names of places and streets in Hillfields

The Origin of Names in Hillfields

Place Names

Harnall Harnall Lane East and West. Harnall Grange, Harnall Fields	The name is derived from Anglo Saxon "haren" meaning "at the boundary" and "heale" or "healh" meaning "a corner" or "a nook of land adjoining a settlement". This was the name of the district now covered by Hillfields before the area was developed in the early 19th Century. The name was first mentioned in 1328 in a list of land and rents allocated to the Hospital of St. John the Baptist. There was a Harnall toll gate on the turnpike road to Leicester, which is now Stoney Stanton Road. The name is still recalled in Harnall Lane.
Spittlemore	This name which is now only referred to in a pub name, was previously a major estate in this area and is the name that was used for the hamlet of scattered houses which existed in the lower part of Hillfields before the area was fully developed. Its origin is from the Anglo-Saxon "spaetl" which is a term of contempt for a small stream or brook. "more" is a contemporary spelling of moor.
Newtown Hillfields	This was the name given to Hillfields when development started. Hillfields was built as a "new town" outside the city walls, beginning in 1828. The name Hillfields seems to have been used from about 1849, the hill presumably being Primrose Hill and at that time there still being a lot of fields remaining.
Swanswell Swanswell Pool, Swanswell Street.	It is believed that the name is derived from "Swein's Well", i.e. a well owned by Swein (an Anglo Saxon name). The name altered to Swan by common usage.

Street Names

Roads named after Victorian Royalty Victoria Street, Albert Street, King William Street, Clarence Street, Adelaide Street, Coronation Road, King Edward Road, Alexandra Road,	In Hillfields we have streets named after all of the monarchs during the main period of construction of the area: William IV (1830 - 1837), Victoria (1837 - 1901), Edward V1I (1901 - 1910). King William Street was built between 1830 - 1837 during the reign of King William IV, Queen Victoria’s uncle. He was known as the "Sailor’s Prince" because because he had served in the Navy as a teenager.. Nearby Clarence Street is also named after William, as he was the Duke of Clarence before his succession to the throne. Adelaide Street is named after his wife Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen a German princess. There is no local road named after Dorothea Jordon, the Irish actress who bore him ten children before his marriage to Adelaide. Victoria Street was named after Queen Victoria. She was Queen from 1837 when the Victoria Street was built. We also have Albert Street, named after her husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. We also have Queen Street. Coronation Road was named at the time of the coronation of King Edward 7^th in 1902. Other road names in the area have related derivation. There is Kind Edward Road itself, and Alexandra Road, named after the Edward's wife Alexandra, daughter of King Christian IX of Denmark. Leopold Road and Alfred Road are named after Edward's brothers Prince Leopold and Prince Alfred (sons of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert). It is not clear who Augustus was.
Roads named after the "battle" on Gosford Green. King Richard Street, Mowbrey Street, Bolingbroke Road.	King Richard Street relates to King Richard II. On 16^th September 1397 Thomas Mowbray set out from his home at Caludon Castle to a tournament at Gosford Green, opposite where King Richard Street is now. He was prepared to fight Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford, who later became King Henry IV. The fight was forbidden by King Richard. The story was immortalised in William Shakespeare's play King Richard II. Other road names in the vicinity of the Green include Mowbrey Street and Bolingbroke Road.
The Napoleonic War Streets Waterloo Street, Wellington Street, Nelson Street.	These streets were named after battles and leaders of the Napoleonic War.
The Benefactor Streets Bird Street, Ford Street, Fairfax Street, Hales Street, Jesson Street, Norton Street Wheatley Street, White Street.	These eight streets were built on land acquired by the Corporation between 1848 - 1851. The streets were named after the benefactors of the city. William Bird, in 1686 left all of his land in trust. Half the yearly rents were to be paid to the corporation and distributed to the poor of the city. William Ford was a merchant who founded and endowed Greyfriars Hospital. Samuel Fairfax founded a charity school in 1751 in Spon Street which was later absorbed into the Bablake Foundation. John Hales founded the Free Grammar School in 1545.Thomas Jesson died in 1634 and left money to pay for 6 poor boys to become apprentices. Simon Norton was Member of Parliament for Coventry in 1639 who gave 10 shillings a year to provide four dozen loaves of bread to be distributed weekly at St. Michael's Church to the poor of the parish. Thomas Wheatley was Mayor of the city in 1556. He gave money in 1563 to endow Bablake School. Sir Thomas White was a merchant of London. In 1551 he bequeathed money to the city to buy back property which had been confiscated by the Crown and to establish a charity which still exists today.
The Crimean War Streets. Alma Street, Hood Street, Raglan Street	Alma Street commemorates the Battle of the Alma in1854 during the Crimea War. The British, French and Turkish forces defeated Russian troops with losses on both sides of 9000 men. Hood Street commemorates the Hon. Francis Grosvenor Hood who commanded the Grenadier Guards at the Battle of the Alma. Lord Raglan was the British military commander during the Crimea War. His orders led to the charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava. A cannon from the Crimean War was placed in Swanswell Park and remained there until damaged by bomb blast in 1940. It was melted down in 1943 as part of the War effort.
Roads named after Teeside towns. Hartlepool Road, Redcar Road, Stockton Road	These roads appear to have been built at the same time at the end of the nineteenth century and named after a group of towns in the North-East.
The Compass Streets South Street, East Street and West Street	These streets were built in later 19th century. There does not appear to have ever been a North Street.
Recent roads named after local cars and other industries. Iden Road, Singer Close, Gazelle Close, Bretts Close	Iden Road is a recent road named after the Iden marque of cars or its owner George Iden. These cars were not built in Hillfields but in Fleet Street in the City Centre. Singer Close and Gazelle Close are on the site of the former Singer Works in Canterbury Street. Bretts Close was built on the site of the drop forge company Bretts Stamping.
All Saints Lane	This was named after the adjoining All Saints Church which was consecrated in 1869 and demolished to make way for Sky Blue Way.
Berry Street	Berry Street was named after two brothers, Samuel and Thomas Berry. They were both Mayors of Coventry in the 1870’s, and owned a ribbon-weaving factory in the city.
Brook Street	This is named after the brook which used to run along the original line of this street.
Canterbury Street	Named after the cathedral city.
Charles Street	This street was named after Charles Weston. He presented land in Hillfields for St. Peter's Church and Churchyard.
Colchester Street	Named after the ancient town in Essex.
Far Gosford Street	Gosford is literally "Goose Ford" which was the name of the ford where the River Sherbourne crosses the road. The part of the road leading to the city is known as Gosford Street and the lenght leading out of the city is Far Gosford Street.
Freehold Street	Freehold Street was named after the Coventry Freehold Land Society which developed the street in 1848.
Gilbert Street (This street was demolished in the 1970s)	This was named after Revd. J. S. Gilbert, who opened a boarding school at Primrose Hill House in 1816 and owned land in Hillfields.
Godiva Street	This street, which no longer exists except as a factory entrance in Lower Ford Street, was named after Lady Godiva, wife of Earl Leofric. The street was created for workers at the nearby Singer Factory.
Heath Road	This leads to Barras Heath.
Leigh Street	Named after Lord Leigh of Stoneleigh. He laid the foundations stone in All Saint's Church in 1868 and was a local land owner.
Paynes Lane	It is believed that this street may have been named after Symon Payn mentioned in the Leet Book in 1424.
Primrose Hill Primrose Hill Street	Primrose Hill is first mentioned in 1770 when two closes there were up for sale. There was a large house here called Primrose Hill House, which existed long before Hillfields was developed. The area was particularly abundant with primroses and the hill is also said to have contained a tumulus known locally at the Giant's or Adam's Grave. The house was converted into a school in 1816 and closed in 1837.
Sky Blue Way	This road, opened in 1988, commemorated the City winning the FA Cup the previous year.
Sparkbrook Street	This is named after the Sparkbrook cycle company which was based in Payne's Lane in 1890.
Stoney Stanton Road	This is the old turnpike road to Leicester which passed through the village of Stoney Stanton.
Swan Lane	This is an ancient street mentioned in the 1411 Leet Book as Swoneslane and in 1423 as Swannylane.
Swancroft Road	This commemorates a large common field which in the middle ages existed near Swan Lane.
Vernon Street (and Vernon Court)	This street, famous for its triangle of topshops, seems to have been named after Edward Vernon 1684-1757 an English admiral who captured Portobello from the Spanish in the Caribbean in 1739.
Weston Street	This street, now within the Hillfields Flats, is named after Charles Weston who gave land for the construction of St. Peter's Church (see also Charles Street).
Winchester Street	Named after the historical city of Winchester.

