Churches Built Since 1800 (fn. 1)
ALL SAINTS, Far Gosford Street, was consecrated in 1869. It was designed by Paull andRobinson (fn. 2) in the Early English style and built ofred sandstone. It consists of an aisled and clerestoriednave, a chancel flanked by an organ chamber and anorth chapel, and a south-west bell-cote containingone bell. (fn. 3) The aisles are roofed with small transverse gables, one to each bay. The church possessesa silver flagon and chalice of 1850. (fn. 4)
The parish was created in 1869 from parts of theparishes of Holy Trinity, St. Michael, Coventry,and St. Peter. (fn. 5) The living, a titular vicarage, was inthe gift of the Bishop of Worcester (fn. 6) until 1919 whenthe patronage was transferred to the Bishop ofCoventry. (fn. 7)
CHRIST CHURCH,situated in the angle ofUnion Street and Warwick Lane, was built in 1830-32 and incorporated the 14th-century tower andspire of the former Greyfriars church. (fn. 8) It was intended as a chapel of ease to St. Michael, Coventry, (fn. 9) in the charge of a perpetual curate appointed by thevicar. (fn. 10) The parish was not created until 1900, whenpart of St. Michael was detached for that purpose.The new living, which was styled a vicarage, was atfirst in the gift of the trustees of the church, (fn. 11) andfrom 1932 in that of the Church Trust Fund Trust. (fn. 12)
When the decision to build a new church wasgenerally adopted in 1825 the tower was presentedby the corporation and additional land, which wasbeing offered for sale as building plots, wasacquired. (fn. 13) The costs were met partly by publicsubscription and partly by parliamentary grant fromthe Church Building Commission. (fn. 14) Rickman andHutchinson were the architects of the new building,which consisted of an aisled and clerestoried naveand was of scholarly Gothic design in keeping withthe 14th-century character of the tower. The westend had a central doorway, three large windowswith Decorated tracery, and angle pinnacles. Thebase of the Greyfriars tower formed the chancel,entered from the nave by a low segmental arch. Theaisles contained galleries behind the arcades andthere was also a west gallery supporting the organ.The structure was of brick, faced with Bath stone,the same stone being used to re-face the tower. (fn. 15) There was one bell, of 1851, by W. and J. Taylor ofOxford. (fn. 16)
The body of the church was reduced to a shell bybombing in 1940. It was eventually decided todemolish the ruins and rebuild on another sitefurther from the centre of the city. (fn. 17) The octagonaltower, the smallest of Coventry's 'three spires', hasbeen preserved.
The parish was absorbed into Holy Trinity in1957. (fn. 18) From 1941 to 1955 the congregation met forworship at St. Michael's mission chapel, WhitefriarsLane. (fn. 19)
CHRIST CHURCH,Frankpledge Road, Cheylesmore, was built to replace the bombed ChristChurch and was consecrated in 1958. (fn. 20) The parishwas created in 1957 out of St. Anne and Stivichall. (fn. 21) The living, a titular vicarage, remained in the gift ofthe Church Trust Fund Trust. (fn. 22) The large parishhall was completed first and was dedicated forservices in 1956. (fn. 23) Attached to it are smaller meetingrooms on two floors.
The church, designed by A. H. Gardner (fn. 24) andbuilt of brick and concrete, consists of aisled nave,shallow chancel, organ chamber, and vestries. Thenave and aisles are of equal width, each housed undera segmental barrel roof; they are divided internallyby slender cylindrical columns. The entrance frontconsists almost entirely of glass. Between the churchand the parish hall is a tall brick tower, the base ofwhich forms an entrance vestibule. The vicaragestands on the opposite side of the church and is connected to it by a covered way. The church possesses an early Gothic Revival set of plate, consisting of a silver flagon, chalice, and paten of 1843. (fn. 25)
The HOLY CROSS, Caludon. See ST. MARYMAGDALEN, Wyken (p. 343).
