Bishop Street

Bishop Street 1947. Old Grammar School at the bottom, Canal Basin top right

Oh sorry - you didn't make it clear that you knew. It might be flats, I'll look more closely next time

On google maps its still shown as boarded up. It looks as if planning permission was granted for flats at the end of 2012

Have I got it right this time? Was Bishop Street part of a crossroads with the original Radford Road and King Street,. Up Bishop Street through the crossroads onto Radford Road. And what is Radford Road as we know it today, by the side of the fire station is a new section.

Almost, the junction was with St Nicholas Street, Radford Road beginning a little further up. See this map elsewhere on the site which shows where Radford Road began: 1951 street map

The two-storey building that is just falling off the right-hand side of the picture, a little less than half-way up, belonged to the Co-op. The ground floor was used as a garage for their vans and lorries, while the second floor, which was reached by the ramp that can be seen running up the side of the building, once provided stabling for the horses that pulled the delivery wagons. Towards the end of the 1950s, the top floor was given to the Wheatsheaf Players. We stripped out the stalls and a Co-op team converted it into a scenery and costume store, a set-building area and a very cosy rehearsal room. The Wheatsheaf were still using it in 1968 when I left them, and presumably stayed there until they moved into their current home in Watersmeet Road. I have very fond memories of the place, the people I met there, and of taking a pint or two in the pub opposite after rehearsals.

Courtesy of Google Maps here is an up-to-date map You can see the line of the original Radford Road now shown as St Columba's Close, meeting up with it at the western end of Light Lane - the "new" bit of Radford Road goes down to the Ring Road

Dutchman & Midland Red, thank you for helping with this. Now having read what you've written and seen the map I can see what your saying, I assume that before the war St Columba's Close didn't exist. The short bit of St Columba's Close that leads down to the footbridge over the Radford Road would have originally been Middleborough Road, as the last house on the left just before stepping onto the footbridge was addressed No1 Middleborough Road, St Columba's Close. This house was built for Thomas Paybody the coal merchant, who was between 1902 & 1920 landlord and brewer at The Admiral Codrington, and gave us Paybody eye hospital which was at some point in the past in Allesley. The missing houses between No 1 and the top of what we call Middleborough Road today would have been knocked down to make way for the bottom section of Radford Road that today meets Upper Well Street at junction 9 of the ring road.

Interesting, always thought this area was a bit strange and illogical, with a lot of streets that don't go anywhere and some old houses perched on the hill at the back of Wickes. I'd been in Coventry for years and didn't even know there was a canal basin hidden away up there.

Bishop Street 1949

Mods note : As recent posts have moved away from the thread subject (Bishop Street) towards the topic of The Canal Basin, I have copied or moved relevant posts into a separate thread entitled "Canal Basin", in order that this thread can remain on the subject of Bishop Street

Ok, I'm fairly sure the wall line I've marked is correct on the left side of Bishop's Gate but I'm not sure what it did between the gate and the round tower. Does anyone know the exact location?

Knowing we have some very good Coventry historians on this site, they will remember a leather goods shop near the bottom of Bishop Street. I know close to it there was a Peeping Tom bust in the wall. My wife's grandfather Walter George Reed, a saddler by trade, worked in the shop for many years, we are not sure if he managed it or had shares in it. Would like to know the shop's name, and any pictures of it. Graham.

There was at one time a leather goods manufacturer and retailer in Bishop Street called Tooby Atkins or Adkins

Tooby Atkins is mentioned here