Stoke Heath, Coventry
Encyclopedia
Stoke Heath is a residential area of Coventry
, West Midlands
, England
.
It is situated approximately one mile to the northeast of the city centre. It borders Courthouse Green
to the north, Wyken to the east and Stoke to the south with its western edge demarcated by the A444.
and Caludon until the late 17th century. The civil parish of Stoke Heath, created out of 74 acres (299,467.6 m²) in the west of Wyken in 1920, became part of Coventry in 1928. The city of Coventry's population expanded by 90,000 in 1928 due to significant boundary changes. Prior to that date, the district seems to have been referred to as 'Wyken Heath' or 'Wyken Knob'. A vague reference to a Stoke Common around 1700 being one of the first references.
Clay and sand for brickmaking were excavated in Stoke Heath in the early 19th century on sites close to the Coventry Canal
. But the approaching First World War in 1914 would be a major catalyst in Stoke Heath's development.
The district was built up between 1900 and 1920 and was closely tied in to the need for munitions workers during the era of Anglo-German rivalry. It was dominated by the popular red brick Stoke Heath Junior & Infants School, built at the end of the Victorian period in 1898. The school provided a central focus for the original 689 homes built by 1915. The school was demolished in the 1990s and a new school erected on the same site. The local parish church is St Albans, Church of England
, situated in Mercer Avenue and built in 1929.
The original street design for Stoke Heath included large numbers of elm trees, often lining the streets, such as Heath Crescent and Common Way. These became victims of the Dutch elm disease
blight which plagued the UK at the end of the 1970s, although the pastoral beginnings of the district are retained in such street names as Blackberry Lane, Little Field, Watersmeet Road and Valley Road.
The Morris Motor Company
factory was the chief employer for many decades of the 20th century and stood covering several acres in Blackberry Lane. The factory initially made copy Hotchkiss car engines, and then munitions during the second world war, before mass-producing engine components for the various incarnations of the Morris Motor Group and British Leyland. The factory met its demise during the recession of the early 1980s and was eventually demolished to make way for new housing at the end of the decade. Another notable landmark was the Barras Pub, well lit and standing back from Heath Crescent. It remained popular with local residents until it too made way for new housing at the turn of the millennium.
Due to its proximity to the Morris Engines motor works and numerous factories in Foleshill and Stoke, the area was badly bombed during the Coventry Blitz
in November 1940, with dozens of the city's 568 known victims of that air raid being killed in the Stoke Heath area. The last bombs to fall on Coventry during World War II
fell on Stoke Heath on 3 August 1942. Anecdotal evidence supports the raid falling on an area stretching from Nuffield Road to upper Valley Road, again aimed at the Morris Engines motor works.
A small area of the district was home to the notorious "HMV" (Hillside, Meadway, Valley Road) area of housing owned by Whitefriars Housing Association, but this was demolished during 2003-04. The notoriety generated by HMV often reflected poorly on the estate, which in most parts was quiet and residential. However, today much of the former site is completely revitalized and rebranded under the name "Liberty Park". Although in general categorized as an area of "struggling families and low income pensioners" by such geodemographic surveys as ACORN, the greater Stoke Heath area also contains quite a wide variety of "moderate means" housing. Areas of private housing increase generally towards Wyken and can also be found along Swancroft Road and off Blackberry Lane.
The district is dominated by two large Commons; Stoke Heath and Barras Heath. Stoke Heath Common in particular was a noted sports venue for many years with four full sized soccer pitches up to 2000. In the 1920s Stoke Heath, like many City parks became a 'war memorial park' with commemorative plaques inscribed with the names of fallen serviceman situated beneath each tree. These were gradually damaged or removed due to municipal developments. Both parks are now given over to general leisure activities.
A canal boat wharf exists in Swan Lane, along the route of the Coventry Canal, with further development planned for the site in 2009/10. The A444 North-South road greatly improved commuting times between Stoke Heath and the city centre from 2000.
