City Wall and Gates (inc. Cook Street)

Elsewhere on this forum someone recently mentioned Swanswell Gate. Is it a gate? I know it's a very long time ago but at school we were taught that it was a defence tower and not a gate. Les

I just had a look about the Swanswell Gate, cos I didn't know much, but this may help. The Coventry Gates I expect someone more knowledgable than me will go into more detail.

Also see Rob's page on the HC site

I've traced a relative living at 4 Cook Street, 1861 which I think is next to the Hollybush Inn. I have been looking for photos of this area, the only photo I have seen is the Cook Street Gate and I would also like to know what was College Square?, no 4 was very near to this area (if I've got it correct) xx

That end of Cook street and Silver Street are not well covered. Nobody has come forward with photos and the only images I know of are paintings/drawings. Sydney Bunney's Coventry - impressions of a graceful city (can be bought or borrowed) has paintings of the end of Silver Street and Rood Lane looking towards 4 Cook Street. This picture by Dr Troughton looks along Silver Street and number 4 could be one of those at the end. College Square was an area joining Silver Street and Rood Street. Hope that helps

Cook Street Gate is top right hand corner Cook Street Gate top left, photo from 1949

1889 map. The Angel is at No.1 and The Hollybush is at No.5:

Nice aerial photos deanocity3. You can clearly see the Hollybush Inn.

Much Park Street had the greatest number of pubs by a considerable margin Dreamtime. Elsewhere in Coventry, I think the biggest concentrations of pubs occured where the most back street courts were located.

Thank you Dutchman, interesting to know as it was a topic of conversation over the Christmas break.

Looks like part of the city wall has been uncovered whilst they dig up Cox Street car park! - Telegraph

It's hard to tell from the photos but by the look of it they've found the stretch to the north of the river that then turned left to head towards the Hales Street gate. Basically they're two parts of the Pool Meadow wall. They need to widen the corner to look for the tower base. Edited by member, 4th Feb 2017 12:05 am

No surprise there, there are probably foundations everywhere. A lot was dug up in the past and reburied to preserve it. When they were building the ring road they kept coming across old walls that they considered to be a hindrance. Did they find some when they dug up at the back of the Belgrade theatre as well? I wandered up to the section that's used by Pargetters today. There's a strange paved square there with a monument on it. There's apparently a Roman road in that area as well.

Somebody tell the Telegraph that Whitefriars Gate was not part of the city wall