# Coventry UK



## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

City Village, as seen from Lower Holyhead Road through a gap on the street. This is a student hall of residence with retail/restaurant units on the ground floor.

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Coventry Point, one of two connected towers:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

It has lights on it that were originally part of a weather forecasting system, in which different buildings in the city would light up a certain way based on the weather. It's no longer maintained.

This was built in the 1970s: http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=935

It will be demolished in 2018. (The building is oddly located across a 'street' and the area beneath it is gloomy.)

I actually quite like the shapes here, but the siting of the building is unfortunate and its colour doesn't help!


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

City arcade at night. This was built to replace a Victorian arcade that was damaged during the war. However, this will also be demolished sometime in the near future to make way for a remodelling of the southern area of the precinct.

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

When it was first built it looked quite smart, but now it's run down and shabby and a lot of the units are empty and like a lot of post-war developments is a rat-run of staircases leading to upper levels and car parks.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Far Gosford Street was outside the city wall, but formed a medieval suburb. This was once a major route into the city centre, but was bypassed decades ago and fell into decay. Many of the buildings are Tudor and have recently been restored. The building on the far right is a 'copy' of a building that was demolished in the early 20th century. This area was quite industrial, but most of the industrial buildings have gone now.

Far Gosford Street by Bodgecity, on Flickr

The area is being redeveloped as a 'creative' quarter alongside a place called Fargo Village, which occupies a space that was once industrial units.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

View from a bridge over the ring road:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

I hope these pictures convey the mix of styles and periods in the city. It's something of a disjointed mess, but recent developments do seem to be trying to addressing some of the mistakes made in the past.

Over the next few years the city's skyline is going to change dramatically as new buildings go up and old ones are demolished.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Lychgate cottages, Priory Row.

Mock Tudor and real Tudor by Bodgecity, on Flickr

The large building on the left is a 'Mock Tudor' 1930s building, the smaller ones to the right are 17th century buildings made from early 15th century timbers. They stand on what would have been part of the Benedictine Priory.

The mock Tudor block is a Wetherspoon pub (In the past it has been a chemists, a burger bar and a jewellers). The cottages are currently used for some sort of religious group, but are going to be used as holiday cottages for visitors in the future.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Coventry University, formerly Coventry Polytechnic.

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

This is the main admin block and the square fronts the Cathedral. The campus sits on a former churchyard and there was once a street called 'New Street' that ran through the site. This mainly survived the blitz, but was demolished.

I believe this building is going to be demolished and the area turned into a garden. It's fairly typical post-war style, but has been modified a few times over the years. It's not a great building, and many of the old University buildings are going to be demolished over the next few years.

I came to Coventry in 1989 to study at the Polytechnic. (The city has two Universities, The University of Warwick, around 3 miles from the city centre, is also in Coventry.)

When you walk from the shopping area to the University, you pass through the bridge that links the old and new Cathedrals:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

You can see the building above in front of you. If you go right into the ruins of the old Cathedral, this is the view you get when looking towards the new Cathedral:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

This is the view of the Cathedral Tower and Holy Trinity Tower, another medieval church:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Drapers' Hall, Bayley Lane. (Next to the ruined Cathedral.)

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

This was build in 1831-32 by the Drapers' guild, a powerful industrial body, and apparently this is the third building on the site.

It's currently unused, but there are plans to turn it into a centre for music.

Underneath it are extensive cellars that were used as an air raid shelter during WW2.


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## Why-Why (Jul 20, 2016)

Interesting and frank commentary! What was once an attractive old town deserved better than what the 1960s planners did to it.


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## sky-eye (Jan 2, 2003)

Intresting thread, thansk for sharing.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

sky-eye said:


> Intresting thread, thansk for sharing.


Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it!


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Why-Why said:


> Interesting and frank commentary! What was once an attractive old town deserved better than what the 1960s planners did to it.


Yes. Although they started the work before the bombings in WW2. In the 1930s a lot of old streets were demolished, and there were plans to destroy the old city.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

These are images in and around Lady Herbert's Garden and Millennium Place.

