The History of Churches, Temples and Mosques in Hillfields

The first religious meeting place in Newtown was a mission opened by the West Orchard Congregationalists in 1836, eight years after the development of the district started. It was replaced by a permanent chapel in Vine Street - see below. 

The foundation stone for St. Peter's Church was laid on 7th September 1840 by Charles Watson of Canley, who donated the land on which the Church stands. The Church was built by voluntary subscriptions, together with grants from the Commissioners for Building Churches and other bodies. The Architect was Mr. Robert Ebbals and the simple design reflects the concern that "no expense should be incurred for ornamental architecture beyond what shall be deemed essential to give  to the building the character of the Church of England". It was 131.5 ft. by 54.75 ft. and could seat over 1200 people. It stood on a plot of 3 acres. The total cost of the building was £3518 18s 11d. 

The Church was consecrated on 28th October 1841 by the Right Reverend Dr. Henry Pepys, Bishop of Worcester. The organ was installed in 1856 and it is recorded that the first repairs and alterations to the Church were made in 1860.

St. Peters Church is closely associated with the Christian Socialist League. Initially under the leadership of Revd. P.E.T. Widdrington (1873 - 1959) and later under the  Revd. Paul Stacy (1870 - 1960) St. Peter's Vicarage became the home for many Christians in the city with socialist leanings. The vicarage was used for meetings of the Fabian Society, the St. Peter's Fellowship and the Social Credit Movement . New altar rails were installed at St. Peter's as a memorial to Paul Stacy in 1964.

In 1975 a new rectory and a new Social Centre adjoining the Church were opened. The original Rectory, on Payne's Lane was demolished to allow the road to be straightened. The original St. Peter's Social Centre and Parish Rooms, on Yardley Street was then demolished. 

The incumbents at St. Peters

The foundation stone for St. Mark's Church was laid on 5th May 1868 by James Darlington of Meriden Hall. It was consecrated the following year. 

The Church was damaged by bombing in Easter 1941 but was repaired and re-opened for divine service in 1946. In 1947 a new electronic organ was installed and the old one was transferred to the chapel of Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital. In 1949 Queen Marie of Yugoslavia and her two sons Prince Tomislav and Prince Andrij attended a service there. 

The St. Mark's Parish Room was opened in Leicester Causeway in 1911. It was taken over by the Ukranian Community and a new hall was built adjacent to the Church in 1962.  .  

In 1963 the East window of the Church was taken down and replaced by a 35 foot mural. A mural was painted over the altar in 1969 by Hans Feibusch, a German Jew who had converted to Christianity  It is said that having a Jewish background he
found the concept of the Virgin Mary difficult to comprehend.  A striking feature of the mural was that the figure of Mary, out of many figures in the mural, had a 'lifeless' expressionless face as a result.

St. Mark's priests and community had a long history of working with people in less happy circumstances, including patients of the Coventry & Warwickshire Hospital. The Society of Compassionate Friends, was founded at St. Marks in 1969 by the curate, the Revd. Simon Stephens. The Society gives help to bereaved parents. The former vicar of St. Mark's, Christopher Hamel Cooke, founded the Coventry Branch of the Samaritans, and their original offices were in the old St. Mark's School on the Stoney Stanton Road. Former Vicar's included Eric Buchan (later Archdeacon of Coventry and Rector of Baginton - who died recently) and former Curates included Peter Berry, the well known broadcaster who retired some 2 years ago, and was at one time Vice-Provost of Coventry Cathedral, and latterly the Dean of Birmingham Cathedral. It is believed that Simon Stephens is currently a Royal Navy Chaplain.

The Church closed in 1972.  The organ was transferred to St. Martin's in the Field church at Green Lane. The building was then used as the outpatients department of the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital. For a time, part of the building was used as the studio for Kix 96 local radio station.

The foundation stone for this Church was laid on 5th May 1868 by Lord Leigh of Stoneleigh. It was consecrated the following year.  

The first Church Lads Brigade in Coventry was established at the Church in 1896 by Rev. G.S. Vecqueray whose name is  commemorated in a nearby street. The Church was damaged by enemy bombing during the blitz and re-opened in 1950.

The Church closed in 1967 and was later demolished to make way for Sky Blue Way. The graveyard is still available as an amenity area off Far Gosford Street.

This chapel replaced the mission on High Street - see above. It became independent of the West Orchard Congregational Chapel in 1891 and a new Sunday School was added in 1899. Galleries were added in 1934. 

In 1945 the Vine Street Congregationalists combined with the Well Street Congregationalists (whose Chapel had been destroyed by bombing) to form the Hillfields Congregational Chapel. They left Hillfields for a new larger building in Holyhead Road in  1953.

The building was then used for a number of uses, including an annex to Sidney Stringer School, use by Coventry Polytechnic and finally as the Vine Street Community Centre for the African Caribbean Community. The building is currently being demolished (April 2001).

Little is known about this chapel, but the building was occupied by local Welsh Presbyterians in 1937 from the Liberal Club.

St. Mary's RC Church was built onto the school in Raglan Street. It was consecrated by Cardinal Vaughan in 1893.  The first rector was the Rev. Placid Rea.

A new building was erected at the corner of Eagle Street in 1899 and the old building used as a Sunday school. 

A fire damaged the organ, choir stalls and many hymn books in 1942.

In 1985 a site was acquired for a new Church and Family Centre at the corner of Howard Street and Stoney Stanton Road The old Church was vacant for a long time and was later developed as a Muslim Community Centre.

The Mission Room was built in 1900 as a temporary structure in which services could be held for the benefit of people living at a distance from the Parish Church of St. Peter's Church. Although only a temporary structure and in spite of considerable damage in the air raids, the Mission Room continued to fulfil a useful function in the life of the parish until the 1960s. 

The Brethren moved from Hales Street into a mission in King William Street.

The Coventry (Stoke) Salvation Army was formed in 1914. It remained there until it moved to Stoke in 1925.

The Full Gospel Assembly moved from Earlsdon to Cambridge Street in 1933, but only remained one year before moving to the City Baths.

The Congregation of the Church of Christ moved to Swanswell Street from the Ragged School in 1953. 

Coventry Muslims acquired a bombed out site for their first Mosque in Coventry in 
1957. The Mosque, the first in the Midlands, was opened in 1961.

This Church replaced the Jesmond Road Baptist Church referred to above.

Cambridge Street (corner of Stoney Stanton Road)

After many years of temporary occupation of a number of houses and shops in Stoney Stanton Road, the Gujerati Muslim community purchased this site which became vacant with the relocation of the Harnall Lane Bus Garage.

Harnall Lane West

The first base for the Gujerati Hindu Community in Coventry was the former St. Marks School in Stoney Stanton Road. After that site was acquired by the City Council a new purpose built Temple was built on Harnall Lane.

Read about the history of the temple written by Mr Babu Govind Garala MBE, President of the Temple

This temple and community centre were opened on the site of the Jesmond Road Baptist Church (see above).

This building was formerly used as a public house. Its conversion into a Bengali Mosque is still not complete.

• Coventry Spiritualist Chapel, Eagle Street - opened 1959.
• St. Stanislav Kosta, Polish Catholic Church - foundation stone laid 1961
• Guru Nanak Parkash Gudwara - opened 1966.
• Shree Krishna Temple - opened 1989