Gravestones at Coventry University

I used to go to Coventry University and always wondered about the gravestones near the main entrance to the University site (opposite Cathedrals). Where they part of the old Cathedral or where they maybe located after the bombings? Does anyone know anymore?

Hi, I believe the gravestones might be in London Road Cemetery, as the remains are. In the Coventry History Centre in the Herbert, there is a guide to the cemetery recorss that the History Centre holds, and on this guide is a map of London Road Cemetery. In this guide in outlines where the remains of people are. Location: (Squares) - 321-374 (including Priory Street remains). Plan of that section made in 1946, map reference: CCC/CEM/1/5/10. So I am quite sure that the remians of pepple buried in the area in Priory Street (churchyards) are in London Road Cemetery, and presume the gravestones might be there as well???

Hi there "sjrw", I think I've finally found a definitive answer for you on this one. On the 1749 map of Coventry that small area appears to be an orchard. However, on the 1807 map, things have changed, and it's marked as "St. Michael's New Burial Ground".... so your first instinct seems to be correct - the small graveyard next to the university has always belonged to the Old Cathedral, probably as an 'overflow' graveyard, and appeared sometime between 1749 and 1807. If you like, take a look at this "now and then" page.... on the 1912 photo, can you see the small gap in the houses on the right where the graveyard is? I wonder if that large tree is the original one? Cheers, Rob

Rob - thanks for the information, that photo from 1912 had baffled me before as I was assuming that the road was still in the same place which implied the graves where in the back gardens of those houses but that all makes sense now. Keep up the good work with this site, I left the University in '98 but it's good to keep in touch with Coventry. Simon.

My pleasure - it's always good to solve these conundrums! And thanks for the kind words too. All the best, Rob

Tombs in the grass next to Coventry University admin block. I wonder if anyone knows who the tombs belong to.

I think you will find there was no church on the site, the tombs are what remains of St Michael's Avenue, a cobbled area, which runs between St Michael's and Holy Trinity and were St Michael's burials. This avenue crossed Priory Street to where the University (originally the Lanchester) now stands.

St Michael's Avenue.