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1. Sixty Years of Cycling - 1897 magazine article
2. The Arno Motor Company of Coventry 1908-1916, by Damien Kimberley
3. The New Bablake Schools - 1889 article
4. Public Baths - The Building News, Jan 24th 1896
5. A short history of Coventry's Theatres and Cinemas, by Bill Birch
6. The Brough Superior, by Damien Kimberley
7. Proposal for St. Michael's Campanile c1890
8. Coventry's Rich Heritage, by Pete Walters
9. Coventry, the Home of the Cycle Trade - 1886 magazine article
10. The Dragoon Cycle Company of Coventry, by Damien Kimberley
11. Edwin Brown, Victorian Animal Artist, by Stephen Catton
12. Coventry Volunteer Fire Brigade - Illustrated London News, Jan 4th 1862
13. The Great Flood of December 1900, and the lost Bridges, by Damien Kimberley
14. Coventry's Great Flood - London Daily Graphic, 2nd January 1901
15. New Drinking Fountain at Coventry - 17 Sep 1859
16. Henry Cave, and the 'Lady' Autocar of 1899, by Damien Kimberley
17. The Lion Bicycle Company of Coventry & Wolverhampton 1877-1882, by Damien Kimberley
18. The Beech on Wheels, by Derek Robinson and forum member Foxcote
19. Phil Silvers Archival Museum, by Paul Maddocks
20. Transport Museum pt.3 - Creating the Blitz Experience, by Paul Maddocks
21. What links a Spitfire's landing gear to a baby buggy? by Paul Maddocks
22. The sound that almost killed my Dad in the War!, by Paul Maddocks
23. D-Day and Monty's Staff Car, by Paul Maddocks
24. Transport Museum pt.2 - New Hales Street Entrance in 1985, by Paul Maddocks
25. Transport Museum pt.1 - How the Queen's 1977 visit sowed the seed, by Paul Maddocks
26. What links R2D2 to a Coventry Hydrogen/Electric cab company? by Paul Maddocks
27. Transport Museum pt.6 - The Royal Cars, by Paul Maddocks
28. Transport Museum pt.5 - The 1987 F.A. Cup Winners' Sky Blue Bus, by Paul Maddocks
29. The Tapestry and its Hidden Secret, by Paul Maddocks
30. Transport Museum pt.4 - Coventry's Land Speed Record Cars, by Paul Maddocks
31. Whitefriars Gatehouse and Toy Museum, by Paul Maddocks
32. WW1 and Wyley of Charterhouse, by Paul Maddocks
33. Miss Bashford, a Teacher's Tale, by Simon Shaw
34. Motor Panels (Coventry) Ltd, by Damien Kimberley
35. Not Forgotten, the 1939 IRA bomb attack, by Simon Shaw
36. Let's talk about Rex, by Damien Kimberley
37. Coventry, the Silk Trade and the Horsfall family, by Ian West
38. The Saint Joseph the Worker parish in Coventry, by Terence Richards - Part 1
39. The Saint Joseph the Worker parish in Coventry, by Terence Richards - Part 2
40. The Saint Joseph the Worker parish in Coventry, by Terence Richards - Part 3
41. A brief history of Saint Osburg's, in pictures, by Damien Kimberley
42. The First Tudor Feast, by Richard Ball
43. 1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by John Bailey Shelton MBE
44. Plan for the City Centre - The Architect and Building News, 21st March 1941
 

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by John Bailey Shelton MBE

as originally published in Austin's Monthly Magazine from November 1832 to June 1939

Compiled and transcribed by R. W. Orland, 2005

I'm sincerely grateful to the Shelton family for their kind permission and encouragement to publish these works.

J. B. Shelton's post-war book A Night in Little Park Street can be viewed here (in PDF format).

Contents

Display ALL articles

Date:Subjects covered:

1932

NovGosford Gate
DecCo-op Site, West Orchard

1933

JanWest Orchard, Bridge etc.
FebBroadgate Excavations
MarBroadgate Excavations
AprBroadgate Excavations
MayBlack Bull Inn, Pepper Lane
JunBlack Bull Inn
JulCox Street - River Excavations
AugCox Street - River Excavations
SepCox Street - River Excavations
OctCox Street - River Excavations
NovCox Street - River Excavations
DecPark Side Excavations

1934

JanPark Side Excavations
FebBurges Excavations
MarBenedictine Site Excavations
AprBenedictine Site Excavations
MayBenedictine Site Excavations
JunBenedictine Site Excavations
JulCoventry Castle
AugBenedictine Site, Palmer Lane Guest House
SepBenedictine Site, Wooden Bridge
OctAntiquities Exhibition at the Drill Hall
NovWell Street Excavations
DecPriory Pool & Mills

