River Arthur / Springfield Brook / Endemere Water

When I was little I was always told that the 'River Arthur' ran though the city. Could this be the river? that supplied the mill at the Swanswell, and following that line how many more small rivers [or should that be brooks?] run hidden from view today. The water that supplied Nauls Mill is another one that 'springs' to mind John

I must admit, the River Arthur is one I've never heard about, but there must be dozens of small brooks of that nature under our city, each with a name that would've been given to them in ancient times. The nearest one to that name that I know of is the River Albert, which seems to be an alternative name for the Radford Brook running from Naul's Mill and joining up with the main Sherbourne just past the Burges (corruption of bridges). This word also perhaps gives us a clue to the Coventry folk's accent in medieval times - "bridges" pronounced "burges" - did we really sound like country bumpkins? Maybe this could be another topic! Anyway, does anyone know of any other rivers or brooks lost or culverted beneath our city?

I've read elsewhere that the Swanswell is indeed fed by the 'River Arthur' but the name of the reference escapes me for the present. There was even a silly folk tale that King Arthur's treasure was buried in the mud of the Swanswell but later dredging work totally disproved that theory. There is a stream which ran between Spon Street and the Sherbourne before the council estate was built called the Back Brook. Old maps show it running backwards from where the SkyDome is now and ending in a pool under what is now Windsor Street. I presume that is how the stream got its name? Later maps show it as running continuously from a junction near Windsor Street to a junction further downstream. According to Britsh History Online, the stream which runs under Gosford Street to the east of the Sherbourne is known as the Springfield Brook.

Does anyone know the origin and the name of the brook that appeared at George Eliot Rd, ran down under Eagle St, behind Springfield Rd and Howard St, ending up I think, in Swanswell Park? Could it have been an overflow from the canal? It's culverted now like the Sherbourne.

Thank you Dutchman, mystery solved. We used to play in the brook, by the 5 ways bomb site in the early 50's, on our way home from John Gulson School.

I remember the stream that ran at the side of Coventry & Warwickshire hospital I think that was the Sherbourne and I believe another river runs under or by the Unicorn W M Club hence the Holbrook name.

There is a stream running at the rear of the houses in Springfield road that I was told was the river Arthur. However from what has been stated previously I guess it was the Springfield brook

There are a few references to the River Arthur on this forum. I asked the question in my thread "The Brook?" which passed behind Springfield Road and Howard Street into the Swanswell. Dutchman identified it as the River Arthur. As kids, we used to play in the brook at five ways bomb site and always thought it was the Sherbourne but the Sherbourne has no connection with Swanswell Pool. It's course is well documented on the www.

There is a river that also runs down the Radford Road underground not sure of its name, I think it's under the old Savoy cinema, also there is a spring that runs underground from Corley to Three Spires Avenue allotments, entrance is on the Radford Road, we used to take it home for a cuppa.

In my recent post about Frank Walsh I mentioned Arthur St. Locals then thought that Arthur St was so called because that river ran underneath. Les

This is the alternative name for the Springfield Brook which I presume ran into the Sherbourne in the vicinity of Pool Meadow. Its upstream route was close to the Swanswell and then formed the boundary between the hospital and the properties on the south side of Howard Street. It crossed Harnall Lane at the low point and then went due north between the Foleshill Road properties and those in Eagle Street. It crossed Eagle Street and ran near the old Abbey Tyres in George Eliot Road and then crossed Foleshill Road near Matlock Road. I believe it also formed the boundary of the Kingfield Road houses which backed on to the Courtaulds Cricket Ground and I assume it rose somewhere to the north of there. The lower section was culverted in the mid 1960s. In Howard Street it was quite close to Arthur Street.

According to ancient maps part of Springfield Brook joins the Sherbourne in Cox Street but another section runs parallel to the Sherbourne for some distance before finally merging with it mid way between far Gosford Street and Gulson Road underneath where Calcott Motors/Astley's Warehouse used to be.

My mistake, the section between Cox Street and Gulson Road is apparently called the "Spitalmoor Brook"!

Hi all I have seen rivers, streams & brooks called by different names on OS maps before now. Until coming on this site, I did not know where Tackford was, leave alone the brook. It's good on here.

Hi Dutchman. There used to be a pub called The Spittalmoor in, I think, Lower Ford St. May still be there for all I know. Les