West Orchard

This is a picture that we have all seen before, but, maybe you don't know that the car, a 1936 Riley Kestrel reg AKV 892 was rebuilt at the factory and is still on the road. It was due to make an appearance at Wroxall Abbey this weekend but a technical hitch prevented this

Thanks to Debbie Dean Nelson on the True Cov FB page - a great large view of what was left standing on West Orchard -

Great picture NeilsYard, would that be about 43/44 time?

I would have thought it was post-war, as the island is laid out, but before 1949 when the Godiva statue was unveiled - so, probably 1947ish

Just wanted to make a slight correction - my photo on Post 70 showing the Boots store is of course on the corner of Broadgate and Market Place, not West Orchard. Apols!

Midland Red, You could be right, long time ago, but I think most of those buildings were cleared by 47/8 and the foundations of Broadgate House, Owen Owen, was on the move, but I'm going on memory, there must be picture of the progress in the CET. Plus I was missing from Coventry 46/7 time so missed some of the progress.

From "Historic England": The plan for the commercial heart of the city was focused on a pedestrianised centre, believed to be the first proposed in Europe. This was aligned on the surviving cathedral spire and opened out onto a central green space, Broadgate Garden, around which commercial buildings, Broadgate House, (referred to in plans as 'Block B'), the Hotel Leofric (Block C) and Owen Owen department store (Block H), were ranged. The buildings within the Precinct and around Broadgate were designed both by the City Architect's Department and commercial or in-house architects of the various stores. However, Gibson restricted the free use of the site so that all buildings conformed to a 6 metre module and used similar materials, thus unifying the various elements of the scheme. The Hotel Leofric and the west range of Broadgate House are thus complimentary. The foundation stone of the shopping centre was laid in May 1948 by Princess Elizabeth at the opening of Broadgate Garden, and it forms part of the arcade at the north end of Broadgate House. Planning applications for 'Block B' were submitted in 1949 and the building was completed in 1953. It was designed to provide shop and office accommodation, let on long-term leases, for those whose premises had been destroyed by bombing.

Dutchman post 53 of this topic shows The Gibney in Hill St. I remember it well.

I think Rider Betts warehouse was one of the last remaining buildings in West Orchard to be demolished. The steel framework in the background of the second picture was that erected prior to the war for the planned new Co-op store. The third shows the relative position of the River Sherbourne with The City Arms Hotel in the background.

Another 3 interesting photos TSP. The third one in particular shows how far below street level the river runs. I doubt that the river has carved a huge amount out of the ground since there was a ford and a forge there (Smithford Street).

Ace photos TSP especially the first one. Any idea whereabouts on West Orchard we are looking there? Where did these come from? Thanks for sharing

West Orchard The first image is a couple rows up from the Chapel (looking north) but I don't know anything about the business. The light you see at the end of the tunnel is where the yard crosses the Sherbourne.

Rider Betts & Sons was a well-known 19th century Coventry corn merchants I recall that they were still in existence in the 1960s with a retail outlet in Warwick Row

They also had a yard for bulk storage on the corner of Torrington Ave and Templar Ave, this was diagonally opposite the Co-op bakery.

So about where the cross is Helen?