Palmer Lane

Heathite's photo is looking through the missing front and back walls of number 30 (Plaza Studios) at a yard. Beyond that is a single storey, flat roof building and then Palmer lane. The front and back walls of number 30 were clearly not supporting walls for the upper floor. In 1890 the Forbidden Planet was a draper shop. Number 30 was a shop, maybe selling bread because it had a bake house out the back (now gone). What it was a hundred years earlier than that is unknown to me. Looking at deeds is not as weird as you'd think. A lot of the south end of Palmer Lane, Ironmongers and the corners of Cross Cheaping were owned by the Bablake school trust, and they do have little sketches. The churches owned property all over the city too. Various family paperwork has also been lodged at the History Centre. The other way to trace what was happening in buildings are directories and censuses. However before a certain point properties had no house number so you have to work out which property each record is referring to eg, how Heathite and Anne helped me find a white smith on Bayley Lane.

In 1863 there were stables at what would later be number 23 Palmer Lane occupied by someone called Pretty.

That's another great photo, Helen

Helen, Yes, Trinity Church has many ancient deeds, that was one of the reasons I always thought they owned the churchyard and kept the markets outside of them. In 1781 a new coach run was started from Birmingham to London, sometimes changed horses in Coventry at Mr John Hill's stables in Cross Cheaping. My interest in Heathite's photo: I found it interesting to read that coaches would race each other, to the concern of the passengers, even down Meriden Hill. One driver was known to be able to take the pipe out the mouth with his whip as the man stood gazing at the passing coach. He would draw the pipe away from the man's mouth without hurting the smoker. (The wild west in Coventry.)

Checking the later directories, the Birmingham coaches stopped at the City Arms/Peacock which was number 1 Cross Cheaping - right next to the market archway. The Mayor's Parlour was next door to the right. There was plenty of room at the back for stabling, where at the Coventry Cross, there wasn't. Perhaps Mr Hill ran the Inn?

Only one 'Pretty' in 1850 dir. Listed in the 1874 directory at number 3 Ironmonger Row is George PRETTY, currier and leather cutter.

This property sounds as if it was in Cross Cheaping and through to Palmer Lane as well. I suppose when you think about it a lot of the properties would have a stable. You couldn't just park your horse outside !

Ah yes Heathite, that is the same business. It fronted Ironmongers but was connected by a yard to the stables on Palmer Lane. I think the school owned the stables and Pretty was renting them. Next door (north) to the stables was a currying house, also owned by the school. So maybe Pretty was renting that too? Anne, The school owned a lot of property in that area. The north corner of Ironmongers and Cross Cheaping rented to a draper called R Compton. Then there was a Tavern run by someone called Burnet. Then we have Mr Pretty which isn't owned by the school but the warehouse on the corner with Palmer Lane is. It's called Moon Liquor Stores. Then the stables and currying house rented by Mr Pretty. Some houses, a yard and a small stable. All of the buildings in this collection were demolished and a large warehouse was built that can be seen in the aerial photos. The School also owned the pub on the south corner of Ironmongers and a number of other properties on Cross Cheaping. I love how all these things start to click together.

What lovely names. Mr Merry and Mr Pretty. I wonder if they were ?

But wouldn't it be something then if that was part of the stables and we really had a building from that date still in existence.

Rare view over the roofs of the Palmer Lane area, looking from the corner of Hales Street and the Burges. Grab a copy now as it's on eBay and set to end this evening. Link to card

A great one Helen, is it me or do they look closer together, but obviously the way the pic was taken.

There's a similar but inferior image in the library but it says that it was taken from the Opera House. I'm dubious that the photo above could have been taken from that far east and I think that the roofs at the back of the Burges are on the right. The library picture looks to be the same line so I think it might have been taken from the same loft window.

The two squat spires look of interest. The RH might do for St Michael's Baptist Church, nearer the Cathedral. The LH looks similar to the mini-spire on the schoolrooms at the corner of Ford St and Hales St, but are they too close together I wonder?