White Lion, Smithford Street

Neil, I agree. I am glad I will be able to at least see something that was part of the actual street though, is there even one other single thing from Smithford Street existing now? (Unless I have forgot something obvious)

Osmiroid, As I posted earlier, the sign was only there for a couple of years. But remember, it was a very short street, for a third of it was really Fleet Street, up to the Ram bridge and that only had one bomb that was on the north side. The south side of the street, just the Kings Head got hit. The White Lion, I'm not sure if it opened during the war, I think it was refurbished in 1945, only lasted till about 1952/3 when they built the Leofric. I think I am the only forum member that knew it before the Blitz.

BrotherJoybert has posted a new video that explains why the sign is within a protective wall. It's just one of many bunds that contain different things, including planting. I imagine that they're to provide interest and seating. It makes more sense as a theme than a one off. Kaga, the White Lion was there since at least 1734 but the building was new from the early 1920s. It was hit during the war and lost its third storey. But yes, you may be the only forum member to visit the interior while it still survived.

NeilsYard, Is there any history attached to the moving of the sign? The mosaic would have been right on the doorstep of the pub, for the pavement was very narrow. There appears little damage to it, so it could not have there long before the blitz (horses' shoe prints or cart prints would have marked the sign on such a narrow street). The street was closed just a few months after the blitz - no longer a street of Coventry, it lay dormant under the rubble for the war duration, and so did the pub. In 1945 it became part of the Precinct but still under the rubble. Although the pub was refurbished and re-opened, it went in 1953 - but how long did the mosaic last under the new Precinct?

When they built the new pub after 1919 they look like they set the front further back than those either side, so it wasn't in the normal line of people walking. The doorway looks less well preserved than the bulk in the excavation photos.

White Lion map in 1937 Zoom out 3 times to see map.

It's possible then that the mosaic was already buried under a new pavement before the war. There was a tendency to add surfaces to roads and pavements rather than dig them up and keep the same level. Early buildings had steps up to their front doors but gradually ended up at street level. Undulations in road levels were also smoothed out and this would have been especially true once they introduced trams. Cellars originally had steps out onto the street (causing something of a hazard) and were often shops or taverns in their own right. First it was ordered that the cellar steps were protected by doors but eventually they were covered over and often even the smallest window was swallowed by the pavement. You can see by the excavation images that the precinct floor added a significant height of fill in to the White Lion ground level. Kaga, the mosaic was probably laid in 1919/1920 and it would be another 20-25 years before you would notice the place (longer if drinking and women occupied your mind rather than what you were walking on). A lot could have happened in that time, including the War. It seems that the rubble/damage from the bomb that hit the building was left at the front and it was fenced off - preventing customers from seeing, let alone walking on the mosaic. We know that the mosaic was damaged. If that happened during the war, the owners may have covered it up rather than repair it.

It's interesting reading the online newspaper archive about the White Lion Hotel during the war. A miracle it survived the blitz and stayed open throughout the war! Reports etc. can be found for every year of the conflict. On 25 November 1940 the MDT reported: "Real Meal" Despite Difficulties COVENTRY HOTEL'S FINE GESTURE A full-course hot meal for men in uniform of all services, both military and civil defence, has been organised at a Coventry hotel at a rate of one shilling a head as the hotel's contribution towards assisting the city in its distress. Situated in what was originally the heart of the shopping district of Coventry the hotel - the White Lion in Smithford Street - now stands like an oasis in the desert of devastation around. Having scoured the country for coal, cooking ranges and emergency lighting, the hotel has now set up as a feeding centre for the services and civilians who cannot otherwise get hot meals. A cooking range has been fitted into one of the smoke rooms of the hotel, and the diners are directly served from the range by the chef. It is hoped that when the necessary equipment is obtained to serve cooked breakfasts at similarly advantageous terms for serving men and civil defence workers. To obtain water the brewers who own the hotel sent special wagons filled with barrels from Burton-on-Trent (so clearly it didn't suffer too much damage during the November 14/15 raid) ___________________________________________________________________ In May 1941 a Barmaid was being sought in the Situations Vacant column: BARMAID required immediately - Apply White Lion, Smithford Street, Coventry. (again, couldn't have been damaged too much, if at all, in the Easter raids of 1941) ___________________________________________________________________ In 1943 on 18 September the MDT reported: Civil Defence Darts Competition Coventry Civil Defence Association held their first inter-service darts competition at the White Lion Hotel, Smithford Street, last night. The teams competing were E.M.S., Fireguards, Messengers, Police Auxiliaries, Rescue, S.E.A.S and Wardens. In a close finish the Rescue service beat the Police by five points and were presented with a cup and association certificates by Capt. N. T. Thurston, A.R.P. officer. (so still very much open, and there are plenty of mentions of events or job adverts in 1944 & 1945)