This is the view from Trinity Street:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

Trinity Street was build in the 1930s when the city's old 'Butcher row' was demolished. The arches were built around 15 years ago.

View from 'Lady Herbert's Garden' towards the East. This garden contains a large fragment of the city's medieval fortifications.

Coventry Skyline by Bodgecity, on Flickr

Nearby are the Whittle Arches:

Whittle Arches by Bodgecity, on Flickr

These are named after Sir Frank Whittle, who was a 'Cov Kid'. He invented the jet engine.
(My kids go to the school he went to!)

Swanswell Gate, in Lady Herbert's Garden. This was used by an artist, but is now empty.

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

View from Lady Herbert's garden of Bishopgate, a new development currently under construction. The wall in the foreground is City Wall, and the cottages are for pensioners.

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

Brexit Tory Britain. A 'food bank' under the ring road:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

A post war city street. This is Corporation Street, which was laid out in 1931 as a means of bypassing the cramped, medieval city. The area was filled with slums:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

In the distance you can see the Belgrade Theatre. Very little of the pre-war street still exists. It was once a busy shopping street, but is now quite dead and many of the businesses have gone. Most of the buildings are student flats.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Broadgate was traditionally the 'centre' of the city and may have been the location of the 'broad gate' of Coventry Castle. This was where all the routes into the city intersected. During WW2 is was destroyed almost completely and reconstructed as a square. I think it's a little soulless.

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

the large building with the glass front was built for 'Owen Owen', a department store chain, to replace the building bombed during the blitz (The bombed building was behind this one). The department store moved out and its now a budget retailer.

The original square was grass. The turret on the far right is Cathedral Lanes, a failed shopping mall that is now becoming a restaurant quarter. This shopping centre was built in the 1990s and originally planned as 'Lanes' that would link Broadgate to the Cathedral quarter.

Another failure.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

View looking down Far Gosford street. 

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

This is outside the inner ring road, and was outside the city wall. The building in the distance is the remains of a factory. The big building with a Sainsbury's in it was recently built. This area was once filled with industrial buildings, so the new building was designed to reflect that. This was formerly an empty space left over by construction of the ring road and dual carriageways that feed it into. Now it is built up and looks better and more urban.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

This is the red brick factory. It's the William Morris building, part of Coventry University's campus. The upper two floors were added a few years back, as the original upper floors were damaged in a fire during the 1980s.



This was built in 1910 and used by the Morris car company as an engine plant. It was used during WW2 for the production of Spitfire engines.

The building with turrets on the right is the University library, built in 2001.

The tower in the distance is council offices, but is going to be demolished in the near future.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Fargo Village at the top of Far Gosford Street:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

This is an interesting development using a collection of old industrial buildings. Sadly it was rather quiet when I was there.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Block of apartments just outside the ring road, in the Radford area (Just off Radford Road):

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

This is the view from a park just outside the ring road.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Carved Tudor era timbers on a building on Bailey Lane (Just next to the bombed Cathedral.)

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr
Bablake School and Bond's hopsital. 

The timbered section to the right are the original buildings for Bablake School, founded in the 14th century. The building on the left is Bond's Hospital, founded in 1506 and using part of the city's wall.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Coventry University campus, just by the cathedral, is partly built on an old churchyard. Some of the tombstones still exist (But I think the bodies have been moved.)

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

The bridge that runs over the largest chunk of the city's medieval wall.


Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

New building going up in 'Pool Meadow', with the city gate in the foreground:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Electric Wharf on the canal in Foleshill:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

This was a former power station that has been converted into offices/flats, a place where people can live and work


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

The canal basin, with new block behind it:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Approaching the city centre from Radford Road:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

The Coventry canal basin:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

This dates from 1769.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

An old chimney along the canal:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

Many of the industrial buildings have either gone or been converted into housing/offices. This chimney was standing by itself without any building!


