IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
St. Nicholas Street, COVENTRY, CV1 4LU

One of a number of similarly-styled tower blocks dotted about the northern fringes of Coventry, standing like sentries as if to provide early warning of incursions by Nuneaton or Hinckley. They are distinguished by projecting white concrete bands and closely resemble designs by City Architect, Arthur Ling. However, his tenure ended in 1964 so this may have been by his successor, Terence Gregory.

The 1960s Samuel Vale House towers over a neighbouring mid 19th century terraced house in the mid foreground. Seen from the ramp to the footbridge joining the two parts of Middleborough Road severed by the Radford Road spur, also constructed in the 1960s.

A 1960s 17 storey block of flats standing between St Nicholas Street and St Columba's Close[1], viewed from St Columba's Close.

The view from St Nicholas Street, on the other side of the Middleborough Terrace wall ( http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1570165 ). Sandwiched between Samuel Vale House, foreground and Naul's Mill House, right is Barrs Hill Terrace in St Columba's Close ( http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1570135 ).

This sandstone wall in St Columba's Close[1] has two arches with paired bricked-up doorways, one behind the second car from the right, the other behind the fifth car from the right. Each arch bears the inscription in gothic script "Middle:Borough Terrace 1851" in the area between the doorways (see Image and Image ). The 1906 1:2500 Ordnance Survey (OS) of this area shows 2 pairs of what must have been very substantial semi-detached houses on the site, set well back from this wall. Directories of the area show that they were occupied up to 1939-40. A 1951 1:2500 OS shows the building outlines, but they are marked as 'ruins'. This area was close to factories targeted during WW2 and I assume they were either destroyed or severely damaged at that time. The multi-storey Samuel Vale House flats (the corner of which can be seen on the right) were built on the site in the 1960s. The other side of the wall : http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2997044

The lettering above the southern pair of two pairs of bricked-up doorways in the sandstone wall which is all that remains of Middleborough Terrace in St Columba's Close[1]. It reads "Middle:Borough Terrace 1851". For further details see: Image] The northern doorways: Image]

The northern pair of two pairs of bricked-up doorways in the sandstone wall which is all that remains of Middleborough Terrace in St Columba's Close[1]. The lettering at the peak of the arch reads "Middle:Borough Terrace 1851". For further details, see Image]

Ordnance Survey cut mark benchmark described on the Bench Mark Database at http://www.bench-marks.org.uk/bm92983