The Coventry Canal.
If there was one thing that profoundly influenced the development of the Bell Green area and Coventry City generally, it is the canal. Coal mining was greatly influenced by canal transport and it stands to reason that a coal colliery was located on Henley Road, the Craven Colliery where the industrial estate is today (behind the cost cutter shop).
The canal is 38 miles long and joins Coventry Canal Basin with Fradeley Junction near Burton-on-Trent. It's construction started in 1768 to transport coal from the North Warwickshire coalfield into Coventry, and the work was completed 22 years later in 1790. The section from Coventry City centre, out to Bedworth (near Bell Green) was central to the industrial growth of the city, with many factories and industrial sites being located near or within a short trek of the waterway. One company, Cash's, provided long term employment to many Bell Green residents. See how near their main factory was to the canal, which is to the right of the factory building in this picture.http://freespace.virgin.net/d.fry/textiljp/cashaern.jpg
Britain's first production car was built next to the canal by the Daimler Motor Company in 1897. The old Daimler Power House can still be found on the bend of the canal, just north of the Canal Basin.
The world's first man-made fibres were also developed and manufactured beside the canal at the former Courtaulds Main Works (Now called Acordis), known to many by the famous Courtaulds Clock Tower which now forms part of the Foleshill Enterprise Park.
Probably the most famous group of buildings along the Coventry's Canal are Cash's 'Top Shops'. Built in 1857 by Joseph Cash, these were designed to help people weaving in their own homes to compete with power-driven factory looms via a central steam engine in the courtyard.
But the canal could not compete in a rapidly developing world. By the late 1950s the market for coal had shrunk and other faster forms of transport had taken over. The Coventry Arm - known to boaters as "The 5?" - became derelict and only a campaign by local enthusiasts saved it from being filled in.
http://cv.pages.users.btopenworld.com/coventry-walks/booklets/canal/coventry-canal.html
Bell Green Community Centre
One of the most important focal points of the Bell Green community and built in July 1946. It is situated at the end of Old Church Road. Throughout the years, it has been a cooking / soup kitchen; a place for fancy dress and dancing; a local medical centre; a games hall and a theatre for plays and shows among other things, more recently a place of worship.
Workingman's Club.
Another focal point in the community, has been the Bell Green Workingman's Club, opened in 1960 with the help of £33,000 loan from the City Council. At the time of its opening,it had attracted nearly all the full 1,200 strong membership.
Henley College
The construction of Henley College cost £450,000
in the 1960's. Its most recent extension was completed in 2002 and it continues to grow being at the forefront of education in Coventry and the surrounding counties.
Local Churches
Bell Green residents currently have a choice of eight main churches among others. Saint Patrick's on Deedmore Road is a uniquely designed Catholic Church. Its foundation stone was laid in July 1969 after funds were raised with local residents and other fundraising and was consecreated in March 1983. A new church for the Jehovah's Witnesses was built at the top of Bell Green Road and opened for services in February 2001. Before that, the congregation only had a wooden hut for their fist four years in Bell Green. The new Kingdom Hall today caters for the Foleshill, Wyken and Punjabi groups who meet for ministry and services and a French group who meet on Wednesdays. The construction of the new Kingdom Hall attracted a lot of media attention because it was planned to build it on new foundations in just four weekends, using an army of volunteers, some of whom were Bell Green residents. A Christian church had been based since January 2003 in the Bell Green Community Centre, providing fellowship and prayer in the Pentecostal tradition by Pastor and Mrs. Mabey. The church has now moved to Radford Services are 7.30 Wednesday evenings, 6.30pm Sun eves and 10.30am Sunday morning. The Hall Green Methodist church is located on Roseberry Avenue. This was built in 1965, following the uniting of the Alderman's Green and Bell Green Methodist Societies and with funds from the J.Rank benevolent fund. It replaced the existing church that used to be on Old Church Road (once called Church Lane in 1850)that had it's front section looming over the pavement below. There is also the Coventry Christian mission on Deedmore Road, who have a charity furniture project, which repairs and gives out furniture to those in need. It has a cafe on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8.30 - 11.30am where you can get a cooked english breakfast. Saint Chad's church follows the Anglican tradition and is located at the heart of Wood End. It has a modern approach to it's parishoners by providing an online computer centre. Bell Green also has The New Testament Church of God, based at 83 Old Church Road and this road name is associated with the 17th Century church sited just behind the As a place of historical interest in Bell Green, this church holds many fascinating stories about past parishoners.
A bit about Saint Lawerence Church
This church was mentioned in the Domesday Book at has laid at the heart of the Bell Green community for centuries.
1259 Church was appropraited to Coventry Priory and the lands were commonly called the 'Glebe' until they were sold in 1900.
1616 Bells 2 & 3 installed in the church tower by Hugh Watts of Leicester
1635 Bell number 1 installed as above
1726 A decree was made about payment of tithes in kind
1750 Congregation fell to 30-40 due to dissatisfaction with services. Parishoners did not want to pay tithes because the vicar only came on Sundays when corpses could then be buried.
1759 The Reverend Jackson was succeeded by Samuel Brooks. Rev Jackson was responsible for building a school in Foleshill parish and since 1718, was also Headmaster of the Free Grammar School.
1760 Parishoners petition the Bishop for a resident Vicar.
1766 The school part was enlarged and the vicarage was rebuilt.
1782-92 Church extensively modernised
1851 Annual value of vicagage was £325 rising to £400 until 1920, when it had increased to £700.
1888-89 Restored by Architect T.F.Tickner
1941 Church roof was destroyed by bombing.