Coventry's second highest placed team in the English football pyramid, Coventry Sphinx F.C.
is located in the area. The football club is part of the larger Sphinx Club which includes lawn bowling greens, tennis
courts and a cricket
club as well as a bar and rooms for private functions.
Residents closer to Barras Heath Common, with its petrol garage, working men's club and high rise block 'Alpha House', can colloquially refer to the area as 'Barras Heath' or 'Barras Green'; although technically this is not a recognised sub-district of the City. A well known wholesale market once stood on the edge of Barras Heath until it made way for modern warehousing units. The route of Clay Lane, which emerges onto Barras Green road and then Mercer Avenue has medieval origins. At the other end of the district, in the Blackberry Lane area, another blurring of names can take place where the name 'Courthouse Green'-a neighbouring estate-is often used interchangeably with Stoke Heath.
Alpha House is a prominent 17 storey accommodation block also known as 'Jackblock flats'. Built in 1962 by Costain, it was the first example of advanced 'Jackblock' construction. Under the system, the ground-floor slab was cast first and acted as a casting bed for the 17 floors and the roof. Once contractors had completed each floor, they jacked them up a full storey in height at a speed of half a metre per hour.
of Coventry North East. The current Member of Parliament
for the consituency is Bob Ainsworth
(Labour
), who was the Secretary of State for Defence
from 2009 to 2010. The Upper Stoke ward
returns three local councillors (currently two Labour and one Liberal Democrat
) to Coventry City Council.
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
It is situated approximately one mile to the northeast of the city centre. It borders Courthouse Green
Courthouse Green
Courthouse Green is a suburb in the north of Coventry. It is bordered by Bell Green in the northwest, by Stoke Heath in the south, and by Foleshill in the southeast.-Longfield House:...
to the north, Wyken to the east and Stoke to the south with its western edge demarcated by the A444.
History and development
The area merits no special mention in medieval records and seems to have been open country and grazing land held by the manors of WykenWyken
Wyken, a suburb of Coventry, England, is situated between the areas of Stoke and Walsgrave, three miles northeast of Coventry city centre. It is a fairly large ward spreading as far as the Binley area...
and Caludon until the late 17th century. The civil parish of Stoke Heath, created out of 74 acres (299,467.6 m²) in the west of Wyken in 1920, became part of Coventry in 1928. The city of Coventry's population expanded by 90,000 in 1928 due to significant boundary changes. Prior to that date, the district seems to have been referred to as 'Wyken Heath' or 'Wyken Knob'. A vague reference to a Stoke Common around 1700 being one of the first references.
Clay and sand for brickmaking were excavated in Stoke Heath in the early 19th century on sites close to the Coventry Canal
Coventry Canal
The Coventry Canal is a navigable narrow canal in the Midlands of England.It starts in Coventry and ends 38 miles north at Fradley Junction, just north of Lichfield, where it joins the Trent and Mersey Canal...
. But the approaching First World War in 1914 would be a major catalyst in Stoke Heath's development.
The district was built up between 1900 and 1920 and was closely tied in to the need for munitions workers during the era of Anglo-German rivalry. It was dominated by the popular red brick Stoke Heath Junior & Infants School, built at the end of the Victorian period in 1898. The school provided a central focus for the original 689 homes built by 1915. The school was demolished in the 1990s and a new school erected on the same site. The local parish church is St Albans, Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, situated in Mercer Avenue and built in 1929.
The original street design for Stoke Heath included large numbers of elm trees, often lining the streets, such as Heath Crescent and Common Way. These became victims of the Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease
Dutch elm disease is a disease caused by a member of the sac fungi category, affecting elm trees which is spread by the elm bark beetle. Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native...
blight which plagued the UK at the end of the 1970s, although the pastoral beginnings of the district are retained in such street names as Blackberry Lane, Little Field, Watersmeet Road and Valley Road.
