Missing Waters

When I was little I was always told that the 'River Arthur' ran though the city. Could this be the river? that supplied the mill at the Swanswell, and following that line how many more small rivers [or should that be brooks?] run hidden from view today. The water that supplied Nauls Mill is another one that 'springs' to mind John

I must admit, the River Arthur is one I've never heard about, but there must be dozens of small brooks of that nature under our city, each with a name that would've been given to them in ancient times. The nearest one to that name that I know of is the River Albert, which seems to be an alternative name for the Radford Brook running from Naul's Mill and joining up with the main Sherbourne just past the Burges (corruption of bridges). This word also perhaps gives us a clue to the Coventry folk's accent in medieval times - "bridges" pronounced "burges" - did we really sound like country bumpkins? Maybe this could be another topic! Anyway, does anyone know of any other rivers or brooks lost or culverted beneath our city?

I've read elsewhere that the Swanswell is indeed fed by the 'River Arthur' but the name of the reference escapes me for the present. There was even a silly folk tale that King Arthur's treasure was buried in the mud of the Swanswell but later dredging work totally disproved that theory. There is a stream which ran between Spon Street and the Sherbourne before the council estate was built called the Back Brook. Old maps show it running backwards from where the SkyDome is now and ending in a pool under what is now Windsor Street. I presume that is how the stream got its name? Later maps show it as running continuously from a junction near Windsor Street to a junction further downstream. According to Britsh History Online, the stream which runs under Gosford Street to the east of the Sherbourne is known as the Springfield Brook.

I remember the stream that ran at the side of Coventry & Warwickshire hospital I think that was the Sherbourne and I believe another river runs under or by the Unicorn W M Club hence the Holbrook name.

There is a stream running at the rear of the houses in Springfield road that I was told was the river Arthur. However from what has been stated previously I guess it was the Springfield brook

There are a few references to the River Arthur on this forum. I asked the question in my thread "The Brook?" which passed behind Springfield Road and Howard Street into the Swanswell. Dutchman identified it as the River Arthur. As kids, we used to play in the brook at five ways bomb site and always thought it was the Sherbourne but the Sherbourne has no connection with Swanswell Pool. It's course is well documented on the www.

There is a river that also runs down the Radford Road underground not sure of its name, I think it's under the old Savoy cinema, also there is a spring that runs underground from Corley to Three Spires Avenue allotments, entrance is on the Radford Road, we used to take it home for a cuppa.

I was born at 39 Springfield Road in 1958. The brook ran behind our garden and often the garden flooded until the brook was covered up and the gardens extended over it My dad told me there were once fish in the brook until residents started to throw rubbish into it

There are numerous mentions of "Springfield Brook" within the forum, in a variety of threads - it would be difficult to bring them all together By entering "Springfield" in the search box, the relative posts can be seen

Well there is, or was, Arthur St in that area.