East fa?ade of The Council House, Earl Street, Coventry

Image: © Jo and Steve Turner Taken: 23 Feb 2023

Grade II Listed civic building of 1913-17 by Edward Garret and H W Simister of Birmingham. Since the medieval period, the civic administration of Coventry had been housed in St Mary's Guildhall. A new building was proposed in 1891 by Alderman James Marriott, but it took over 20 years to find a location. The building would involve the demolition of the existing police station, all properties on the west side of St Mary Street, the block of property extending from the corner of St. Mary Street along Earl Street as far as F. J. Thomas's shop, the Gas Offices, Town Clerk's Office and the premises of Messrs, Dewes, Seymour and Wilks in Hay Lane. The foundation stone was laid on 12 June 1913 by the Mayor, William Fitzthomas Wyley but construction was delayed when WWI broke out because so many men enlisted that there were not enough builders available. Although finished in 1917 it did not officially open until 11th June 1920, in a ceremony presided over by HRH The Duke of York, Prince Albert, later to become King George VI. The Coventry Herald called it 'slightly vulgar' and the Coventry Graphic thought it was 'gaudy'. The Council House lost its windows in the 1940 bombing but the building itself escaped major damage. In September 2017 the council moved some 1,500 staff to its new 13-storey tower block at One Friargate. The council retained The Council House as home for the city’s councillors, debates and the council’s democratic services.

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