ST. ALBAN, Stoke Heath, originally a missionchurch of St. Mary Magdalen, Wyken, (fn. 26) stands atthe junction of Mercer Avenue and North Street. Itwas opened in 1929, (fn. 27) designed by H. B. Creswell, (fn. 28) and is built of red brick with a Roman tile roof. Itconsists of aisled nave, chancel, transepts, vestries,and a bell-cote containing one bell. A parish wasassigned in 1939 out of Wyken. (fn. 29) The living, a titularvicarage, is in the gift of the bishop. (fn. 30)
St. Chad, Upper Stoke, in Stratford Road, whichhad been a mission church successively of Stoke andWyken parishes, (fn. 31) was transferred to St. Alban in1929 (fn. 32) and is still used as a parish hall. (fn. 33)
ST. ANDREW, Copsewood. See ST. MICHAEL,Stoke (p. 360).
ST. ANNE, Acacia Avenue, was originallyerected during the First World War by JohnDavenport Siddeley (created Lord Kenilworth in1937) as a canteen and recreational centre formunition workers at the Armstrong-Siddeley factory,Park Side. (fn. 34) The building was given by Siddeleyafter the war to St. Michael, Coventry, for use as amission church and was dedicated in 1930 afterbeing enlarged and refurnished, mainly at hisexpense. (fn. 35) Its dedication was that of the medievalCharterhouse which had stood nearby. (fn. 36) It comprises a two-story brick building, to which wasadded, in 1930, a tower above the main entrance inthe north wall, small transepts, and an apsidalchancel. (fn. 37) The church is on the upper floor and thesemi-basem*nt is used as a church hall.
The parish was created in 1930 out of All Saintsand St. Michael and the patronage assigned to thebishop. (fn. 38) The living was styled a vicarage. From1938 to 1948 the patronage belonged to the bishopand the Crown in alternation, but subsequently tothe bishop alone. (fn. 39)
The hall church of St. Catherine, Stoke Aldermoor, a small brick building faced with stucco, wasbuilt in the Pondfield, Pinley, in 1939 (fn. 40) to serve thenew Stoke Aldermoor housing estate. (fn. 41) This area,including the church, was transferred to Stokeparish in 1959. (fn. 42)
ST. BARBARA, Rochester Road, Earlsdon, wasconsecrated in 1931. (fn. 43) A temporary church, at thejunction of Rochester Road, and Palmerston Road,Earlsdon, had first been opened in 1913 as a missionof St. Thomas, Albany Road, (fn. 44) and a conventionaldistrict was assigned to it in 1917. (fn. 45) The new churchwas built of red brick with stone dressings and wasdesigned by Austin and Paley of Lancaster in anelaborate Perpendicular style. It consists of nave andapsidal chancel, both having aisles and clerestories.The north aisle and west wall were never completedto the original design and are of much simplercharacter. There is a large carved oak pulpit,probably of 17th-century German origin. Thechurch was damaged by bombing during the SecondWorld War. (fn. 46) The old church in Palmerston Roadcontinued to be used as a church hall. In 1965 itwas converted for use as offices.
The parish was created in 1922 out of St. Michael,Coventry, and St. Thomas. (fn. 47) The living was styleda vicarage and was in the gift of the bishop. From1922 to 1924 and after 1937 the patronage belongedto the Crown and the bishop in alternation. (fn. 48)
ST. BARNABAS, Cromwell Street. See ST.MARK.
ST. CATHERINE, Stoke Aldermoor. See ST.ANNE, and ST. MICHAEL, Stoke (p. 360).
ST. CHAD, Hillmorton Road, Woodend, wasconsecrated in 1957. The architect was Basil (laterSir Basil) Spence (fn. 49) and the church is one of three inCoventry of similar design, the others being St.John the Divine, Willenhall, and St. Oswald, TileHill, qq.v. In form the building is a plain rectanglewith a low-pitched roof, the interior containing naveand chancel. Structurally it consists of a steel frameof eight bays, the end walls being of glass and theside walls of concrete with the aggregate left exposed.There is a detached campanile of openwork concreteconstruction and a vestibule connecting the churchwith the parish hall.
A parish was assigned in 1956, from parts of Foleshill, Sowe, and Wyken. (fn. 50) The living was made a titularvicarage, in the gift of the Lord Chancellor. (fn. 51)
ST. CHAD, Upper Stoke. See ST. ALBAN,Stoke Heath, ST. MARY MAGDALEN, Wyken(pp. 342-3), and ST. MICHAEL, Stoke (p. 360).