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## cyril sneer (Mar 10, 2015)

The canal basin looks desserted. I saw your post on the Coventry thread the other day and it got me thinking. I mean I'm in Exeter these days but there is a canal basin here. It is surrounded by cafes, units hiring out kayaks, pedelos and cycles and people enjoying the canal. I don't understand why its not the same in Coventry.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

cyril sneer said:


> The canal basin looks desserted. I saw your post on the Coventry thread the other day and it got me thinking. I mean I'm in Exeter these days but there is a canal basin here. It is surrounded by cafes, units hiring out kayaks, pedelos and cycles and people enjoying the canal. I don't understand why its not the same in Coventry.


IMHO, I think it's because Coventry has always (Until now?) struggled to attract the sorts of businesses that would locate in a place like this and when it was first done it was too small and cut off with no footfall and located in what was a pretty undesirable location. There's no really much of a car park anymore, as most of its private and it's all run down and overgrown. 

Priory place suffered from the same problems. Remember when the owners said that people like Wagamamma wouldn't come to Coventry?

It was a hot weekend and the place was dead. All the shop/retail units look empty (Apart from an Eastern European supermarket) and there was no one around. There are a lot of people live and work around here. It's even a fairly decent walk down the canal these days. New houses, a few fragments of history, but it just feels like the back end of nowhere. You might as well be four miles out of the city centre.

I visited the canal in Gloucester recently (I know it's larger) but that was heaving with people, connected to the rest of the city and with enough attractions to mean it can generate footfall.


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## cyril sneer (Mar 10, 2015)

People are generally attracted to water ways, etc, especially during the summer. You'd think if someone set up a business with kayak/pedalo/cycle hire people would flock to it. If you bring in people for leisure then your cafes, restaurants will surely follow. Yes its on the wrong side of the ring road but is it really that much off putting for people to park up in the city centre and walk over the footbridge?


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Victorian terrace on Warwick Road.

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

View looking towards the Cathedral ruins from inside the new Cathedral:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Wandering around the city centre, I found views of the Cathedral Spire.

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

New student halls, as seen from Lady Herbert's Gardens. The blue bridge in the foreground is part of the city's museum of British road transport.

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Stained glass (John Piper) in the new Cathedral:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

The 'Rotunda' cafe in the Lower Precinct, built in the 1950s and much altered. The ceiling is a clunky modern addition, which makes having a covered cafe inside a covered shopping precinct look a bit strange, IMHO.

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Bayley Lane, named, perhaps, after the "Bailey" of the castle that stood here. To the right is the ruined Cathedral, on the left is Draper's Lane and the medieval Guild Hall.

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

This is a staircase of the Herbert Art Gallery on Jordan Well:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

I like the 'Festival of Britain' style of the windows here.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Old and new: the bombed cathedral ruins and its post-war addition:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

I'm not religious, but the interior of the new Cathedral is quite stunning.

This is a chapel on the new cathedral:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

I like the interesting shape, and it's been so well maintained it looks as good as new.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

A tower on the town hall:

Tower by Bodgecity, on Flickr

The wooden structure in the foreground marks the site of Coventry Castle.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Coventry


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## cyril sneer (Mar 10, 2015)

NewTroll said:


> Bayley Lane, named, perhaps, after the "Bailey" of the castle that stood here. To the right is the ruined Cathedral, on the left is Draper's Lane and the medieval Guild Hall.
> 
> Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


It almost feels like stepping into a completely different city when you walk around this admittably small old town quarter.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

The recently completed 'City Village' (Student Halls)

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

The bottom of Spon Street in the city centre:

Spon Street by Bodgecity, on Flickr

The street is an old street, but many of the timber Tudor era buildings were relocated from the city centre.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

The Cullen Tiles. This is a post-war artwork showing the history of the city that is located in the Lower Precinct. It was originally located around the entrance to the lower precinct, but relocated in 2002 when the entrance was demolished. Part of it was damaged. It's a colourful, fantastic piece of period art that doesn't deserve to be stuck somewhere like an afterthought.

