What was on the site of Fargo Village?

What was on the site of Fargo Village before it became Fargo Village? I would love to know, I have a shop there and I am often asked. I am not originally from Coventry and nobody really knows on the site. Maybe car building? Any insight would be amazing.

Hello & welcome to our forum, Let's see if we can highlight your question.

As a small boy both sets of grandparents lived locally, if I remember correctly it was a cinema but I do not remember it ever being open, possibly suffering from bomb damage. Much later I think it was finally destroyed by fire.

Hi crazyrah, welcome to the forum Maps at Coventry Digital here. The earliest date I've got is 1850 where there was as small lane that lies under the west side of the road through Fargo Village. It went to a very small smithy and stable, then turned west to service the end of court 12. Off Far Gosford Street itself the land was a field to the east and gardens to the west, market gardens to the south. The gardens belonged to a house that was probably the building called the Tang Chinese. With a ribbon factory to the east of it, along the road. The cinema was built later (between 1926 and 1937) just to the west of the Tang Chinese, over court 12. By 1887 the ribbon works had been demolished and the row of houses in front of Fargo village on the west side were built. The map below is from 1906, by which time the houses on the street front on the east side of Fargo Village had been built. By 1926 they were beginning to fill up Grafton Street with houses and a motor fitting works (unit 2a) was built off that, on the west side of the little road. The businesses listed in 1926 were the Coventry Motor Fittings Company Ltd and Midlands Presswork Company Ltd. By 1937 the footprint of factories and houses was similar to today. The motor works had been extended further south but the Fargo Studios hadn't been built. There were a few more houses on Grafton Street than exist today.

Thanks for the map Helen F. Have definite ancestoral connections to Court 14 (and possibly Courts 11 & 12 if addresses in newspapers are correct) Can remember my old man telling me "this is where your granddad was born" as we sat in a car park near a furniture warehouse at Far Gosford Street many years ago. I've always associated that with the present day Fargo site but not totally sure as Court 14 was more likely his place of birth. Even have the Hand and Heart Yard given as an address for one of my Gt Grandfather's court appearances. Most were for poaching rabbits. REFUSING TO QUIT Philip Shaw, machinist, Hand and Heart Yard, Far Gosford Street, was summoned by Henry R Whetstone for being disorderly and refusing to quit the Hertford Arms, Far Gosford Street, on June 23rd. Mr Maddocks prosecuted. The evidence showed that the defendant created a disturbance in the house and was asked to leave. He refused, and was subsequently ejected by a constable. A fine of 2s. and 6d. in costs was imposed, in default seven days. - Kenilworth Advertiser, 6 July 1901.

You're welcome Brother Joybert. In 1912 Philip Shaw lived at house 11 court 13. The last house in the row (south) was number 16. It looks like number 11 was damaged during the war. Britain From Above here and here. If you haven't already, get a login so you can zoom in. Find Gosford Green then look along for the cinema and it's the next row.

Thank you for all your information it has been a great help.

Hi There was a factory on the site that produced motor car radiators, Coventry motor fittings, on Gosford st side the cinema was the Scala and as a lad was taken there to see Morning Departure, a submarine film I reckon about 1948. The cinema later became the Odeon. Another company on the site were Grey and Rushton who produced measuring tools, rules and Verniers. I was intrigued as a boy watching the instruments being graduated.

I'm sure before it became Fargo that factory building was selling carpets.