ST. CHRISTOPHER, Allesley Park, standing atthe junction of Buckingham Rise and WinsfordAvenue, was consecrated in 1960. (fn. 52) It is built ofyellow brick and is a cruciform church with a flatroof, the church hall, screened off with folding doors,taking the place of a nave. In addition to the highaltar there is a free-standing communion table at thecrossing, surrounded by an octagonal rail. Thearchitect was N. F. Cachemaille-Day. (fn. 53)
A new parish was created out of Allesley in 1959. (fn. 54) The living was made a titular vicarage in 1960, inthe gift of the bishop. (fn. 55)
ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, Links Road, NorthRadford, was consecrated in 1959. (fn. 56) It was designedby N. F. Cachemaille-Day (fn. 57) and is built of yellowbrick in a simple traditional style. The only externalornament, on the south wall of the bell turret, is afibre-glass relief of St. Francis preaching to animalsand birds. The accommodation consists of aclerestoried nave with passage aisles, a south porch,north and south transepts, and a chancel with a freestanding altar. To the east of the chancel is a LadyChapel with a rectangular bell turret, containing onebell, against its south wall. The north transept housesthe organ and in the south transept is a chapeldedicated to St. Francis.
The church replaced an earlier church hall, amission of St. Nicholas, Radford, which occupiesthe adjoining site. This was opened and a conventional district assigned to it in 1939, (fn. 58) but the building was twice rendered unusable by bomb damage,in 1940 and 1943. (fn. 59) A parish was formed in 1952 outof St. Luke and St. Nicholas. (fn. 60) The living, whichwas styled a vicarage from 1959, (fn. 61) is in the gift of thebishop. (fn. 62)
ST. GEORGE, Barkers Butts Lane, was dedicatedin 1939. (fn. 63) It was designed by N. F. Cachemaille-Day (fn. 64) and built of red brick in a modern version ofthe Perpendicular style. It consists of nave, northaisle, Lady Chapel, west tower, and south porch.The tower, entered from the porch, has a lowoctagonal second stage surmounted by a spire.Internally its base forms a spacious baptistery whichalso serves as a vestibule to the nave.
The building replaced St. George's Hall whichhad been dedicated in 1929. (fn. 65) A conventional districthad been assigned to it in the same year. (fn. 66) Theparish was formed in 1935 from St. John the Baptist,Coventry, St. Nicholas, and St. Thomas, Keresley-with-Coundon, and the living, which was styled avicarage, (fn. 67) was then placed in the gift of the bishop. (fn. 68)
ST. GEORGE, Camden Street. See ST. MARYMAGDALEN, Wyken (p. 342), and ST. MARGARET, Walsgrave Road.
ST. JAMES, Fletchamstead, which stands at thejunction of Tile Hill Lane and Westcotes, was begunin 1936. (fn. 69) It is built of greyish-yellow brick and isapproximately square in shape, consisting of a nave,lit by tall pointed windows, and an organ galleryonly, with provision for an eastward extension.Internally the nave is spanned by open concretetrusses reaching to the ground.
The building was licensed in 1937 as a missionchurch of St. John the Baptist, Westwood. (fn. 70) In 1964a parish was assigned to it out of Westwood and theliving, styled a vicarage, placed in the gift of thebishop. (fn. 71)
ST. JAMES, Whitley (and Willenhall). See ST.JOHN THE DIVINE, Willenhall.
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, Westwood, wasconsecrated in 1844 (fn. 72) as a chapel of Stoneleighparish. A district was assigned to it out of Stoneleighin 1846 (fn. 73) and the living was declared a vicarage in1866. (fn. 74) The major part of the parish was taken intoCoventry in 1928 under the boundary extensionAct of the previous year. (fn. 75) The church, whichstands in Westwood Heath Road, very near the cityboundary, is a stone building in the style of the 13thand 14th centuries, consisting of chancel, nave,north porch, and a western bell-cote containing onebell. (fn. 76) It was designed by Scott (later Sir GilbertScott) and Moffat; a vestry was added in 1876 and achoir vestry in 1923. (fn. 77) The patronage was at first inthe hands of the Vicar of Stoneleigh, but it wastransferred to Lord Leigh in 1873 (fn. 78) and again, in1925, to the bishop. (fn. 79)
A mission room was built in Station Avenue, TileHill, in 1923, (fn. 80) but was later replaced by St. James,Fletchamstead, q.v., which was licensed as a missionof Westwood in 1937. St. James became a parishchurch in 1964 and, at the same time, a conventionaldistrict was assigned to St. Stephen, Canley, adaughter church of Westwood opened in 1954. (fn. 81) This is a small brick building in Charter Avenue.
