Past Times

The old bus terminal is now The Close Complex opposite the Library.  Dempster Court is in the background. The chimney in the centre is the Union Wool and Leather works and the one next to it is the Roller Mills on the river.

The Town Hall under construction in May 1932 when the River Anker and the Wash Brook flooded.  The footings were completely washed away and the build had to be started again, delaying the opening until 1934.  Milliner’s is now the Tool Box.

Coton Road.  In the distance is the old Mining School on the corner of Riversley Road.  The first cyclist is just going past where the Roanne is now.  Hiding behind the first tree is the now derelict ‘Redroofs’,  home to Mr L E Price, Mayor of Nuneaton in 1929 and the house later became ‘Redroofs’ surgery.  Floods were common in Nuneaton in the 1950’s.

The original Pingles Leisure Centre in the early 1970’s.  Built in 1965 it closed in 2003 to be redeveloped into the new running track and sports complex whilst the new Pingles Leisure was built on what was the the car park.

The old J C Smiths furniture awaiting demolition in 1967. The site became Sainsburys supermarket and next to it on the left was Tandys.  The Granby Head public house (just in view on the left) was not affected.  To the right of the new Sainsbury was the Post Office and next to that the Tax Office.

Bond Gate again.  The single deck bus on the right is parked outside the old Hippodrome Theatre, now long gone.

The view from outside J C Smiths looking across to the Newdegate Arms Hotel on the corner of what is now the Harefield Road/ Newdegate Street junction. The hotel was demolished in the 1960’s clearances and the Heron Arcade built on the site.  The Heron later became the Abbeygate Shopping Centre.

Riversley Park in (we believe) 1958 floods.  Way in the background you can see the old bridge that connected the park to Lovers’ Lane that ran at the back of Union Wool and Leather (now Sainsburys).  Before the flood relief scheme was implemented, the park was prone to severe flooding.

In the centre of the picture is the original Nag’s Head public house.  You can see the ‘nag’s head’ just above the lady in the white coat.  The photo was taken circa 1920.  At the bottom of Coventry Street is the Westminster Bank.  The white blinds are Woolworths original site.  On the corner of Mill Walk is ‘Millinery Modes’ ladies fashion shop, now ‘The Toolbox’.  The grocers on the left is now an empty shop (was an estate agents?) and next to that (not on photo) is Masons.

The same view a decade or more later.  It was decided to widen Coventry Street and of course the ‘Nags’ and Woolies had to go.  You can recognise the ‘streetscape’; by the white wall there is now a telephone box.  If you look carefully at the 1920 photo (above) you can see the top windows of a building behind the pub.  In this photo – the whole of the pub and Woolies has gone and the windows are clearly visible.  It does indicate just how narrow Coventry Street originally was.  The number plate for the lorry in the photo was registered in 1932 in Radnorshire, now part of Powys in Wales.

The Heritage Centre as it was just after the Second World War when it was still a school.  If you look at the roof you can see the repairs from the damage received when Coton Church was hit by bombs on the night of 17th May 1941.

King George Vl and Queen Elizabeth (Elizabeth Bowes-Lyons) visited Nuneaton in 1943 to meet with and to present medals to the volunteers of the Womens Voluntary Services, the Blue Light Services and the Civil Defence who did so much during the bombings of 1942

The Boer War statue fondly known as ‘Old Bill’ originally stood in Bond Gate alongside the river.  When the Hippodrome was demolished and the road widened, ‘Old Bill’ was moved to Riversley Park.

Stirling Metals, part of the Birmid Industries Group.  It was the biggest employer in Nuneaton.  It closed in 1987, unable to compete with the allegedly subsidised competition from Spain and Brazil.

Coventry Street in the 1950’s (possibly 1958) showing the flooding which was not uncommon. In the background you can see the old Police Station (now Virgin Bank), next to it is Armstrongs and the first of the small houses is Evolve Hair Stylists.  All the other shops and houses have gone to be replaced by the Multi Storey Car park and the Roanne.

Looking across from Vicarage Street to the redevelopment on Church Street.  The untouched Granby Head can be seen on the right.

Photo taken from the corner of Wheat Street looking across to St Georges Hall at the Bond Gate/Newdegate Street junction.  Warwick House would be eventually built on the cleared land.

View from the corner of the Town Hall looking across to the Police Station which became the Yorkshire Bank and then Virgin Bank.  The tree in the foreground is still there but a lot bigger!

The Bus Garage in Coton Road, just up from the Town Hall. At  the back of the garage was the Nuneaton Electric Light Company.  When the garage was pulled down in the mid 60’s it was replaced by the open space seating area and fountain.

Nuneaton in 1962.  Although the shops have changed, the buildings are vitually the same. Weaver to Wearer is now Vodaphone, Iliffes was O2 (now empty), Burtons at the bottom of Market Place is Clintons, Lesters Chemists is Boots.  Pedestrianisation was far into the future.

This photo is late 1800’s.  The clock tower has not yet been built, though the ‘streetscape’ of Bridge Street, Market Place and the corner of Wash Lane (Queens Road) are instantly recognisable.

The Town Hall, originally called the Council House. The postcard is 1950’s and shows quite clearly the original ‘footprint’ of the town hall before the in-fill that removed the small layby (for use only by the Mayor and visiting dignitaries).  Note the two flagpoles, now replaced by a single short flagpole on the central balcony and no disability access ramps.  The top floor was accomodation for the Chauffeur and the Sergeant at Arms who lived on the premises.

Taken from outside the Town Hall in the winter of 2000, the streetscene without the Rope Walk car park and the remodelling of the walkways alongside the Roanne.