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1. Sixty Years of Cycling - 1897 magazine article
2. The Arno Motor Company of Coventry 1908-1916, by Damien Kimberley
3. The New Bablake Schools - 1889 article
4. Public Baths - The Building News, Jan 24th 1896
5. A short history of Coventry's Theatres and Cinemas, by Bill Birch
6. The Brough Superior, by Damien Kimberley
7. Proposal for St. Michael's Campanile c1890
8. Coventry's Rich Heritage, by Pete Walters
9. Coventry, the Home of the Cycle Trade - 1886 magazine article
10. The Dragoon Cycle Company of Coventry, by Damien Kimberley
11. Edwin Brown, Victorian Animal Artist, by Stephen Catton
12. The Old Vicarage, Binley, by Anna Eddleston
13. Coventry Volunteer Fire Brigade - Illustrated London News, Jan 4th 1862
14. The Great Flood of December 1900, and the lost Bridges, by Damien Kimberley
15. Coventry's Great Flood - London Daily Graphic, 2nd January 1901
16. New Drinking Fountain at Coventry - 17 Sep 1859
17. Henry Cave, and the 'Lady' Autocar of 1899, by Damien Kimberley
18. The Ira Aldridge Trail, by Simon Shaw
19. The Lion Bicycle Company of Coventry & Wolverhampton 1877-1882, by Damien Kimberley
20. The Beech on Wheels, by Derek Robinson and forum member Foxcote
21. Phil Silvers Archival Museum, by Paul Maddocks
22. Transport Museum pt.3 - Creating the Blitz Experience, by Paul Maddocks
23. What links a Spitfire's landing gear to a baby buggy? by Paul Maddocks
24. The sound that almost killed my Dad in the War!, by Paul Maddocks
25. D-Day and Monty's Staff Car, by Paul Maddocks
26. Transport Museum pt.2 - New Hales Street Entrance in 1985, by Paul Maddocks
27. Transport Museum pt.1 - How the Queen's 1977 visit sowed the seed, by Paul Maddocks
28. What links R2D2 to a Coventry Hydrogen/Electric cab company? by Paul Maddocks
29. Transport Museum pt.6 - The Royal Cars, by Paul Maddocks
30. Transport Museum pt.5 - The 1987 F.A. Cup Winners' Sky Blue Bus, by Paul Maddocks
31. The Tapestry and its Hidden Secret, by Paul Maddocks
32. Transport Museum pt.4 - Coventry's Land Speed Record Cars, by Paul Maddocks
33. Whitefriars Gatehouse and Toy Museum, by Paul Maddocks
34. WW1 and Wyley of Charterhouse, by Paul Maddocks
35. Miss Bashford, a Teacher's Tale, by Simon Shaw
36. Motor Panels (Coventry) Ltd, by Damien Kimberley
37. Not Forgotten, the 1939 IRA bomb attack, by Simon Shaw
38. Let's talk about Rex, by Damien Kimberley
39. Coventry, the Silk Trade and the Horsfall family, by Ian West
40. The Saint Joseph the Worker parish in Coventry, by Terence Richards
41. A brief history of Saint Osburg's, in pictures, by Damien Kimberley
42. Trinity National Schools - Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal, Vol.XVII, 1854
43. The First Tudor Feast, by Richard Ball
44. 1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by John Bailey Shelton MBE
45. Plan for the City Centre - The Architect and Building News, 21st March 1941
 

1930s Austin's Monthly Magazine articles, by John Bailey Shelton MBE

as originally published in Austin's Monthly Magazine from November 1832 to June 1939

Compiled and transcribed by R. W. Orland, 2005

I'm sincerely grateful to the Shelton family for their kind permission and encouragement to publish these works.

J. B. Shelton's post-war book A Night in Little Park Street can be viewed here (in PDF format).

Contents

Display ALL articles

Date:Subjects covered:

1932

NovGosford Gate
DecCo-op Site, West Orchard

1933

JanWest Orchard, Bridge etc.
FebBroadgate Excavations
MarBroadgate Excavations
AprBroadgate Excavations
MayBlack Bull Inn, Pepper Lane
JunBlack Bull Inn
JulCox Street - River Excavations
AugCox Street - River Excavations
SepCox Street - River Excavations
OctCox Street - River Excavations
NovCox Street - River Excavations
DecPark Side Excavations

1934

JanPark Side Excavations
FebBurges Excavations
MarBenedictine Site Excavations
AprBenedictine Site Excavations
MayBenedictine Site Excavations
JunBenedictine Site Excavations
JulCoventry Castle
AugBenedictine Site, Palmer Lane Guest House
SepBenedictine Site, Wooden Bridge
OctAntiquities Exhibition at the Drill Hall
NovWell Street Excavations
DecPriory Pool & Mills

