News

CovSoc founder member, Paul Maddocks, writes ….. While working as a designer/illustrator at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, I had the pleasure of producing the very first poster for the ‘Tom Mann’ Lecture, which is held each year. The first one was held at the Herbert Lecture Theatre in the late 1970’s and I… Read more: Tom Mann Lecture 2025

The Coventry Police Museum is a branch of the West Midlands Police Museum, which is based in Birmingham. The Coventry Museum is based in the Council House and is open every Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The Coventry Police Museum first opened in 1957, at Little Park Street, now Coventry Central… Read more: Coventry Police Museum

Coventry Society continues to take an active role in the City Council’s update of the local plan. Currently, the Council is responding to nearly 60 questions raised by the independent inspectors who will then decide whether the updated local plan can proceed to a public inquiry in spring 2026. But there is now another plan… Read more: Yet another plan for Coventry!

Those who attended the Coventry Society Heritage Conference in October will be aware that City Council has resurrected the idea of a Heritage Strategy for the city. The City Council started work on the strategy in 2020. It was intended to “provide a strategic framework for managing, sustaining and celebrating heritage across the city” and… Read more: Coventry Heritage Strategy

Historian and Coventry Society member Malvern Carvell tells us about the life and times of Alfred Harris the well-known Coventry businessman and quiet philanthropists. Malvern writes….. With the unveiling of the relocated Coventry Cross, I thought it might be a good time to tell the little known story of Alfred Harris (1888-1976) of The Coventry… Read more: Alfred Harris

Historic England has recently published its “Heritage at Risk Register” for this year. Despite the money invested in recent years, there has been little change in the list for Coventry since last year. As we reported last year, there are three Conservation Areas, one Parks and Gardens, one Scheduled Ancient Monument and five Listed Buildings… Read more: Heritage at Risk 2025

Understanding how £29 million in developer funds could shape Coventry’s future The Issue at Hand At a recent Coventry City Council meeting, it was revealed that £28 million of unspent planning agreement money is currently held by the local authority. This money could — and should — be used to fund social housing, schools, health… Read more: All You Need to Know About Planning Agreements

Historian and CovSoc member, Peter James, tells us the fascinating history of the city’s guilds. Peter writes…… The Importance of Trade Guilds Trade Guilds played a vital role in Coventry’s social and economic life. Not only did they maintain high quality standards for goods and services, they also provided welfare support for their members and… Read more: Coventry Guilds

CovSoc member John Marshall tells the story of a grand house in Bray’s Lane, built for the Inspector of Factories, Otto Striedinger Imagine Bray’s Lane in Stoke in the 19th century, a remote country lane with no houses on either side. A rural idyll, surrounded by fields, with an old public house, the Half Moon,… Read more: A House Called ‘Hope’s Harbour’

Coventry Swimming Baths and “The Elephant” – Coventry Society’s Position  The Coventry Society, like many local organisations and Coventrians, is disappointed that the Council wishes to demolish the Swimming Baths (also known as the Central Baths). It was listed as grade two by Historic England in 1997 for four reasons: A Grade 2 listed building… Read more: The Future of the Baths