ST. JOHN THE DIVINE, Willenhall, whichstands in Robin Hood Road, in the centre of theManor House estate, was consecrated in 1957. (fn. 82)
The first modern place of worship in this district,which was a detached part of Holy Trinity parishknown in the 20th century as Holy Trinity Without,was St. James's mission room, built and licensed forservices in 1884. (fn. 83) The mission room, a red-brickbuilding with a small belfry, (fn. 84) stood in St. James'sLane, south of the site of the medieval chapel ofWillenhall. (fn. 85) It also housed a Church of England dayschool which was opened in 1885. (fn. 86) The missionwas served from Holy Trinity and was apparentlyrebuilt or at least re-licensed, as St. James's missionchurch, in 1933. (fn. 87) In 1940, as the result of a changemade in the ecclesiastical parish boundaries, an arearoughly corresponding to that of the medievallocality of Whitley (fn. 88) was transferred from St. Anne'sparish, which had formerly been part of St. Michael'sancient parish, to Holy Trinity Without. (fn. 89) Thenceforward this area was served by the Abbey Church,Whitley, (fn. 90) formerly the Roman Catholic chapelattached to Whitley Abbey, which was in the chargeof a curate from Holy Trinity. (fn. 91) The Abbey Churchwas replaced in 1950 by the church of St. James,Whitley and Willenhall, (fn. 92) a small brown-brickbuilding in Abbey Road, which was licensed in1951. (fn. 93) St. James's was transferred to the parish ofWillenhall with Whitley when this was created in1958, and has since then been known simply as St.James, Whitley. (fn. 94)
The new church of St. John the Divine wasdesigned by Basil Spence (fn. 95) and was one of three newCoventry churches by this architect built in 1956-7. (fn. 96) It is similar in design to St. Chad's, Woodend, (fn. 97) except that the east end is not glazed, the sanctuarybeing lit by tall narrow windows in the side walls.The campanile is connected with the north door bya covered way. A vestibule on the south side forms acommon entrance to both church and parish hall.
The parish of Willenhall with Whitley was createdout of Holy Trinity Without in 1958, (fn. 98) the livingbeing styled a vicarage in the gift of the Vicar ofHoly Trinity. (fn. 99)
ST. KATHERINE, Hales Street. See HOLYTRINITY (p. 326).
ST. LUKE, Rotherham Road, Holbrooks, wascompleted in 1939, and was designed by N. F.Cachemaille-Day. The exterior was of red brick andnotable features were an external altar, an externalpulpit, and concrete windows filled with elaboratefretted tracery and stained glass. The accommodationconsisted of nave, south porch, apsidal chancel, andvestries; a north aisle was never completed. Thechurch was rendered unusable by bombing in 1940but was restored to its original design, with theexception of the south windows, about ten yearslater. (fn. 100)
An earlier church of St. Luke, built of co*ke-breezeblocks and standing at the junction of Lythall's Laneand Holbrooks Lane, had been erected in 1916 as amission church of St. Paul for the use of munitionsworkers in the hostels and factories of Foleshill andWhitmore Park. (fn. 101) This was taken over as a restcentre in 1939, but was also damaged by bombing.A wooden church hall adjoining it was used forservices between 1940 and 1944 when the newchurch was made weather-proof. In 1949 the wallsof the old church were cased in brick and it wasrestored for use as a church hall. (fn. 102)
The parish was created in 1935 out of Exhall, St.Nicholas, and St. Paul, and the patronage assignedto the bishop. (fn. 103) The living was styled a vicarage. (fn. 104)
ST. MARGARET, Walsgrave Road, was completed in 1911. (fn. 105) Services were held at first at theCoronet Works in 1909 before the foundation stonewas laid in 1910. (fn. 106) The church is constructed of redbrick with stone dressings in the Perpendicular styleand consists of an aisled and clerestoried nave, achancel flanked by a north chapel and a south organchamber with vestries, north and south transepts,west baptistery, and north porch. There is a westbell-cote containing one bell. The church wasseverely damaged by bombing during the SecondWorld War. (fn. 107) The work of restoration was completed in 1954; (fn. 108) the chancel was also altered to givea more forward position to the altar.
