Coventry Pubs

Another block of apartments replacing a pub soon then

The fire engines weren't there very long, the building is still standing. This was the second fire though, it can't long before there's another.

It will probably never open again

I'd love to know when the current pub was built? The original, much smaller pub is shown on a 1937 map along with the neighbouring weavers cottages but by 1950 the present one had been built on the site of all three. No pubs were built during the war so it had to be either just before the war or just after.

Hi Dutchman I`ve just been on Real Ale Rambles and looked up the history of the Summerland and there`s a Telegraph article on the Summerland page which states that Flowers brewery re-built it in 1938 and it even mentions the two cottages that you mentioned. Hope this helps

My parents' off-licence in East Street was owned by Flowers Brewery and sold Flowers Best on the hand pull for people to bring their own bottles. It was eventually owned by Whitbread`s who bought out Flowers in 1961. I remember there was a plaque on the wall of the shop depicting a bunch of flowers, it was replaced with the hind`s head plaque when Whitbread took ownership. It makes me wonder how much those plaques would be worth today as they were hand painted

The Summerland is still under contruction in this picture taken in 1939. The two weavers cottages to the right of it have already been demolished leaving five terraced houses on the corner of Windsor Street where the pub car park now is: Spencer Park, Coventry Railway Station and the city, Coventry, from the south, 1939

So that means someone`s got their dates wrong if this was taken in 1939. The plot thickens. Which one do you think is right, Dutchman? I take it the large building is the Butts college and the gap, centre, is the Summerland Damn, I thought we`d cracked this in one hit

The rebuilding work may well have started in 1938 and finished in 1939. Yes the gap is the Summerland under construction. This picture from 1927 shows the prewar Summerland with its tiny frontage and the two three-storey weavers cottages immediately to the right of it. The Technical College had not yet been built when this picture was taken: EPW019273 ENGLAND (1927). Sports Pitches at Butts Road, Coventry, 1927

Yes, that sounds right. I thought that straight after I`d posted. I was just about to edit my post but you beat me to it. Mystery solved. It`s a shame the Telegraph article didn't state when the new pub actually opened

Someone asked me today if I knew who was involved in the campaign to save the Rocket pub from demolition. The pub is in the path of the Friargate development and might be under threat. I wasn't aware of this threat to the Rocket myself, or a campaign to save it, so can anyone help or shed any light on the latest developments in this regard please?

I certainly wasn't aware of any threat - and don't recall seeing anything of that nature on the plans. I can find out on Monday morning if there are no replies from members before then.

The Rocket is nowhere to be seen on this plan.

Yes, but bear in mind that that image is purely in the mind of a graphic-designer/architect. Anything that might not quite fit in their visual interpretation of any new layout might well be left out! Years ago it used to be called "artistic licence"

Rather than news of pubs closing, a new one opens on Monday, the Signal Box next to the Gallagher retail park. Apparently it is named after the Bell Green signal box which stood near the site.