Cullen mural by Bodgecity, on Flickr
You can see it in its original position here:

http://www.coventrysociety.org.uk/public-art-in-coventry/cullen-tiles.html

The original entrance to the lower precinct was somewhat dingy and decaying by the time it was renovated in 2002. Part of art was damaged beyond repair.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates once again; keep them coming


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

christos-greece said:


> Great, very nice updates once again; keep them coming


Thankyou! I am glad you are enjoying them.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

The Coventry Cross (A 1970s replica, stuck here for some reason nowhere near where it actually was) and the tower of Holy Trinity.

Coventry Cross replica by Bodgecity, on Flickr

This church dates from the 12th century, but the west end, east end and tower have been reconstructed at various times over the years. Inside is a 15th century 'doom' painting and a few rooms that date back to the original structure.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

cyril sneer said:


> It almost feels like stepping into a completely different city when you walk around this admittably small old town quarter.


The transition is a little jarring, from fairly dreary and uniform precincts and plazas to a small fragment of old town.

Although I'm not sure I like the so-called 'Cathedral' Square, as it is full of clutter.

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

I think the pre-war layout, which had more buildings and a smaller enclosed space was better.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Another more recent addition to the city's skyline:

Bishopgate by Bodgecity, on Flickr

This is "Bishopgate", a development of student halls and retail on Bishop Street. This was once a main arterial route into the city centre but was cut off by the ringroad. The city wall ran through the site of the development, but has been totally lost to post-war development.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Underneath the ringroad:

Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr

Currently trying to replace all the missing images!


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## autskai (May 23, 2011)

Nice pics, thank you!


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Coventry


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Canal Barges in the canal basin

Barges by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

One of the twelve gates of Coventry:

The gate of Coventry by Bodgecity, on Flickr

This dates from the 15th century.

https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-at-risk/search-register/list-entry/408422


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Saint Mary's Guild Hall at night:

Guild hall by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

The Belgrade Theatre with interesting reflections in the winter sun:

Reflections by Bodgecity, on Flickr


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Gate to the former Whitefriars Abbey:

Abbey Gate. Whitefriars gate, Coventry. by Bodgecity, on Flickr

This is the view from inside what would have been the grounds to a Carmelite Abbey, founded in 1342. It was closed in 1538 during the dissolution of the monasteries. The only other fragment left is a cloister and the footings of the church. The ring road cuts off the route from the gate to the site of the abbey.

Pre-war, this gate was a building in a terraced street. That was all demolished/bombed and the building now stands alone. The area is mainly offices and University buildings. It's currently empty, but for years was used as a Toy museum.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Nightsky said:


> Nice updates of Coventry! I went through Coventry very breifly, when the bus stopped on the way between Luton and Birmingham. I was surprised that there were so many tall buildings and churches.


Despite the destruction of bombs and town planners, the city centre has its famous ‘three spires’ intact - two are on churches destroyed in the blitz (One destroyed twice, once in the reformation and then again in the blitz after being rebuilt in Victorian times.) There’s also another medieval church, saint John’s. This doesn’t have a spire, but a strange tower with turrets on it.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Queen’s Road Baptist church in the mist (After I’d got back to the car after seeing a Jethro Tull Christmas concert in the Cathedral. A wonderful experience!)








This church is just outside the city‘s inner ring road, and was originally much taller. The tower was reduced in height when it was discovered to be unsafe (Not sure when.)

The church building dates from 1888, but the congregation goes back to the 17th century. This has been its home for over a century, and I guess it will remain here.

EDIT: the height was reduced by a third in the 1980s.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Coventry


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Some views of the city centre from the inner city areas of Earlsdon and Chapelfields. New buildings going up are changing the city’s skyline dramatically.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Coventry


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## dimakai6969 (10 mo ago)

NewTroll said:


> Coventry University library (Left) and Engineering Centre (Right)
> 
> Untitled by Bodgecity, on Flickr


wow amazing


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Any new updates from Coventry?


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Sorry, I've not been taking many pictures at the moment...


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

Supermarket in canley.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

new office buildings at Friargate.


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)




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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice updates from Coventry


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## NewTroll (Sep 18, 2008)

student flats on Fairfax Street street.


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