The Names of Blocks of Flats

Selina Dix House	Selina Dix was the Head Teacher of South Street and Wheatley Street Girls schools and famous for her work for children and women’s rights.
Pearl Hyde House	This is named after Cllr. Mrs Pearl Hyde (1904 - 1963). She was the Lord Mayor of Coventry during 1957/58.
Paul Stacey House	This was named after Paul Stacy (1870 - 1960), the Rector of St. Peter's Church, who was a famous Christian Socialist and philanthropist. It is not clear why the spelling was incorrect.
Michel House	Nicholas Michel was Mayor of the city in 1356, 1362 and 1368.
Joseph Halpin House	Joseph Robert Halpin was a city councillor from 1909-1935.
Stevens House	Stevens House was named after Thomas Stevens who was famous for the creation of the Stevengraph woven pictures. These were created in his factory in Cox Street, Hillfields. The factory was bombed during the War and never re-opened. There is more information about the weaving industry in Hillfields on this web site and also a link to a Stevengraphs website.
Thomas King	Thomas King was Mayor of the city in 1691.
Unity House	In 1955 the Council of Europe designated Coventry as the city most espousing the European ideal. In 1959 the Council decided to commemorate this honour by designating one of its remodelled streets as Unity Way. It appears that this did not appear but a block of flats was given the name instead.

Other Names in Hillfields

Frederick Bird School	Frederick Bird was a chemist and Member of the City Council in the years at the turn of the 19th Century.
Sidney Stringer Community Technology College	Sidney Stringer (1889 - 1969) was an Alderman and Leader of the City Council from 1938 - 1967. He was also president of the Coventry Co-operative Society.
John Gulson School	John Gulson (1813 - 1904) was a quaker manufacturer and liberal reformer, patron of public libraries and education and Mayor of Coventry.

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