Eli's triangle, etc

Most of you will have heard of Eli Green's entrepreneurial weaving enterprise, popularly known in Coventry as the Vernon Street triangle. This was an arrangement of terraced houses and top-floor workshops (top-shops), built in Hillfields in 1858-1859 (mentioned in VCH VIII, pp.169-70). Look up also a splendid above photograph, angled down (possibly from a new high rise block of flats or a nearby crane), in www.coventrysociety.org.uk - photo 15 entitled "Eli Green's Vernon Street triangle", taken July 28 1970, Brook Street is in the foreground. Around the same time I was taking my photographs. Eli's triangle was made up of Brook Street, Vernon Street & Berry Street. I will comment on the images as in my previous contributions, although unfortunately the time lapse is accompanied by serious memory lapse. I think I must have visited the triangle on a couple of occasions, because there are images from 1968 and 1970-71. 1) View of Vernon Street from Berry St. - 1971. 2) Vernon St. top-shops, Hillfields. 1971. 3) Another view showing section through a house, previously demolished. 1971. 4) Backs of the Vernon Street top-shops, taken in Berry St. 1968. The people in the picture are my wife and son. 5) Vernon St. top-shops showing room configuration in cross-section. 1971. 6) View showing not very much! But there must have been a reason at the time - are yes, it shows the drive shaft plate and position. 1971. 7) View of partly demolished buildings, with modern (sic) flats behind - lovely. 1971. 8) Berry St. and backs of Vernon Street, Hillfields. Jan. 1968. 9) Vernon St. top-shops - very poor shot, but better than nothing - perhaps? Prob. 1971. 10) Weaving drive shaft. This ran through the whole building and was originally powered by a steam engine, in the central area of the triangle. Obviously converted to electricity in more recent times. Photo. 1971. 11) Shot of workshop window - sorry about the quality. 1971. 12) Gear wheel in-situ in Vernon St. workshops. Another very poor image - sorry folks! 1971. 13) Shot of Vernon Street, Hillfields, 1968. 14) A house in Hillfields, but I'm uncertain where. 1971. 15) View up Landsdown St.Hillfields. 1968. 16) Block of houses and workshops in Paynes Lane, taken from Oxford St. Jan 1968. 17) Demolition site in Lower Ford Street, The building on the corner is the Spittlemore Inn and the shot must have been taken in Hood Street. Probably 1971 but I'm not sure.

Brilliant - again!

Incredible stuff. What is sad is that some of that stuff was there for circa 100 years, and some of what replaced it has already been demolished. :-( As mentioned on the the other thread, some of those would have made fine apartments...

Thank you for the brilliant photos Covjb35. I was brought up in this area and the photos bring back happy memories. I remember visiting friends from school who used to lived in Brook Street and Vernon Street, their houses were smaller than our house in Coronation Road.

Tricia Thank you for your comments; it's very pleasing to get positive feedback, especially from someone who knew the area. Thanks again. covjb35

Hi, Just a thought. Could the house, photo No.14, be on the corner of Paynes Lane and Britannia Street. I probably haven't got this right, but the shop reminds me of 'Knights' which was a grocery shop circa 1950. Tricia

Yes Dutchman, I also spotted St Mary's, but I can't remember the shop. Don't forget I'm older than you and sweets were on ration when I was there.  Edited by member, 26th Oct 2013 8:10 pm

Great photo`s, photo 16 - I mentioned this pork batch shop only yesterday they did great faggot & peas as well

Hi Covjb35, these are great photographs, I remember the top shops in Brook Street being demolished and the big drive shafts being pulled out straight on to a scrap lorry, what a waste of history. In photo 14 I am pretty sure this was a shop on the corner of Brook Street and Sparkbrook Street occupied by a company called Carwood who started off selling car and lorry batteries, who are now a massive company on Binley Industrial Estate, Coventry, dealing in just about anything electrical on cars and commercial vehicles. I think its sign written over the window, my magnifying glass is not strong enough to make out the words but I`m 99% sure as it's their company colours at the time

Terrific photos - thanks for sharing - especially love No.16 Love those windows!

I agree about the windows. I should imagine the floor in the middle (2nd) would be very warm in the winter. Can't recall seeing top windows that shape before.

To be honest Tricia, that is the same as I thought but it isn't. The corner house has different windows to the terraced houses, arches instead of lintels. Also the twin dark banding around the buildings. I can only find twin banding around Swan Lane but still different. Hillfields is a very old area and a lot has been demolished but that was mainly the three storey and run of the mill terraced. Those particular houses should still be standing. With the waste ground to the left I thought it might be Leopold Rd, but not. Sorry no help.

Me too - but having looked at Google Maps I have to admit it isn't, for the reasons stated. Doh!