The church was built as a chapel of Stoke parishand was served by a curate-in-charge (fn. 109) until theparish was created in 1913 out of St. Peter andStoke. (fn. 110) The living, a titular vicarage, was in the giftof the Bishop of Worcester (fn. 111) until 1919 when thepatronage was transferred to the Bishop of Coventry. (fn. 112)
In 1915 a site was acquired for a mission churchin Camden Street, on which was built St. George'sHall. This was used as a parish room until it washanded over to the parochial authorities of St. MaryMagdalen, Wyken, about 1921. (fn. 113)
ST. MARK, which stands at the junction of BirdStreet and Stoney Stanton Road, was consecrated in1869. It was designed by Paull and Robinson, thearchitects of All Saints, (fn. 114) and is built of red sandstonein the Gothic style, comprising chancel, clerestoriednave, aisles, transepts, a north porch, and a doublebell-cote at the north-west angle containing onebell. (fn. 115)
The parish was created in 1869, out of HolyTrinity, a detached part of St. Michael, Coventry,and St. Peter. (fn. 116) The living, styled a vicarage, was atfirst in the gift of the Bishop of Worcester, (fn. 117) but thepatronage was transferred to the Bishop of Coventryin 1919. (fn. 118)
From 1894 the church conducted a mission roomin Stoney Stanton Road, (fn. 119) which was moved toCobden Street in 1896. (fn. 120) In 1901 a new missionroom was opened in Red Lane; (fn. 121) another room wasbuilt in 1906, at the junction of Red Lane and SmithStreet, which was used as a parish hall and foroccasional services. It was sold in 1958. (fn. 122) In 1933 themission moved to the newly-completed missionchurch of St. Barnabas in Cromwell Street. (fn. 123) This isa substantial red-brick building with stone dressings,consisting of nave, chancel, and north aisle.
ST. MARTIN, Wyken Way. See ST. MARYMAGDALEN, Wyken (p. 342).
ST. MARY MAGDALEN, which stands at thejunction of Hearsall Lane and Sir Thomas White'sRoad, Chapel Fields, was built in 1934 (fn. 124) and consistsof aisled nave, apsidal chancel, Lady Chapel, andvestries. The architect was H. T. Jackson. (fn. 125) It is atall red-brick church with stone dressings and a roofof glazed blue tiles; in style it incorporates Romanesque and Byzantine features. Provision has beenmade for the addition of a tower at the end of thenave. The dedication of the church is that of amedieval chapel at Spon which probably stoodnearby. (fn. 126)
The first church in the area was a corrugated ironstructure at Spon End, which was opened in 1895 asa mission room of St. Thomas, Albany Road, toserve the district of Spon End and Chapel Fields. (fn. 127) In 1917 a conventional district was assigned, and themission was moved from Spon End to the missionchurch of St. Mary Magdalene in Sir ThomasWhite's Road, (fn. 128) which was later replaced by thenew church. (fn. 129)
The parish was created in 1926 out of St. Michael,Coventry, and St. Thomas, and the living, a titularvicarage, was assigned to the gift of the bishop. (fn. 130) Between 1938 and 1945 the patronage was exercisedby the Crown and the bishop in alternation, butsubsequently by the bishop alone. (fn. 131)
ST. MARY, Red Lane. See ST. MICHAEL,Coventry (p. 352).
ST. MARY, Whitefriars Lane. See ST.MICHAEL, Coventry (p. 352).
ST. MATTHEW, Lenton's Lane. See ST.MARY THE VIRGIN, Walsgrave-on-Sowe (p.345), and ST. THOMAS, Longford.
ST. MICHAEL, Copsewood. See ST.MICHAEL, Stoke (p. 360).
