Longford (inc. The Red Hills)

Today, I visited Longford Park as I start to re-trace my school days memories. Over the coming weeks, I intend to cover an arc starting at Longford and finishing in an area of Wyken Croft, which I am calling phase one. If after, I am still able, later phase two will then continue round to encompass Caludon Park. Longford park has received a lot of time & money and that was the impression that first greeted me. It's an ornamental park with well defined metalled paths & flower beds. The Sowe enters the park at the Longford Road end & even with the relative dry weather of late, was running clear & well. The two brooks which run into the Sowe were well weeded and barely moving. It may be the extensive private housing developments that have forced this make-over which the park has received. At ten am today, the paths were being well used by a wide section of the community. The Aldermans Green end will receive my attention next time. Some parts of this venture may require my bike, but I will cross that as it comes. Once I am familiar with the bus routes, I might be ok.

Longford Park. I cannot remember it being so pleasant to walk or rest in. Maybe my eyes have been shut on previous visits! The Sowe at the Aldermans Green end. The Longford Rd end. The willows on the slopes to the river. I can hardly say that I hope the pics bring back happy memories, as I have no previous recollection of the park looking so nice over its entirety.

Before I load anymore pictures, I need to learn how to let you see them in a manner that does not swamp this site. I might need some education as to how to do it more economically. Help, but please be gentle with me. In the mean time, I am including a reply from my friend to my email questions about the smoking hills. Hello Philip We've attached a section of a 1955 ordnance survey map. A railway line linked the canal basins to Wyken Old Main Pit and Alexandra Colliery, crossing Deedmore Road close to Walsgrave Colliery School, which changed its name to Eburne School (which is now Coventry City Mission premises). The 'burning banks' section which you call 'smoking hills' was the section to the right of Brickyard Cottages on the map. I rode along this burning section four times a day on my way to and from school at Foxford. That was the reply from our life long friends, Doreen & Hayden. These smoking hills were very real & all part of our history. I have not attached the map to this site at present. I will wait until I have been educated in the art of downloading.

Hello Philip, As usual your photos are so beautiful to see. Think our stay in Coventry will have to be extended to fit in all these lovely walks and places to visit. An interesting email re 'the smoking hills' too. My two sets of grandparents both lived in Masser Rd, Hen Lane. When I was small they used to tell me that if you sat quietly at night you could hear the miners digging beneath their houses. Do you think that it was just their way of getting me to be quiet?? Gilly.

I don't think I ever visited Longford Park in my youth. The only thing I remember Longford for was the Capitol Skating Rink, where we would hire their skates with wooden square wheels for a bumpy ride around the patched wooden floor. We would be forever taking them back as wheels fell off and ball bearing would scatter across the floor. But it kept us entertained on a Saturday night and there was always the chance that a stumbling young girl would cling on to you for support

I have enjoyed an autumn walk today along the length of Longford Park after returning from Nuneaton. I love the colours, just as though someone has painted every leaf.

Opposite is where the Old Griffin use to stand.

Saracens Head now a Chinese takeaway

The Greyhound public house, Hawkesbury Junction, Sutton Stop, Longford.

This was a listed building where the very first ever prototype engine was built in Coventry it use to be a factory which has now been demolished History of Longford About 150 yards from Longford Church towards Coventry, is a low stone bridge built over a stream with the name Longford Bridge cut into the stone. The bridge marks the place, so the story is told, where the old Long Ford used to be through which pedestrians and vehicles alike had to pass on the journey to and from Coventry. At times when the ford was in flood and the water covered the stepping stones, pedestrians hired a horse and cart to take them across. This was during the period when the populated part of the district was known by the name of Tackley, and only the few yards down by the ford was called Long Ford. As time passed the whole district became the hamlet of Longford. Some years ago the fields which stretch eastwards from this ford were bought by Coventry Corporation for a new recreation park - a boating pool, tennis courts, cricket pitches and bowling greens - but years have passed and part of the ground today is used as a refuse dump. The Short Ford There is also a story about the Foxford district of Longford and why it was so named. Across the fields from the Long Ford was another ford known locally as the short ford. It was near the old coaching road that ran from Black Horse Road down Green Lane (now called Grange Road) into Windmill Road. The road can still be traced, it is said, in the fields near the Short Ford. One day many years ago the largest fox ever seen was chased over the ford - hence the name Fox Ford. To substantiate the fact an inn was built and named The Fox but some years ago it was demolished to extend Foxford Council Schools. The schools were built 1875, were twice extended and improved, and then modernised with up to date fittings and fine gymnasium and used as a day school for juniors as well as a youth centre for the young people of the area

Listed building bottom left hand side of the road, going to be demolished too so I've been told.

Old Cottages on the Lane.

This was a school