was closed and the estate later passed into ownership of the Leigh family who sold it in part to Coventry City Council in 1926.' And: 'Gibbet Hill at the junction of Kenilworth and Stoneleigh Roads derives its name from an incident in 1765. A farmer and his two friends, returning from Coventry market, were attacked by three armed men and robbed and left senseless - the farmer later managed to reach a house but died there of his injuries. The main clue (a piece of pistol) led to the arrest of two soldiers and a weaver. They were tried, convicted, hung and their corpses suspended in chains on the spot of the murder. Lord Leigh ordered trees to be planted around the site of the gallows. The gibbets were not removed until 1810 and for years afterwards the superstition remained that the chains could be heard rattling, especially during stormy weather.' Given it was so long ago, I doubt anyone could identify the site of the gibbets - note "gibbets" - now with any certainty at all.

That's really interesting - but as we don't know i) where the attack took place and ii) where the house was, we can't begin to find the location I wonder if there are any records held by the family of Lord Leigh which could throw some further light on this

What we really need is an Ordnance Survey map of the area for 1800! Seriously, maybe if we had an early large scale OS map, the site would be marked?

I've been looking at British History Online, at the OS map for the Gibbet Hill area of 1887. It doesn't show the gibbet. However, it shows Tocil Farm (I think - it's not named) between Tocil Wood and the crossroads, but some way from the crossroads, and about 15 - 20 feet below the elevation of the actual crossroads, which is at 330 feet above sea level. There is no evidence of the gibbet at all. The crossroads, however, are shown as having concave corners, so as to form a ring (almost as if there were a traffic island without the island, if you see what I mean). I might be wrong, but that suggests to me that the gibbet was in the centre of the crossroads.

It says on the link it's just past the island coming from the University, towards the Kenilworth Road, on the right opposite Tocil Wood there is a high mound field, just off centre the apex of the hill there is a tree or a couple of trees in the centre with a circle surrounding the tree/trees, it looks odd as there is nothing else on the mound of the hill so I was wondering is that where it is, wish I could give a Google link but it won't allow me, its an aerial view, past the houses on the left coming from the Kenilworth Road way. I recall someone saying there were 3 trees planted there, hence makes me think it's that.

Re the location of the gibbet, according to David McGrory in his book Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in Coventry page 58, it was in the area now covered with trees at the NE corner of the Kenilworth Rd intersection.