APPENDIX A
COLESHILL CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL
1.0
INTRODUCTION
“Keeping and understanding the past makes for tolerance; it also makes
for creativity in devising ways of altering and adding to towns. For
nothing comes out of a vacuum. It is hard to believe that those who
made the running in English Towns in the 1950s and 1960s would have
done what they did if they had known more about them.” 1
Conservation areas are designated under the provisions of Section 69 of the
Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 where they are defined
as ‘[areas] of special architectural and historic interest the character and appearance
of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance”
This document is an appraisal of the special architectural and historic interest of the
Coleshill Conservation Area designated in May 1969. It seeks to define and describe
the special interest of the area in order to assist in its future management and
change. An understanding of what is special about historic Coleshill and its
constituent elements should aid council members and officers in determining
planning applications that affect the area. The appraisal also provides an opportunity
to review the boundaries of the area and to suggest possible management proposals.
The document is not intended to be wholly comprehensive in its contents and failure
to mention any particular building, feature, or space should not be taken to imply that
it is of no interest. It is currently in draft form and comments on its contents are
invited.
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2.0 SUMMARY OF SPECIAL INTEREST
The boundary of the current conservation area broadly corresponds with the extent of
built development as it existed in the late 19th /early 20th century.
It is a small, linear, former market town settlement built along the roadside of what
was, until by-passed by the A446 in 1945, the Chester Road, a major route from
London to the north-west and Ireland in medieval and later times. The road runs
along a 100m (330 ft) high promontory orientated north-south before descending
steeply to an ancient crossing point over the River Cole at 74m (245 ft). On the
descent it crosses another locally important medieval road (Blythe Road/ Birmingham
Road) joining Birmingham with Nuneaton and Atherstone, two neighbouring medieval
market towns.
Coleshill possesses a typical medieval ‘single-street town’ plan comprising of a
meandering High Street, a back lane (Parkfield Road), and market place (Church
Hill), with the latter set by a large Medieval church standing on the highest part of the
town. It has a rich tightly packed concentration of historic buildings along the High
Street especially at its commercial hub around the junction with Church Hill, and a
couple of particularly grand houses (Devereux House and Old Bank House) by the
church. Outwardly most buildings appear to date from the 18th century and early 19th
centuries, but many hide parts of earlier timber-framed buildings behind their red
brick and stucco street facades. They often retain external period architectural
detailing largely intact (many are protected by listing) including, in several cases,
early 19th to early 20th century shopfronts
It is the predominance of facades of the 18th and early 19th centuries along the High
Street that give the town its common appellation of ‘Georgian coaching town’.
Coleshill had been an important staging post on a nationally important road since at
least the 16th century and this is certainly reflected in its 17th and 18th century
architecture, with some notable examples of coaching inns and public houses. Preeminent among them is the splendid and imposing late 17th century former coaching
inn and post for the Royal Mail - the Swan Hotel, occupying a prestigious central site
on the crown of the hill opposite the market place and Church Hill. Others include the
former Angel Inn and the striking ‘black and white’ timber-framed former Three Tuns
of the early 17th century both also close to Church Hill.
Beyond the historic commercial core to the south, which essentially ends at the
walled gardens to Chantry House (the former vicarage set well back from the road)
and Sumner Road, the pattern of building is generally less dense and predominantly
residential rather than commercial in character. The historic buildings here are again
of various periods, ranging from the late 15th through to the 19th centuries and they
continue the visual richness and palpable ‘time depth’ in the street scene down to
Maxstoke Road. Along Sumner Road there is a notable collection of interwar
buildings the most important of which are almshouses built for the Coleshaven Trust
of 1930.
To the north the historic core, from the Birmingham Road /High Street cross roads
down the steep hill to the River Cole, the townscape is predominantly of the second
half 20th century with only a handful of individual historic buildings of note surviving.
These are however mostly listed and date from the late 15th to the early 19th
centuries.
Green spaces are an important aspect of the town’s special character and interest.
Those associated with the Church and the former Vicarage behind the east side of
the High Street are particularly valuable creating a memorable juxtaposition and
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contrast of tranquil lawned precincts with the busy urban commercial areas
immediately adjacent.
LOCATION AND SETTING
Location and Context
Coleshill is located in North Warwickshire at the heart of England just eight miles east
of Birmingham city centre as the crow flies. It is barely separated from the vast West
Midland conurbation by the meandering course of the River Cole running through a
narrow band of meadowland. The latter provides a convenient corridor for no less
than three of the Country’s motorways and two dual carriageways. Close-by to the
north lies Hams Hall, a national rail freight terminal and distribution park and only two
miles to the south-west is Birmingham International Airport and the National
Exhibition Centre
The conservation area forms a small historic enclave within a larger linear settlement
comprising mostly of mid-late 20th century housing development - part of
Birmingham’s post-war ‘overspill’. To the north of the river at Cole End and Grimstock
Hill, housing is accompanied by a large industrial estate.
Coleshill is still recognized as a ‘ greenbelt market town’ in the local plan, though
there has been no market held here since 1966. However the High Street continues
to service the locality with a range of small shops, businesses, a number of public
houses, public and private sector service facilities, and two hotels.
