Our May Open Day saw the launch of our new (old) tea room. Over the past few years we have been serving our homemade cakes from a gazebo outside to use this room for storage but we have moved back into the tea room inside for this year and beyond. It was a lot of work so thank you to our volunteers!
It also provided the chance to show off some of our newly acquired collection of traditional irons. These were kindly donated by the Vale of Evesham Historical Society who were dismantling their museum due to organisational changes. Thanks to Gerry Harte for facilitating.
It was a lovely sunny day so plenty of people took the opportunity to sit in the garden to enjoy the refreshments.
You can come and experience the cake for yourself on our next Open Day on Saturday June 6th. This is also the weekend of Motofest – in previous years people have enjoyed the opportunity to pop out from the city centre and along Spon Street to enjoy a contrast!
About ten minutes walk from The Weaver’s House, another piece of Coventry’s local history has been brought back to life. The Nursery Tavern is situated on Lord Street in Chapelfields, an area famous for watchmaking.
The pub has been there since 1852, and is named for local gardens, (not childcare!).
Screenshot
I can’t remember where I got this screenshot from but it shows the pub in the early days (no sitting on the flat roof now!).
The traditional pub has been a favourite for locals but a combination of factors has seen it struggle in recent years. Black Country Ales recently refurbished the pub to bring it back into use.
The interior decor pays homage to its 19th century origins.
You can compare these views by taking a five minute walk from the pub.
There are lots of old photos to admire and real ales to sample.
If you are interested in the history of Coventry pubs you may also like this book Drinking in an Old English Town by Fred Luckett. Available from Gonzo on Earlsdon Street.
With the sunny days becoming more frequent, we took the opportunity to try out The Sherbourne Valley Project’s new River Ramble walks, exploring the Sherbourne river which runs right through the heart of the city (although mostly culverted underground in the city centre itself). It’s no coincidence that The Weaver’s House is close to the river as the proximity to water would have been a vital part of the textile trade.
The first trail we tried out was the Spon End History Trail which includes The Weaver’s House, and if you fancy trying this out on an Open Day, you can pick up a paper copy from us. Not to mention the opportunity for a look around the house and perhaps a pit stop for homemade cake!
This 1.8km route is a circular walk so you can begin at any one of the points on the trial, we began at the Spon End Bridge and followed the path along past the ruined Chapel. There are about 20 points of interest on the walk.
There are lots of interesting details pointed out as the trail heads past The Weaver’s House, under the ring road and into Spon Street until it reaches another one of Coventry’s treasures, St John’s Church (always worth a visit, check for opening times).
We followed the route which led back along Spon Street and under the ringroad, where it diverts to take in the old (resited) canal bridge, like the Weaver’s House, it is another piece of rescued history. I can say I had never noticed these marks before, their origin is revealed by the trail!
It’s definitely worth a pause in this area. It might not look like much but this area in redevelopment will soon be transformed beyond recognition.
We continued almost back to where we began, opposite the Old Dyer’s Arms. As it was such a lovely day we decided to enjoy another of the walks at Lake View. It’s about 1.2km to walk to Lake View through this pedestrian route which cuts through the allotments, if you want to do it on foot:
Start opposite the pub and turn rightWalk to the railway archesJust past the arches turn rightHead past the warehousesThe Sherbourne (spot the duck!)Continue to the path past the warehousesOver the river againThe path runs between the allotments
You will emerge close to the back of Morrisons (part of the Alvis Retail Park), head up along here to Four Pounds Ave, turn right to cross and then head past Morrisons to the traffic lights to cross the main road and come back to Lake View Road.
Then it’s time to start the ‘Stride with Pride’ walk at Lake View.
This walk takes you around some of the key points of interest at Lake View. The river runs all the way through this park. Grayswood Nature Reserve has been part of the site since the 1990s, when a large area of abandoned allotments was given over for this.
Lake View route startBats can be sighted in this areaLooking for sticklebacksMore ducks!Looking for shrimp in this beachy areaThe shrimp did not respond
There’s lots to see around Lake View and we’ll definitely be heading back at different points of the year to look for more wildlife.
A huge thank you and sad farewell to Dr Jennifer Waters who stepped down from her role as Trustee last December, after being involved with the trust for an incredible twenty years. Jen was among the team who saw the site transform from a dilapidated and neglected mess into the thriving collection of shops, offices and museum we have today. Over the years she has:
The Weaver’s House is seeking committed Trustees to help guide the future of this unique medieval heritage site, run entirely by volunteers.
