Derby Lane and the Cathedral Quarter

I heard there was an archaelogical dig in the 1990s, or something??? Any info on this? I've never felt like going in there for years so if it happened I would have easily missed it.

Hi Osmiroid Does any of this ring any bells? Time Team

Hello Philip, thanks, I wasn't aware of a watchmakers episode, I have a Coventry Astral pocket watch so I wish I'd seen it. I can vaguely remember one about the original cathedral, I think.

I certainly remember excavations when the old prefab shops were removed, they were on the Broadgate clock side, about where Waterstones was. It was cordoned off for a while. I think it was too early for Time Team though and would have been pre-90s before Cathedral Lanes was built. Mid-80s perhaps?

I don't know, but I've read an article in 19th century magazine that talks about a Roman pavement on Broadgate and refers to Foleshill Road as a Roman Road! They also found some stone walls at some point in the past.

Roman Broadgate - Publicum forum Domina Godiva :)

rofl Osmiroid. You'll have us believing that Godiva was a dominatrix soon.

Apologies if the owner is here but there are some fantastic images of Derby Lane (amongst others!!) here Edited by member, 4th Sep 2015 1:51 am

Osmiroid, if you type excavation or derby into the library pictures, you'll find pictures of a dig. I'm not sure where they are bar the one where the man is pointing to an archway to a cellar. start at comment 6 for explanation

Thanks Helen, interesting to see :)

Fascinating, it's quite hard to picture this as it's changed so much. I always thought it was a shame that the route from the Cathedral Quarter down Bayley Lane and Pepper Lane takes you past service areas. Cathedral Lanes is a bit inside out! Edited by member, 5th Sep 2015 7:06 pm

Those lanes were truly a place of wonder. To me the birth of Coventry. It was like another world within the confines of those ancient houses. I felt like a furtive intruder. The quiet whispering of the past. Those narrow lanes was, as it had been for centuries, except that nature had crept in. Tumbling into ruin the exposed split beams and rafters, the chimneys, without the presence of smoke to soften them I doubt if the temperature inside had ever got into double figures, I imagined oak panel long, a sword hung over a huge open fireplace, an old bible laying open on the table. The nooks and crannies, such was my nature. Those quiet narrow lanes provided sanctuary from a world I didn't quite fit in.

Further to Osmiroid's image that I posted earlier - here is what must be the latest image I know of of an intact Derby Lane before its destruction in very near to the same spot. This one is dated 1936 and as you can see it still retained its ye olde charm (although probably its olde charm rats as well!). Mirrorpix have recently added some great new images which I will try to add on the forum where appropriate. Edited by member, 29th Aug 2018 1:18 pm

Another great find Neil!!!!!! So rare to find pictures from inside Derby Lane.

Hi Neil, I was going to post that Mirrorpix seemed to have more old photos, though they're hard to filter out from the modern ones. I think that the reason Derby Lane is so poorly covered is that it was tall and thin. It must have been quite grand at one point, as hinted at by the artists who have covered the street. They had more chance to show the street because they could exaggerate the angle of view to show it more clearly.