ST. NICHOLAS, Radford, which stood at thejunction of Dugdale Road and Radford Road, wasconsecrated in 1874 as a chapel of ease to HolyTrinity. The dedication is that of one of HolyTrinity's medieval chapels. (fn. 132) The church wasdesigned by G. Taylor of Coventry and built oflocally-quarried red sandstone in the Early Englishstyle. (fn. 133) Originally it comprised a chancel, nave, andwestern bell-cote with one bell; (fn. 134) a north aisle wasadded in 1913. (fn. 135)
On 14 November 1940 the church was destroyedby bombing and four fire-watchers were killed. (fn. 136) Services were conducted in a public house and acinema until the damaged church hall was repaired.The new church of St. Nicholas was built on a siteto the north of the churchyard and was consecratedin 1955. It was designed by Lavender, Twentyman,and Percy (fn. 137) and claimed to be the 'first new churchconsecrated in Coventry after the war which brokeaway from traditional church design'. (fn. 138) The buildingis of reinforced concrete, faced externally withyellow brick; the roof is segmental and the sidewalls are sloped inwards at 10 degrees to the vertical.It consists of a structurally undivided nave andchancel, north and south aisles, vestries, and a tallbrick campanile containing two bells. The southaisle forms a vestibule between the nave and afuture church hall. The north aisle contains a LadyChapel and baptistery, the stone font having beenrescued from the old church. The two-manualorgan, by Nicholsons of Worcester, is designed asan architectural feature at the west end of thenave. (fn. 139) The church possesses a silver gilt chalice of1849. (fn. 140)
The parish was formed in 1912 out of HolyTrinity and the living, a titular vicarage, was placedin the gift of the Bishop of Worcester. (fn. 141) Thepatronage was transferred to the Bishop of Coventryin 1919. (fn. 142)
St. Francis of Assisi, q.v., was originally a missionof St. Nicholas.
ST. OSWALD, Tile Hill, stands in JardineCrescent and was consecrated in 1957. It is one ofthree similar churches designed by Basil Spence, theothers being St. Chad, Woodend, and St. John theDivine, Willenhall, qq.v. In most respects St.Oswald resembles the latter, but the glazed area atthe west end has been reduced, leaving only a marginof glass. Externally on the east wall is a bronze figureof Christ. The church hall stands to the south, thecampanile to the south-east, and the vicarage to thenorth of the church. (fn. 143)
The new parish was formed in 1958 out of St.John the Baptist, Westwood, with the bishop aspatron of the living, a titular vicarage. (fn. 144)
ST. PAUL, Foleshill Road, was completed in1841. It was built of red brick in the Gothic style,to the design of J. L. Ackroyd, (fn. 145) and comprisedchancel, nave, north and south aisles containinggalleries, and a west tower with one bell. (fn. 146) The costwas partly defrayed by a grant from the ChurchBuilding Commission. (fn. 147) The church was largelydestroyed by bombing in 1940 and was rebuilt afterthe war. The tower was retained, but was reducedin height. The new church is of red brick in asimplified Romanesque style, having round-headedwindows and semi-circular arches to the navearcades. The church possesses a silver chalice andpaten of 1577. (fn. 148)
The parish was created in 1842 from Foleshill. (fn. 149) The living, which is in the gift of the Vicar ofFoleshill, was at first a perpetual curacy but wasstyled a vicarage after 1868. (fn. 150)
St. Luke, q.v., was originally a mission church ofSt. Paul.
ST. PETER, Canterbury Street, Harnall, wascompleted and consecrated in 1841. (fn. 151) The building,of red brick, was designed by Robert Ebbels (fn. 152) in afree version of the Gothic style, having tall lancetwindows to the nave and a Perpendicular westtower. In the 19th century it was criticized both forits brick construction and for its 'want of architectural character'. (fn. 153) The church stands in a largegraveyard and consists of a wide unaisled nave,formerly fitted with galleries, a shallow chancel, anda west tower with its base forming an entrancevestibule. The tower contains one bell of 1853 byC. and G. Mears of London. (fn. 154) Part of the cost of thebuilding was contributed by the Church BuildingCommission. (fn. 155)
A parish, consisting of the locality of Harnall,was formed in 1842 out of Holy Trinity. (fn. 156) The living,which is in the gift of the Vicar of Holy Trinity, wasat first a perpetual curacy but was styled a vicarageafter 1868. (fn. 157)
A mission room of corrugated iron and wood wasopened in Sackville Street in 1900. (fn. 158) It comprisedchancel, organ chamber, and vestries, with space forthree classrooms, separated by movable screens. (fn. 159) The building was disused and derelict in 1964.
