Longford (inc. The Red Hills)

On 10 April 2008 the Coventry Telegraph published 'Longford's Industrial Heritage' by John West. He said, 'During the 19th century many local inhabitants were employed as weavers and by the end of the century one of the biggest employers was the Foleshill Brick and Tile Works in Sydnall Road. In 1920 the Longford and Midland Concrete Company opened in Grindle Road and it is said that before the Second World War, most of Coventry was paved by the company. During the war it supplied concrete air raid shelters throughout much of the Midlands'. As far as I know, the Grindle Rd site was in the area now occupied by Amy Close and the other new houses. Imagine walking down Grindle Rd with the old terraced houses to your right and then the concrete works would be over to the left on the ground between Grindle Rd and the Coventry Canal. I am sure I read somewhere that some of the wartime products such as air raid shelters were transported by canal. Hope this helps. Roger

By Dean's 1st picture, no 1 is Salem Baptist Church, which is on Lady Lane, end of Lady Lane brings you to the canal, dead end for traffic, only a footbridge goes over the Canal ; no 5 to Sydnall Road which are the row of houses which if you look leads on to Longford Road ; no 3 which to this day all this is the same as I live right by all this. If you look at Lady Lane no 2 more or less straight with a slight bend to the right is Cement Works with chimneys which would be Woodshires Road as it's known now. As you come off the footbridge at Lady Lane straight, passing on the right Sydnall Road, continue straight towards the cement works you would pass about 6 houses on the left then turn left, would have been Grindle Road just under the number 6 with chimneys above number 6, not sure if that is a quarry to the left of the chimneys which would now be Oban Road area going towards Glenmore Estate

This is to show you all the area of what has been mentioned on cement works, so these should show you without anyone arguing in Deans photo Salem Church on left gates no 2 Lady Lane

Approching the canal with Caravan site to the left as mentioned on topic, canal straight on, footbridge slightly to the right.

Canal footbridge, Sydnall Rd tops of houses which you can see

Sydnall Road older houses, looking on to Londford Road by white bridge.

New Builds on Grindle Road other opposite side.

Continue round a bend Sydnall Road, Woodshires straight ahead.

Sydnall Road going towards Longford Road bridge.

Grindle Road.

Grindle Road to the left, Woodshires Road straight on where the little iron bridge is, Oban Road to the right which is where the no 6 on Dean's photo of Cement factory is, this is also where the lorry park is sited. Thats my trundle for the day for you all, lol

The footbridge over the canal between Lady Lane and Sydnall Rd was only constructed in 1973 (source: Coventry Canal Conservation Area Appraisal) but I don't know if there was an earlier bridge. The view from the footbridge shown in Post 25 is where I think Longford Concrete was situated. You can see the red frontage of the industrial building towards the end of Sydnall Rd just before it bends away from the canal (this was a 'shirt factory' in the 70's). The new houses visible to the right are in Amy Close which is off Grindle Rd. To get to work Mary Mc's father would have come out of the caravan site into Lady Lane, left into Longford Square, left into Longford Rd going past the Saracens Head and Coach & Horses pubs, then past the row of shops that lead up the side of the canal bridge, over the canal, left into Sydnall Rd, and finally a walk along Sydnall Rd, around the bend at the bottom and left again into Grindle Rd. He would have ended up just across the canal from where he had started from.

I have zoomed in on the original picture if that helps

Not Local, the footbridge over the canal between Lady Lane and Sydnall Rd was only constructed in 1973 (source: Coventry Canal Conservation Area Appraisal) but I don't know if there was an earlier bridge. The view from the footbridge shown in Post 25 is where I think Longford Concrete was situated Now Dean has been kind enough to enlarge the picture thanks Dean, you will see Grindle Road left of picture, the row of houses by the blue arrow, the road bending like an elbow, the concrete factory with chimneys is opposite Grindle Rd more on an angle of Oban Road and towards the hill up Woodshires. It might have been classed as Grindle Road at that time.