The Weaver's House

We are thrilled to announce that we have received approval for our plans to develop the site and reveal more of the history of the buildings in the terrace.

The Weaver’s House is one of a terrace of cottages which were built in 1455, and which have been modified and added to over the centuries. They were restored by our Trust and reopened as a visitor attraction and retail/residential use in 2007.

The plans will let us create access from The Weaver’s House into the adjacent building (The Visitor Centre) to allow a one-way route for visitors. This will enable us to have visitor tours moving through the building, unlike at present where one group must exit before the next one can enter. It will also give us a new display space in The Visitor Centre to show artefacts and information that we simply don’t have room for now. We will also be adding a new dimension to our story by building up the remains of the former ‘Coventry court’ structure at the top of the garden.

Our Chairman and Volunteers co-ordinator, Tina Woodroffe, said,

“We’re delighted that approval has been given to the planned works, which will enable us to improve the experience of our visitors. By opening up a new area to public access in the Visitor Centre, the cottage next to The Weaver’s House, we’ll be able to house exhibits to better tell the stories of the past residents of the terrace. We’ll also be able to improve the flow of visitors into the house, to allow more tours to take place.

“We’ll also be restoring the footprint of the former ‘Coventry court’ building, which previously stood behind The Weaver’s House and was used as housing in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, to illustrate what life would have been like for residents of those buildings.

“We’re asking the public to get in touch if they have any connection or memories of the Coventry courts to share – even if it is just scraps of information which might seem trivial as this might be a vital piece of the jigsaw!”

The plans will be on display during Open Days throughout 2023 and photos, memories and family reminiscences would be very much welcomed to help us build an authentic picture of life in the court houses. You can contact us by email (please send to history @ theweavershouse.org, removing the spaces), post to The Weaver’s House, 121, Upper Spon Street, Spon End, Coventry, CV1 3BQ, or in person at one of the upcoming Open Days.

We were able to create the architects’ plans for the projects thanks to a donation from an anonymous funder which was facilitated by Heart of England Community Foundation.

The architects are Donald Insall Associates.