War Memorial Park

In honour of the fallen during World War One, plans were made for the laying out of a Memorial park in 1919 on the land which covered much of Stivichall Common. The park was officially opened on the 9th July 1921 but building continued throughout the 1920s, largely using local unemployed men.
By 1927, the monument with which we're all familiar was completed, as were the gates - pictured here soon after construction, and making good use of stone salvaged from the city wall.

This photograph has been displayed with the kind permission of Local Studies, Coventry Libraries and Information Services and is not to be reproduced without their consent.

For many more wonderful archive photographs like this, take a look at the Pictures of Coventry website.

Clicking on the photo will reveal the view seen in 2004. The memorial is no longer visible in the background from here, but this is only a sign that the colourful selection of trees around the park have matured nicely.

The Pavilion

This next photograph was taken during the reign of King George VI - probably during the 1940s.

The view in 2006 is largely, and pleasantly, unchanged. The pavilion, bowling green and memorial in the background are still present; the only noticeable but minor differences being the hedge around the crown green and the absence of a small building which appears on the far right of the 1940s photo. Richard Fletcher recalls this small hut, and suggests that it was once used as the place where an attendant would take the money for the hire of the tennis courts, and also for storing deckchairs during the summer months.

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