As a Trustee, you’ll support the preservation of the site including the other buildings in Black Swan Terrace, strengthen community engagement, and help shape our goals. We’re looking for someone who brings enthusiasm, good judgement, and a willingness to work collaboratively. We currently open the site to the public for 7 days per year and meet as trustees quarterly, so it is not an onerous role.
Experience in finance, legal, fundraising, maintenance or residential/commercial lettings are particularly welcome but not essential. If you’re passionate about local history and want to make a meaningful impact, we’d love to hear from you.
If you are interested please contact Jess via publicityandmedia @theweavershouse.org
(delete space when emailing, this has been removed to avoid spam).
Earlier this year, The Weaver’s House also provided a suitable backdrop for a visit from Viola, Live Vocalist, Violinist & Cabaret Artist and participant in RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Series 7. Viola’s outfit was handmade using weaving techniques to represent the ribbon weaving industry and Coventry’s association with blue (and you may spot a reference to a certain traffic feature too). Fantastic to see a modern addition to Coventry’s textile history.
It is with deep sadness that we report the death of former member of The Weaver’s House Carol Hudd (de Rose) in Margate following a period of illness.
Carol spent many years in Coventry and had a passion for Earlsdon and Spon End. She was an active member of The Weaver’s House and helped many local people enjoy our historic site. Carol wrote the original publication focusing on the family history of the site, now in its second edition.
She was also a keen contributor to the Earlsdon ECHO, Earlsdon U3A group and several book clubs, where she made many friends.
She moved to Margate in 2017 but never lost touch with Coventry, visiting regularly to see her family.
All of us at The Weaver’s House offer our condolences.
We attended this event which took place at The Herbert Art Gallery in October. An inspiring day, we heard updates from Ian Harrabin of Historic Coventry Trust, Marcus Lynch on Coventry Heritage Strategy and Charlotte Booth, Strategic Programme Manager who revealed some of the plans for the former IKEA building.
Coventry City Council has picked up the building to turn it into a lively cultural hub, teaming up with the Arts Council, British Council, and Culture Coventry Trust. Coventry University will have the top two floors, while the lower levels are getting a makeover for cultural and commercial spaces. Construction should finish in 2026, with doors opening in 2027. Thanks to £5 million in “levelling up” funding, this project is set to bring some fantastic cultural perks to the community which is very close to our location, so extra exciting!
The rest of the day featured updates including Coventry Archives, Irish Coventry Heritage and Kenilworth Road Trees Project amongst others.
We were again invited to take part in The Sherbourne Valley Project’s River Festival and were delighted to take part. A fantastic event celebrating the river and including music, theatre, crafts and storytelling, we brought along some Tudor games as well as some weaving related items.
We loved taking part in the event which took place at Fargo Village. It was great to see so many people taking part and celebrating the river. You can find out more about the project, including how to get involved, here. The Sherbourne Valley Project | Home
Steam, Strife, and Survival: The Coventry Weavers’ Riot of 1831
Saturday 2nd August, at 12 noon and 2.30pm.
Tickets are free but must be booked in advance via Eventbrite.
We are delighted to welcome author Sarah Thornton as a special guest for our August Open Day.
Sarah’s great great great grandfather was silk weaver, Thomas Burbury, accused of being the ringleader in the great riot of 1831. Thomas lived in Spon End about half a mile from where the riot took place, somewhere close to where The Weaver’s House stands. Sarah’s talk will delve into her family history to throw light on another chapter of Coventry’s textile history:
It’s 1831 and times were tough for Coventry weavers. They had staunchly defended the timeworn craft of their ancestors for decades, resisting steam engines and other newfangled advances, cherishing the prized, single-hand looms upstairs in their cottages and terraces.
But winter was approaching, ribbon prices were down, and work was scarce. Hunger and poverty gripped the throats of men and women across the city. And so, on that November day of 1831, the weavers held a meeting to decide what to do—hundreds of them gathering in Cross Cheaping.
No one…not the weavers, nor the masters, not the magistrates nor the city aldermen …no one could have predicted the violence and destruction that was to rain down upon Coventry that day.
What was it down in the yard off New Buildings that angered the crowd so? And who was the man with the scar, seen at the forefront of the violence? What would become of the those involved? Everyone knew the punishment for rioting was death. And why would this event spell the death knell for ribbon weaving in Coventry forever?
Come and hear the shocking true story of the infamous Weaver’s Riot of 1831. The talk will last 45 minutes – 1 hour and there will be the opportunity for questions.
Please note that the talk will take place in the upstairs room due to space restrictions. Tickets must be booked in advance.
The rest of the site will be open from 10am until 4pm and refreshments are available.
