Longford (inc. The Red Hills)

A few notes from my Sephton file. Francis Sephton is the stocky bearded man with his hands together in the centre of the photograph. His son Walter who took over The Boat in 1901 is the large man on the extreme left with the hammer on his shoulder. Jim Sephton, moved into the Bedworth area in the early 1800s and with his three sons, William, Andrew and Francis, set up a thriving boat building business at Sutton Stop. They were based at 'The Dockyard' where the Oxford and Coventry Canals meet at Hawkesbury Junction. Not content with boat building, Jim Sephton built 'The Boat' public house in Blackhorse Lane around the middle of the 1800s. Francis Sephton was the first to keep the pub. Crumbling documents, yellowing with age, in his own handwriting, trace his connection back to 1857, but apparently he was there even before that date. The census of 1881 records 57 years old Francis Sephton as a boat builder and publican living with his wife Elizabeth, age 56 who is listed as handicapped, blind. They have five daughters and one son living with them. One of the daughters, Caroline is living with her farmer husband George Barber. There is no pub name recorded on the census and the road name was given as Green Lane an early name for Blackhorse Road. Francis Sephton was at the pub until he died in 1892. The pub stayed in the Sephton family and was managed for them by a Walter Jackson until 1901. As well as serving the boat trade the pub's customers included miners from the Victoria, Exhall and Hawkesbury Colleries. As well as boat building, the pub trade was obviously in the Sephton blood. In addition to building and owning 'The Boat', the 1881 census shows John Sephton, wife Hannah and their two daughters at The Bird in Hand, Aldermans Green, and Francis and Hannah Sephton at The New Inn, Longford. Another of Jim Sephton's sons, William was recorded at The Greyhound, Hawksbury (Sutton Stop). 1901 saw the Boat move back into direct control by the Sefton family. Walter Sephton who was the fourth child of William and Faith and had been born at The Greyhound, took over with his wife Harriet. Harriet's maiden name was Beasley, the family who had taken over The Greyhound from the Sephtons. Walter and Harriet were at the Boat for over fifty years until 1954. My wife is related to Mary Beasley who kept the Greyhound for many years.

When we moved to Hawkesbury, in the late 60`s, there was a Ron Sephton and his wife running the (now defunct) Elephant and Castle at Tusses Bridge on the Aldermans Green Road. I wonder whether he was descended from the same family?

Hi Farndon I remember Wal Marlow very we he used to deliver coal to us up until the late 60s early 70s he had his coal yard in lady lane if you enter the lane at the side of the Saracens head pub turn left opposite the church gates the coalyard was abut 30 yards down on the left hand side. The Marlows were a well known family in Longford.

I have just discovered this fantastic forum - so my apologies for joining the discussion on Longford so late. Oh what memories this has rekindled! I grew up at 61 St Thomas Rd. (the end house by the park) and my grandparents lived next door. I left Coventry in 1972 and Britain in 1976, but did come back briefly in 1978 to get married at St. Laurence's (Old Church) Foleshill. I can remember the park being created. They levelled the Foleshill side of the river first to make the school playing fields. I assume the land had been a rubbish tip because there were thousands of glass bottles. I recall we children putting bottles on the tracks of the bulldozer and watching them being smashed at the front. The Longford side of the river came later. Does anybody recall the timing? There were rumours of plans for "rowing boats on the Sowe" but these plans came to an end when they rerouted the river and found the high voltage power grid cables running through the park. They had to build a concrete "dam" under the new footbridge to protect them. Does anybody remember this? It was still there the last time I walked through the park about 15 years ago, even though the river had been rerouted again. I used to walk through the park to Foxford school and back every day from 1956 to 1962. The Capitol Skating Rink visit was a must on a Saturday morning. And all the pub names bring back some memories, even if some memories are a little hazy. My grandparents had been bargees on the canal and I used to listen in awe to many of their stories. We walked many times round Hawkesbury Junction and Sutton Stop. My grandfather was also quite an artist and used to decorate the longboats with rose motifs. I recall them mentioning the name Sephton many times. My grandfather later worked at the gas works. I am sure more recollections will surface as I try to probe the depths of my mind. I will also try to find some photos, but unfortunately many of my old slides were eaten by fungus due to the high humidity when we lived in Japan.

Hi & good morning Longford Lad. Welcome to our "Historic Coventry Forum". Thank you for your opening compliments We trust that you will enjoy your time here. Best wishes

Welcome Longford Lad , When I lived in Longford in the seventies Longford side of the park was already there along with the little footbridge, when I moved back here around 1998 it was roughly around that time the river through the park was rerouted. I recall tennis courts in the park in the middle seventies. Do you recall a time capsule being buried at Foxford School as a friend of mine who buried it with a lad at the time, she had to return and dig it up along with the man who helped her bury it, when they started to build houses on the playing fields of Foxford school. There are still families from the canal boats who live in Longford, Beechams, McDonalds, also Granthams. Here is a bit more history of the building of the Coventry Canal. Coventry Canal Fact File link

Morgana, I think the Longford side of the river was first made into a park in the 50's. I think it has been re-landscaped a few times since then. I normally have a good memory for putting events in the right time frame, but this is a while ago and as Dylan Thomas said, "I can never remember whether it snowed for six days and six nights when I was twelve or whether it snowed for twelve days and twelve nights when I was six." I am afraid I also have no recollection of a time capsule. I left Foxford in 1962 and regrettably have had virtually no contact since then. I plan to be in Coventry for a few days in October, and definitely plan to walk through the park and up Grange Road, past Foxford, to Hawkesbury Junction. I am sure I am in for a few surprises. Many thanks for the Coventry Canal Links.

Thank you for that info Longford Lad hope you have an enjoyable stroll through Longford Park to Foxford and Hawkesbury Junction when you visit in October.

Does any one know the year Longford skating rink closed please? I found this today in the obituary column, Les Allen who ran the Longford skating rink and was former Midland Area Boxing Champion of the 1950s. I recall him standing outside the rink when I first moved up here, flat cap, cardigan, lovely chap to talk to.

Was talking to my mum today and she told me that Salem Baptist church is going to be sold, I'm not a religious person but I have many fond memories there from when I was a kid and it was the place my mum got married to my stepdad. It's a shame because it's a part of Longford's history.

LINK I have been told by locals they can't move the graves, mmm!!! Also the laundry factory over the footbridge side of the canal is going to be knocked down and flats built there too, Marlow's old house listed grade 2, Lady Lane, is being knocked down too and flats being built there.

Wow who thought anything in Longford would be worth half a million. I guess you can't stop progress and a changing world. The thing is they keep building new houses and flats that nobody can afford. It says in the write up on Rightmove that the graveyard will remain. You never cease to amaze me with your knowledge, Phillip

Sorry Morgana, I had just been reading something else that Phillip had written. I have lived in Longford for over 20 yrs and it does seem to be getting very crowded, was a quiet area when I moved round here. The bedroom tax is a ridiculous idea, but it seems to me that government love to take from the poor to give to the rich.

Yes I agree, SkyBlueRocker, when I first came in the 70s to Grange Road there was no estate by the new Grangehurst School, as my children went to old Grangehurst, just fields, no estate by Black Horse Road, no Chingford, there were no flats along the canal down the Ricoh nor down by "the dog", Greyhound, Sutton Stop, no estate on Lady Lane between me and Salem, used to be an entry to the Red Hills, there were just units of work down the lane, prior to that there was a row of houses down the croft which got knocked down, seems now more homes, no work around here now.