ST. SAVIOUR, Spon Street. See ST. JOHNTHE BAPTIST, Coventry (p. 338).
ST. STEPHEN, Canley. See ST. JOHN THEBAPTIST, Westwood.
ST. THOMAS was opened and consecrated in1849. It stands at the junction of Albany Road andthe Butts on land over which the Coventry freemenformerly had pasturage rights. (fn. 160) The building is ofred sandstone and was designed by Sharpe andPaley of Lancaster in the early Decorated style. Itconsists of aisled and clerestoried nave, chancel,north porch, vestries, and north-west bell turretcontaining one bell. (fn. 161) The cost was partly defrayedby a grant from the Church Building Commission. (fn. 162)
The parish was created in 1844 out of St. John theBaptist, Coventry. The living was at first a perpetualcuracy, (fn. 163) but since 1868 has been styled a vicarage. (fn. 164) It was in the gift of the Crown and the Bishop ofWorcester alternately (fn. 165) until 1911, when the Crown'salternate right of presentation was transferred to thebishop. (fn. 166) The patronage was again transferred, tothe Bishop of Coventry, in 1919. (fn. 167)
St. Barbara and St. Mary Magdalen, HearsallLane, qq.v., both originated as mission churches ofSt. Thomas.
ST. THOMAS, Keresley-with-Coundon, wasconsecrated in 1847. (fn. 168) The building, of red sandstone, standing in Tamworth Road in Keresley,between High Street and Sandpits Lane, wasdesigned mainly in the Early English style byBenjamin Ferrey. It consists of nave, chancel,south porch, and pinnacled western tower surmounted by a spire, with a ring of five bells by C.and G. Mears. (fn. 169) The cost was partly defrayed by agrant from the Church Building Commission. (fn. 170)
The consolidated chapelry of Keresley-with-Coundon was created out of detached parts of HolyTrinity and St. Michael, Coventry, in 1848. It wasto be served by a perpetual curate with the Bishopof Worcester as patron. (fn. 171) The living was styled avicarage after 1868, (fn. 172) and the patronage was transferred to the Bishop of Coventry in 1919. (fn. 173) In thelate 19th century the church became the social centreof the neighbourhood. (fn. 174)
With the growth of the colliery estate during theFirst World War, (fn. 175) it became necessary to makespecial provision for the north of the district, and amission room, served by the vicar, was opened in ahut in Fivefield Lane, at Keresley Green, in 1920. (fn. 176) In 1925 the Colliery Company provided a permanentwooden building, known as (Lower) KeresleyMission Church, in Bennett's Road. The church wasfor some years served by a lay-reader; subsequentlya full-time mission worker was appointed. (fn. 177) TheChurch Hut in Fivefield Lane is still used for socialpurposes. (fn. 178)
ST. THOMAS, Longford, which was consecratedin 1874 as a chapel of ease to St. Lawrence, Foleshill,stands at the junction of Hurst Road and LongfordRoad. It was designed by J. Cotton of Birminghamin the Gothic style, and was built of red brick withstone and blue brick dressings to include nave, northaisle, chancel, organ chamber, (fn. 179) and north-westtower with a porch at its base. A ring of eight bellsby Taylor of Loughborough was hung in the towerin 1892. (fn. 180)
The parish was created out of Exhall, Foleshill,and Sowe in 1908. (fn. 181) The living, a titular vicarage,was in the gift of the Bishop of Worcester (fn. 182) until1919 when the patronage was transferred to theBishop of Coventry. (fn. 183)
In 1908 St. Thomas's took charge of Hawkesbury mission church, (fn. 184) which had first been licensedin 1859 as a mission of Sowe parish to the collierydistrict. (fn. 185) This church, later known as St. Matthew,Lenton's Lane, or St. Matthew's Mission, Hawkesbury, (fn. 186) was originally built of corrugated iron with acast-iron framework and included a small belltower at its south-east corner. The building wasfaced with concrete in the 20th century. (fn. 187) Becauseof disrepair it was closed for worship in 1963 andwas completely derelict by the following year.
