Spon End

Another of the Arches (Jay Williams)

That must be the corner of Melbourne Road. My grandad lived there and mum used to take us down the Chain Gardens from Radford every week to clean for him.

Old and new.

In 1908, in preparation for selecting 3 runners to represent Great Britain for the 1908 London Olympics, a series of six Trial Races over long distances were held in different parts of the country. One such race started from these arches in Spon End in what is now regarded as 'England's first marathon race' in Roger Gynn's book, 'The Guinness Book of Marathons'. It gained this title because it was the longest of all the trial races (at about 23 miles) and the nearest in distance to that of the London Olympic Marathon which was set at 26 miles 385 yards; this length was accepted in 1922 by the International Amateur Athletics Federation as the standard distance for all future Marathon Distance Races. Before this decision was made by the sport's ruling body, any long (and not so long) distance race could be called a 'marathon'. The Coventry 'Marathon', started at the arches, ran up the Allesley Road, through Allesley village to Meriden then to Stonebridge and towards Small Heath, and hence on to the finish at the West Bromwich Football Ground where Birmingham's Birchfield Harriers were holding a sports meeting. It may be worth noting that Coventry Godiva Harriers have provided more Olympic marathon runners than any other club in the country!!

2010

Under the Arch

Experts - The Bygone Spon End FB page are looking to identify where these were - they think they were under the Arches but I am not so sure? Can anyone confirm? 1936'ish?

I've variously seen it described as Spon arches, Little Palace Yard and the Palace Yard. There's another picture that hangs about with it, which I'll try to find. I'll be honest, I can't place them. I am beginning to run out of places they could be but I won't rule out Coventry just yet.

It doesn't look like any part of LPY that I can recall.

Has anyone seen any images of Court No.7 which was behind The Black Horse pub? Dutchman mentioned it some time ago in this thread.

I've had another good look at Spon Street and Spon End with a view to placing this picture. According to its label at Mirrorpix, it's a Coventry Telegraph photo from about 1936, which is quite late for novel historic photos. Usually an interesting building would have been pictured more than once by then. Stone buildings aren't that common in Coventry and tend to be either very old and/or religious (eg a chapel). Spon Street was always quite poor and the archway looks like it belongs to something upmarket, even if it's fallen on hard times. So it's out of keeping with the area. There were buildings where the rail bridges were built but they were long gone by the time the photo was taken, which leaves us with something near the arches instead. I've got no direct view of the courtyard number 7 but I don't think it had an archway by the time the photo was taken. Every archway I've looked at was wooden, with the exception of the chapel at Spon End or the Leper Hospital and I don't think it belongs to those either. So until more information arises I don't think that it's part of Spon Street.

Not having much luck about your picture Neil but I did come across this row of cottages I had not seen before. 1939

Nice picture Anne. I think it's the remains of the Cock Court, where they built the chapel. Behind, give or take another row of buildings was the Broomfield Tavern.

Helen, that would account for the open space at the back of the Broom (1961). The Broom's top floor at that time (3rd floor) was blocked off and our living quarters, all on the second floor, contained the bathroom with an overly large, wide window looking more like a top shop window with the small panes. We never did get to see what the top floor contained and actually I thought it rather eerie at the time. Might have been just the attic but there were stairs there which were blocked off.