Trafalgar foundry

I wonder if anyone remembers a factory called Trafalgar foundry, I cannot remember the road it was located in but I think it was at the end of Crow Lane? My mother and I worked there for while, the firm made saucepan handles using aluminium from scrap items etc. From what I remember at the Spon End end of Crow Lane was a batch shop or cake shop, very popular. Also next to the cake shop was scrap car dealer, the owner's name was Len Davies. Love to see any photos of Crow Lane or the factory, running round in my head is the word "Reliance foundry" not sure if Reliance was anything to do with Trafalgar? I have a picture of my Mum at work, it's like going back in time, the machinery was driven by an overhead drive shaft. I also remember drilling segment conductors for use on the Blackpool trams. Good times. Colin

It was in the middle of Trafalgar Street opposite the junction with Meadow Street. There's a map showing it clearly in this thread: Spon End

Thanks for that Dutchman, I hope this subject kicks off. I remember walking along Trafalgar Street on my way to work. Again many thanks. Colin

Hi Radford kid. I worked for the company that demolished Trafalgar Foundry, I do not remember much about it after all this time except we had a fatality on this job, one of the lads was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I thought there was a pub opposite the factory? but according to the old map I cannot see it, the pub was the Trafalgar Arms and at the time it was run by Ken and Betty.

The pub is marked "PH" a few doors to the left of the foundry: Spon End

Hi all. Re foundry in Trafalgar Street. Photo shows Coventry Radiator factory, and foundry in the distance. The area between foundry and Cov Rad was waste land, and a lane that led up to Spon Street. Trafalgar Arms was just across the road from the Cov Radiator factory, and down a bit. Photo taken in about 1961.

My dad used to work at Coventry Radiator in the chromium plating shop as a charge hand. It was an awful job and the acid used to eat holes in his clothes and then produce boils on his skin. He was made redundant when they moved to Canley. He found a job as a storeman at Wickmans and CovRad contacted him six weeks later to ask him to go back because they had realised that they needed his experience. He told them where to go!

This is taken from a 1963 town planning map:

Thanks for that dutchman, do you know what the WORKS were opposite the PH?

Cov-Rad. The site is now occupied by a low rise block of flats called "Trafalgar House".

Hello Marina, thanks for the photo and the info, have say I think you may have the location wrong, the frontage in the foreground looks like the foundry, I remember the loading bay doors, when open it led through to the reclamation area and the doors to the machine shop. Once into the passage two floor doors could be opened from the above room to enable items to be loaded onto a lorry. The main office was to the left of the loading bay, as you can see in the photo, waste land to the right of the building. I remember looking out of the window overlooking this area. The other clue was the position of the pub (Trafalgar Arms) this was along from the foundry and if I am correct opposite was the Coventry Radiator. It would be nice if anyone could confirm that so we both know the correct location. I hope you did not mind me questioning your version? I hope to hear from you again . Many thanks. Also is anyone interested in a map of Coventry's public houses dated 1884, shows them all only problem is its very big and would not scale very easy so if anyone knows how to do it then contact me. Thanks all for the response. Colin

This Ordnance Survey map from 1951 would appear to be pretty conclusive.

Hello Radford Kid and Dutchman. The photo and info I posted earlier were correct. House numbers 37 to 49 Trafalgar Street, were opposite the Coventry Radiator. Next to 49 was a jetty, and then The Trafalgar Arms. Mr and Mrs Hopkins were tenants of the Trafalgar Arms when I was a child. I can't recall who came later. Beside No.37 Trafalgar St was a small area of waste land. My family and I lived in No.43 for many years which was opposite the Cov Rad. Hope that helps. Update to this post:: I have since learned that waste land beside No.37 was fenced off, and used for scrap metal storage. Metals would then be melted into ingots in the foundry furnaces across the road (as in photo - just up from Cov Rad). Machining and castings were done in the other part of the Trafalgar Foundry, which was just up from the scrap metal yard. There were offices here also and the name Trafalgar Foundry was on this side of the road.

Hello again Marina, I have some pie for you, it's called humble pie. Sorry about the confusion, having looked again and again and again I totally agree with you. It's been such a long time ago things get distorted. See if I have this right now? As I look at your photo, on the left is Cov Rad then waste land then the foundry on the corner of Meadow Lane, I had forgotten that foundry, this is where I got it wrong in my head. The foundry I was referring to was the one on the same side as the Trafalgar Arms as per my description, that's why I could not work out where the waste land was. If you remember there was waste at the side of the main office of Trafalgar. It's all clear now and sorry for the confusion. It's so nice that you knew a bit about that area. And by the way I also had the lane wrong it was Meadow Lane and not Crow Lane. I hope I get something right. I hope someone will dig out a photo of the old foundry, that would be good. I remember watching them melt down the aluminium in the furnace (what a job that was), the ingots were not only sold but also were used in the making of saucepan handles. My mother was a fettler (she filed off the burrs), this process was done in the main factory across the road. Upstairs other aluminium products were made, I used to machine parts for the lorry industry. Not a nice job, the working conditions were very bad, dust, rats etc. For fun some of the lads used to catch mice, paint them then let them go (see how many times we caught the same mouse). I think the man called Happy lived near Trafalgar works, but not too sure. Anyway Marina thanks for putting me right and I hope we can share some more memories. Colin.

Hi Radford Kid, No harm at all. Remembering back so many years is hard enough especially without any photos. Hopefully a photo will turn up. I don't recall Happy living near the works, but I will try to find out more info, if I can. I thought there may have been a photo of the foundry on CovPics, but no. However, re Crow Lane, there is a photo of the old fish and chip shop, which used to make the best fish and chips ever, including battered cod and scallops!!!