1935

JanPriory Pool & DIstrict
FebNew Buildings, Tower Foundations
MarCity Wall, Cook Street Gate, Plumb House
AprPriory Tower
MayPriory Tower, Gulson Road, Round Tower, New Gate Foundations
JunBroad Well, Burges Ford, Palmer Lane
JulWhite Friars
AugMeeting House, Smithford Street
SepMeeting House, Smithford Street
OctMeeting House, Smithford Street, St. John's Hospital Excavations
NovSt. John's Hospital, Barracks Square, Black Bull Inn
DecBarracks Square, Black Bull Inn

1936

JanBarracks Square, Black Bull Inn
FebButcher Row
MarButcher Row
AprButcher Row
MayButcher Row
JunOwen Owen's Site
JulOwen Owen's Site
AugOwen Owen's Site
SepOwen Owen's Site
OctTrinity Street
NovTrinity Street
DecTrinity Street

1937

JanBenedictine Museum
FebPool Meadow to Priory Street
MarPool Meadow to Priory Street
AprPool Meadow to Priory Street Excavations
MayBull Ring, Pottery Kiln, Hippodrome
JunHippodrome, Rex Cinema
JulBablake Excavations
AugCow Lane Site Excavations

1938

MayRex Site, Trinity Street
JulBroadgate Excavations
SepBablake Excavations, Co-op Site, West Orchard
OctTrinity Street, Bull Ring
NovSt. Mary's Cathedral Site, Bull Ring
DecSt. Mary's Cathedral Site, Bull Ring

1939

JanPost Office Excavations
FebSt. Mary's Cathedral Site
MarArt Gallery and Museum
AprArt Gallery and Museum
MayArt Gallery and Museum
JunBablake Excavations

Pool Meadow to Priory Street Excavations

April 1937

When digging out the river bed on the east side of Priory Street bridge a large amount of pottery of the 16th century was found, also many glass flagons, with here and there a piece of fourteenth century ware, and boot soles. From the bridge, and at the side near to the Baths the bottom course of stone left from the pulling down of the City Wall was still to be seen, and many were the piles on which it was built. After turning the bend in the river, a piece of the wall about 14-ft. high was discovered, and in the wall a round tower built on piles of silver birch. Lying with its head touching the piles lay the skeleton of a horse, as though it had fallen dead and been left there One of its fore shoes lay near, as also a dagger or bayonet with a piece broken off the point, and a wood handle carved with a projection on either side to protect the hand. Very near to this tower a bronze cooking vessel was found, and was no doubt used in the cooking for the men who built the tower. Who built the tower? Many men of note and City Guilds built the walls of about three miles in circumference, and near this tower a large stone, 40-ins. by 13-ins. was found containing three shields, about 12-ins. by 10-ins., on which were the Smiths' arms (see Smiths' Chapel, Cathedral), and another shield which may be the Wire-drawers' or Rope-makers' - I would rather think this to be the Wire-drawers', because they were connected in the Guilds' work, and the same instructions were given to them by the Leet; the centre shield bore the arms of the Grocers and Mercers (see Cathedral and S. Mary's Hall for the Mercers' Chapels). This stone weighs three to four cwt. On the Smiths' shield are the initials M S, and on the Wire-drawers' F. These may be the initials of the Masters of the Guilds. It is a very important and interesting find, and it narrowly escaped being smashed to pieces by a sledge hammer which a labourer was about to use on it. Many things no doubt have shared the fate this so narrowly escaped, thus showing how watchful one has to be to avoid destruction of some of the most interesting finds.

A few yards beyond the tower a large wood conduit was found, very similar to the one mentioned in a previous article. This conduit was connected with St. Osburg's Pool, and carried the water from the Pool to what I believe to be a mill which stood where the Triumph works stand. This mill stood about 200 yards to the west of the Earl's Mill, and may have been a mill belonging to the Nunnery of S. Osburg but used at a later period by the Benedictine Monastery.

Several lots of deers' antlers which had been nailed to some wall were found, and as it was common in Monasteries to use antlers for hanging clothes upon, it requires little imagination to think they were used for that purpose. A part of a very interesting jug lay near, which was of the green glare, and about 14th century period. It had the heads of three priests on, one looking front, and holding a bird (possibly a falcon); and a head on each side, with hands holding a buckle. Several pieces of pottery with buckles have been found, but what they denote I am at a loss to understand, and could my readers help in this I should be glad.

In a few weeks time about 2000 of the articles about which I have been writing since 1932 will be on view, along with about 200 pictures of old Coventry, when for a small charge of 6d. to help cover expenses they may be seen by the public until such time as a Civic Museum is built, when I hope they will be transferred to it. An announcement will be published in the daily papers when it will be opened. The Museum is built on my premises in Little Park Street, and will be known as "The Benedictine Museum."


 
 
 
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