The Morris Motor Company
Morris Motor Company
The Morris Motor Company was a British car manufacturing company. After the incorporation of the company into larger corporations, the Morris name remained in use as a marque until 1984 when British Leyland's Austin Rover Group decided to concentrate on the more popular Austin marque...
factory was the chief employer for many decades of the 20th century and stood covering several acres in Blackberry Lane. The factory initially made copy Hotchkiss car engines, and then munitions during the second world war, before mass-producing engine components for the various incarnations of the Morris Motor Group and British Leyland. The factory met its demise during the recession of the early 1980s and was eventually demolished to make way for new housing at the end of the decade. Another notable landmark was the Barras Pub, well lit and standing back from Heath Crescent. It remained popular with local residents until it too made way for new housing at the turn of the millennium.
Due to its proximity to the Morris Engines motor works and numerous factories in Foleshill and Stoke, the area was badly bombed during the Coventry Blitz
Coventry Blitz
The Coventry blitz was a series of bombing raids that took place in the English city of Coventry. The city was bombed many times during the Second World War by the German Air Force...
in November 1940, with dozens of the city's 568 known victims of that air raid being killed in the Stoke Heath area. The last bombs to fall on Coventry during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
fell on Stoke Heath on 3 August 1942. Anecdotal evidence supports the raid falling on an area stretching from Nuffield Road to upper Valley Road, again aimed at the Morris Engines motor works.
A small area of the district was home to the notorious "HMV" (Hillside, Meadway, Valley Road) area of housing owned by Whitefriars Housing Association, but this was demolished during 2003-04. The notoriety generated by HMV often reflected poorly on the estate, which in most parts was quiet and residential. However, today much of the former site is completely revitalized and rebranded under the name "Liberty Park". Although in general categorized as an area of "struggling families and low income pensioners" by such geodemographic surveys as ACORN, the greater Stoke Heath area also contains quite a wide variety of "moderate means" housing. Areas of private housing increase generally towards Wyken and can also be found along Swancroft Road and off Blackberry Lane.
The district is dominated by two large Commons; Stoke Heath and Barras Heath. Stoke Heath Common in particular was a noted sports venue for many years with four full sized soccer pitches up to 2000. In the 1920s Stoke Heath, like many City parks became a 'war memorial park' with commemorative plaques inscribed with the names of fallen serviceman situated beneath each tree. These were gradually damaged or removed due to municipal developments. Both parks are now given over to general leisure activities.
A canal boat wharf exists in Swan Lane, along the route of the Coventry Canal, with further development planned for the site in 2009/10. The A444 North-South road greatly improved commuting times between Stoke Heath and the city centre from 2000.
Coventry's second highest placed team in the English football pyramid, Coventry Sphinx F.C.
Coventry Sphinx F.C.
Coventry Sphinx Football Club is a football club based in Coventry, West Midlands, England. They were established in 1946. In the 2006–07 season they were champions of the Midland Combination Premier Division, earning promotion to the Midland Football Alliance.-History:Coventry Sphinx FC were...
is located in the area. The football club is part of the larger Sphinx Club which includes lawn bowling greens, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts and a cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
club as well as a bar and rooms for private functions.
Barras Heath and Courthouse Green
Alpha House is a prominent 17 storey accommodation block also known as 'Jackblock flats'. Built in 1962 by Costain, it was the first example of advanced 'Jackblock' construction. Under the system, the ground-floor slab was cast first and acted as a casting bed for the 17 floors and the roof. Once contractors had completed each floor, they jacked them up a full storey in height at a speed of half a metre per hour.
Politics
Stoke Heath falls within the parliamentary constituencyUnited Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
of Coventry North East. The current Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the consituency is Bob Ainsworth
Bob Ainsworth
Robert William Ainsworth is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Coventry North East since 1992, and was the Secretary of State for Defence from 2009 to 2010...
(Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
), who was the Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...
from 2009 to 2010. The Upper Stoke ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
returns three local councillors (currently two Labour and one Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
) to Coventry City Council.