Broadgate

A nice colour image of Burtons, Astleys, Manfields and H Samuel in 1939.

It's exactly the spot where the same year (1939) the IRA bomb was left outside Astley's Paint Shop.

I think there must be quite a few pictures of this view, this one from "Coventry under fire"

This is from the other side of the road. It looks as there are openings that side, is it possible there was a subway under the road?

Perhaps this is the answer, from an article in the Coventry Standard 1942 "Time was when another row of buildings occupied the centre of Broadgate, many of the massive stone basements of which remain concealed, although the clearance of the present debris is revealing much" Also in 1944 2 ladies fell into the basement of a bombed building This shot from Britain from above shows the opening from the same side as Neils picture, if you look carefully it looks as if there are doors on it.

If I'm reading the photos correctly it looks like the subway is on the line of the erstwhile subway under Broadgate between Owen Owen/Primark and Holy Trinity church. Peter.

Great work Anne I'm sure there are still a few gems hidden away buried beneath the streets.

Afraid not Peter, that one was about fifty yards further north.

Dutchman. Interesting, but I don't remember any tunnel or subway, and in June 1944 I stood right in the middle of Neil's photo to watch the armada of planes, and I always thought the temporary shops were there then, they would have been right over that tunnel, don't you think?

The temporary shops hadn't been built in 1944 Kaga, there was a still a big hole in the ground on that side. I'm amazed no one fell in it!

dutchman, thanks for the reply, I wasn't sure, as I was missing from Coventry end of 1944 to 1948. I really have no idea when they did go up, but felt they must have been one of the earliest buildings to appear in Broadgate?

1948 I think Kaga, at the same time the island was constructed.

dutchman, yes the island was completed for the unveiling in 1949, but Osmiroid's picture of the market hall confuses me too. I thought that was gone before 1955 and the top part of the new precinct open by then?

British Home Stores opened on the site of the former City Arcade/Barracks Market entrance in 1955 so it had certainly gone by then.