1935

JanPriory Pool & DIstrict
FebNew Buildings, Tower Foundations
MarCity Wall, Cook Street Gate, Plumb House
AprPriory Tower
MayPriory Tower, Gulson Road, Round Tower, New Gate Foundations
JunBroad Well, Burges Ford, Palmer Lane
JulWhite Friars
AugMeeting House, Smithford Street
SepMeeting House, Smithford Street
OctMeeting House, Smithford Street, St. John's Hospital Excavations
NovSt. John's Hospital, Barracks Square, Black Bull Inn
DecBarracks Square, Black Bull Inn

1936

JanBarracks Square, Black Bull Inn
FebButcher Row
MarButcher Row
AprButcher Row
MayButcher Row
JunOwen Owen's Site
JulOwen Owen's Site
AugOwen Owen's Site
SepOwen Owen's Site
OctTrinity Street
NovTrinity Street
DecTrinity Street

1937

JanBenedictine Museum
FebPool Meadow to Priory Street
MarPool Meadow to Priory Street
AprPool Meadow to Priory Street Excavations
MayBull Ring, Pottery Kiln, Hippodrome
JunHippodrome, Rex Cinema
JulBablake Excavations
AugCow Lane Site Excavations

1938

MayRex Site, Trinity Street
JulBroadgate Excavations
SepBablake Excavations, Co-op Site, West Orchard
OctTrinity Street, Bull Ring
NovSt. Mary's Cathedral Site, Bull Ring
DecSt. Mary's Cathedral Site, Bull Ring

1939

JanPost Office Excavations
FebSt. Mary's Cathedral Site
MarArt Gallery and Museum
AprArt Gallery and Museum
MayArt Gallery and Museum
JunBablake Excavations

Rex Site, Trinity Street

May 1938

REX SITE, CORPORATION STREET

Since writing my last article on this site, another part of the site is being excavated, and is situated at the West End. Opposite this site when making Corporation Street six years ago a large quantity of piles and stone foundations were revealed at a depth of 8 ft., which was no doubt one of the 32 mills on the river course; near by in July, 1937, several large holes were being dug, and running through two of these were large timbers built in step form which were most probably part of the flood gates. In another hole and at a depth of 14 ft. to 16 ft. a mall or mallet was found which no doubt was used to drive in the piles of 700 years ago. The mallet was in good condition and could be used today. It had been cowled out of an elm tree and made almost the shape of a man's head with a piece growing out of the top to form a handle. The bark is on as though it were still growing and is so firm that it could be used today for the same purpose.

BOVIS SITE, TRINITY STREET

Very extensive buildings have been built by Bovis Ltd., backing from Palmer Lane to the West Side of Trinity Street, and the foundations have been dug very deep. The foundations of the Guest House stables were discovered, also a wine cask used as a refuse bin with its oak timbers as good as the day it was made. In it was a broken vessel thought to be of the Norman period; after being pieced together it measured 14 ins. high, and 10 ins. wide.

In the making of one large hole for foundations and the digging out of a cellar 14 ft. in depth a large heap of refuse from the stables was found, and as usual in such material a large quantity of boots and harness; at least 50 boots came to light, of the 14th century. Some had leather laces, others straps and buckles, one was decorated similar to many summer boots of today. A number of soles and uppers were found in the same position they had been thrown away 600 years ago, and had long toes from 3 to 4 ins.; placed between the upper and sole of the toe was moss wedged tightly to keep the toe stiff. Probably many of the shoes were made in Coventry, for in Hales Street a large quantity of moss had been thrown away, and was as good as the day it grew. Near to the bottom of the cellars close by the stables, a large tree at least 20 ft. in circumference had been cut off. At the lower end of Palmer Lane a large building must have stood and the foundations were principally made of stone coffin lids. On this same site some years ago a coffin lid was found, in which brasses had once been, and might have been the stone of a Bishop or Priest, but no inscription was found.

The first factory for ribbons called Beck's Factory, stood on the site also, and the wood piles on which the chimney was built were found driven closely together to a depth of 12 ft. The building was of the best, and many days were spent in driving through the brick and stone. This factory was built in 1830, by a Mr. Beck, a mechanic. Improvement in looms etc., caused unrest amongst the workpeople and in November 1831, a strike came about, and fire was started in the building which consumed the lot. The strikers hurled the looms and ribbons out of the windows into the Priors Pool. A number of men were punished by being sent to Van Dieman's Land and three men were to have been hung on Whitley Common, but Mr. Ellice, M.P., was asked to plead on their behalf and through this they were reprieved, and sent also to Van Dieman's Land. One of these men made good and paid a visit to Coventry some years after.


 
 
 
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