IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Robin Hood Road, COVENTRY, CV3 3AY

Willenhall is based around a large council housing estate mainly built in the post Second World War period. Today it is among the 5% most deprived areas in England. Nevertheless, there is a strong community spirit here, embodied in the Betty Ennis Foundation, a charity named after a well-known community activist who died in 2019 that seeks to improve the lives of local people. The Betty Ennis Hub, part of Willenhall's shopping precinct, sells upcycled homeware items and home accessories as part of the charity's activities. The building has been used as a charity shop for some time but previously housed Willenhall Library (which moved to a different site nearby).

St John's church was designed by Basil Spence (who went on to design the new Coventry Cathedral) and built between 1954 and 1957 to serve a new housing estate. The tower of the grade II listed building is certainly distinctive but whether it is a thing of beauty is a matter of opinion.

Exploring the Sowe valley is hungry work. Having asked directions to the shops and having paid no attention to the map, I was astonished to find myself in Willenhall, a place I knew only by name. This photo is a record of that moment, which was accompanied by the certainty that I would return.

The church was built in 1957 and is one of three neighbourhood churches in Coventry designed by Basil Spence, architect of the new cathedral. Another view is Image

Signs say 'Coventry NHS / Willenhall Primary Care Centre' and 'Willenhall Dental Surgery', and 'Willenhall Dental Care' with an NHS logo, on the single-storey building. The address is Remembrance Road, out of shot left; this view is across Robin Hood Road on a sunny April lunchtime. The Primary Care Centre may well replace the facility that was on a site in Stretton Avenue: to the right in Image

The rear of the church, showing the relationship to the free-standing belltower. The church was built in 1957 and is one of three neighbourhood churches designed by Basil Spence, architect of the new cathedral. The church is seen from the other direction in Image

The Church of St John the Divine is one of three commissioned in 1954 from Basil Spence for the Coventry suburbs. They were funded by money the diocese received from the War Damages Commission for the destruction of one inner city church. Spence went on to design the new Coventry Cathedral which used some of the ideas developed here. This view shows the western gable end which incorporates a cross formed from steel beams. The building is grade II listed.

Built in 1957 and designed by Basil Spence along with two other neighbourhood churches in Coventry. The rear of the church is seen in Image A number 60 bus heads for Arena Park in the north of the city. Photographed in the late afternoon of a bright day in early October.

The front of the church, built in 1957 and designed by Basil Spence, is seen here: Image Thanks to Alan Paxton for information in Image