Main page Some history... Timeline Street maps City wall & gates Historic tour Time machine Now and then Broadgate Our cathedrals Coventry's blitz Post-war changes Your memories Photo mysteries Postcard from Cov Quiz How the site began Bibliography About me What's new? Web links Contact me Guest book Steve's website Mandy's website Our family website Buy prints
Other places in "Now & Then"...

Search this site:
Arts School, Ford Street
Bishop Street
Bishop Street Post Office
Blue Coat School & Ruins
Broadgate from Holy Trinity Church
Broadgate Special Page
Burges from Bishop Street
Burges from Cross Cheaping
Butcher Row, Great
Butcher Row, Little
Cheylesmore Manor House
Coat of Arms Bridge
Cook Street gate
Council House
Cox Street
Far Gosford Street
Fleet Street
Ford's Hospital
Golden Cross & Pepper Lane
Greyfriars Lane
The Grove
Guildhall & 22 Bayley Lane
Hales Street
Herbert Art Gallery & Museum
Hertford Street
Hertford Street from Broadgate
High Street from Broadgate
High Street from Earl Street
Hill Street, Bablake & Bond's
Hippodrome, old
Humber Motor Works
Ironmonger Row
Jordan Well & Earl Street
Jordan Well & Gosford Street
Kenilworth Road
Mill Dam & Whittle Arch
Much Park Street
Naul's Mill Park
Old Grammar School
Old Rope Walk
Palace Yard
Pool Meadow
Precinct & Old Coventry Aerial View
Precinct, upper
Precinct, west view
Priory Row
Priory Street, lower end
Priory Street, upper end
Queen Victoria Road Flood of 1900
Railway Station, Eaton Road
Railway Station - the Platform
Smithford Way
Spon End Arches
Spon Street Flood of 1900
St. John's Church, Fleet Street
St. Michael's Avenue
St. Michael's Ruins
St. Michael's Spire from Pepper Lane
Stoke Green & Pool
Swanswell Gate
Swanswell Pool
Swimming Baths, Priory Street
Trinity Church
Trinity Lane & the Free Library
Trinity Lane from Priory Row
Trinity Street & Hales Street
War Memorial Park
Warwick Row to Hertford St & Warwick Lane
Well Street from Hales Street
West Orchard
Wheatley Street Schools
 

Cook Street gate Camera No. 24

And now here's a triple "now and then" helping of one of our two remaining city gates!
Cook St Gate early 1900's
Cook St Gate after restoration in the 1930's
Cook St Gate in 2006
Although the surroundings have changed out of all recognition, at least the gate itself has been tastefully restored. The quaint cobbled street has disappeared, along with the old houses and "Ye Old Tower Inn" built into the side of the gateway and utilising part of the old city wall..... all we have now to keep the gate company is a modern 'charisma free' office type building and a box of gritting salt!

The view is from Cook Street itself, looking out of town and it is noticable that the restoration last done in 1931 includes reinstating the battlements and rebuilding the window as well as adding a gargoyle which may or may not have existed on the original.

The 1930's postcard in the centre shows that restoration can be carried out in keeping with existing surroundings, by improving an old monument, and building pleasant gardens, without having to needlessly destroy charismatic properties like those on the left of the street. What on earth was our post-war council thinking?

Further back in time, an engraving from around 1805 shows the gate still defended by a moat which ran under a small stone bridge leading to the gate from the outside. How times have changed!

You can see that engraving plus much more information about this and other gates on the City Wall and Gates pages.



 
Top of the page
243588
Counter provided by Rob Orland