On the night of the blitz at 6pm the White Lion was a very popular and lively bar. At 10 pm that same night, it was a ruin.

Hi Kaga. The top was blown off but the lower two floors were put back in service, such that it was one of the last buildings to be demolished when they built the Precinct. The front door does look like it was blocked and I think you've commented before now that it wasn't used. Quite a few damaged buildings seem to have been used after the bombing, for a short while at least.

Helen, there were many dead, that were dug out of the ruins. As I said it was a lively pub, and held many people that blitz night. Some went into the basement and were buried alive. Can you image that? On the Saturday morning of the King's visit, I stood and watched these scenes. They were still digging, and air raids were still with us.

Kaga, despite the damage the place looks like it was functioning as an emergency venue about 10 days after the bombing. "A cooking range has been fitted into one of the smoke rooms of the hotel." So the kitchen was destroyed. "To obtain water the brewers who own the hotel sent special wagons filled with barrels from Burton-on-Trent." So the piped water system was destroyed. It's a testament to how new and well built it was that the bottom survived the destruction of the top and buildings around it. Those who saw it in later years might assume that it had only ever been a two storey building.

Reading the article that Joybert has quoted it also says they were providing a full course meal for men in uniform of all services, both military & Civil Defence and for civilians who could not get a hot meal. I imagine it was a very rough and ready place that those men clearing the area would be grateful for even if they were sitting on a wooden box. The story we see shows how despite everything people kept going and stories like the White Lion show how people helped. I always think it is amazing looking at pictures of Coventry, we see areas covered in rubble, the next lot of pictures show the rubble cleared and then not long after there are temporary shops, life had to go on. What the pictures can't show is the heartache of the people in them.

The White Lion after the blitz, the front onto Smithford Street was so badly damaged that it needed re-building, the top floors were rubble, the ceiling of the ground floor on the north and eastern side looked as if opened by a giant tin-opener, the ceiling pointing upwards slightly (there was a photo on this forum). On top of all the rubble there was a large part of the top-front part of the facade laying untouched. Now the owners (brewery?) like everyone else in Coventry, fully expected Smithford Street, shops and the White Lion to be re-built after the war, as it was in 1939. So when the rubble was cleared, the large piece of the facade was gently placed in front of the entrance, dust and small rubble placed around it to preserve it from damage and a fence placed around it. The rubble placed in great heaps on the bomb damaged ground at the back of the Lion I may have seen it like that a couple of times during the war. But it was wishful thinking in 1940. The next time I saw the White Lion was in 1948, the facade and railings were still in front, and the back door was being used. Most of the rubble still lay around in heaps as in 1940, only now there were huge piles of cobblestones. Inside the bar was in use, wooden bar stools, small tables and chairs, and back to back with the old facade the door had been built over and a red plush bench stretched across the old front doorway, red carpets on the floor. The many times I used it, there were no signs of food being served, and there were no signs of a great lot of decoration. It seemed that only things that could be moved were present.

The article quoted was from the Midland Daily Telegraph 25th November 1940 This advert was 25th March 1941