General Character and Plan Form
Coleshill conservation area covers the full extent of a small medieval linear market
town from the River Cole in the north, to Coventry Street in the south. The character
of the area varies along its length from predominantly 20th c suburban at its northern
end, to dense urban and commercial at its centre, and then mainly residential
towards the south beyond Sumner Road. It includes the former medieval burgage
plots running back to Parkfield Road to the west and large green open areas
belonging to, or historically associated with, the church to the east. It also includes a
small enclave of interwar buildings along Sumner Road.
Landscape Setting
Coleshill runs along an elevated north-south promontory flanked two rivers which
enclose it on three sides – the Cole to the west and north and the Blythe to the east.
The promontory divides two contrasting landscapes.
To the west lies the vast urban expanse of the West Midlands conurbation spread out
on the Birmingham Plateau with a skyline punctuated by the tower blocks of
Chelmsley Wood and Birmingham city centre in the far distance.
To the east and northeast is the pleasant, well treed, and gently undulating
pastureland of the East Warwickshire Plateau part of the Warwickshire Arden.
Views
Whilst the town is set upon a ridge, because of the density of building along the High
Street, there is little opportunity for distant views from along its length.
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There is however an elevated distant view northwards from the High Street as it
descends to the river, but it is a rather unprepossessing vista over residential and
industrial estates to the Hams Hall National Distribution Park and beyond.1
Some distant easterly views are obtainable from the Church precinct, whilst some
long distance westerly views are afforded from parts of Birmingham Road and
Parkfield Road.
Views into, through, and within the conservation area are often graced by the
presence of the church tower and spire as a prominent element.
Notable middle distance approach views of the town and church are to be had form
the A446 dual carriage way by Grimstock Hill to the north west, and from the Blythe
Road approaching the town from the north east, where the tall church spire can be
seen against a green backcloth of leafy rural Warwickshire.
This view was illustrated in Ian Nairn’s critique of 20th c development of Britain’s town and
countryside in the 1950s called Outrage and at that time showed housing spreading towards
the prominent cooling towers of the former Hams Hall power station, since demolished
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4.0
ORIGINS AND HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT
The derivation of the name Coleshill is straightforward denoting simply a hill by the
River Cole. The name of the river itself, as with others in the area, is pre- Saxon,
possibly Welsh, meaning ‘hazel’2, hinting at ancient settlement.
Evidence of Iron age/ Roman settlement has been found beyond and to the north of
the town at Grimstock Hill. It lay along the north bank of the Cole and was associated
with a Romano-Celtic temple.3
Coleshill lies on the edge of the Warwickshire Arden, an area historically comprising
mostly of woodland with very little meadowland. It was a marginal area in terms of
village development with the dominant pattern of settlement being single farms and
green hamlets at a very low density, created as a result of piecemeal colonization of
the land. Coleshill and Kingsbury were its most important settlements.
Though Coleshill had no known urban attributes before the establishment of the
medieval borough in the thirteenth century, it was clearly a settlement of some
significance before 1086.The Domesday Survey of that year indicates that the manor
of Coleshill was substantial. It was held by the King and rated at 3 hides, with 30
villains, 13 bordars, 16 ploughs, a large area of woodland, a mill, and a priest. The
settlement was also important administratively being the centre of a large royal estate
before Domesday and the centre of the Hundred of ‘Coleshelle’, later renamed the
Hundred of Hemlingford.4 A court of the Hundred is known to have continued to meet
at Coleshill in the medieval period and still did so in the later 18th century.
Coleshill’s early political importance is perhaps surprising given that it lay in a
marginal area geographically and economically. The Church and its early
organization in the area may hold the answer to this apparent enigma.
It has been convincingly shown that Coleshill was a minster church5 forming part of
what was England’s first parochial church system. Minsters are older than the
majority of ordinary local parish churches and served much larger areas. Coleshill is
strategically located mid-way between Lichfield and Coventry. Lichfield was where St
Chad established his church in 664 as he came to evangelise the Anglo-Saxon
kingdom of Mercia. Missionary priests would be sent out from there to convert pagan
communities in the surrounding area. Once established, these early Christian groups
would build a church - a minster church - from where priests would carry out further
missionary work in the locality.
In the early medieval period the development of the Church was closely associated
with secular or royal political power. The minster system was complex and could not
have evolved as quickly as it did in the 7th and 8th centuries without royal patronage.
Kings helped the Church to grow while at the same time the Church enhanced the
status of Kings. In the eighth century the Mercian ecclesiastical seat was Lichfield,
while the royal place of Offa, was close by at Tamworth and served effectively as the
national ‘capital’ at that time.
2
Ekwall, E 1928, English River Names p 85-6
Slater & Jarvis 1982 Field & Forest p 177
4 VCH Vol 1V p1
5 Slater A Century of Celebrating Christ p 11
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Coleshill’s minster parish typically covered an extensive area, and possessed
daughter chapels at Lea Marston, Over and Nether Whitacre, and other probable
ones at Maxstoke, Shustoke, and Bentley. Given its early ecclesiastical importance
then, it is not so surprising that Coleshill was also politically important, and that both
remained of significance for the town for several centuries.
The earliest documentary evidence for the urbanization of the settlement at Coleshill
is the granting of a Sunday market and an annual fair by King John in 1207 to the
lord of the manor Osbert de Clinton (the latter having acquired the manor from the
King probably in the reign of Henry 1)6. The granting of a market may well have been
a formal recognition of economic activity already taking place in this relatively
important village, for a Sunday market is often an indication of informal trading taking
place around the parish church7.
It was probably during the early - mid 13th century that the linear plan form of the
town was established. This is likely to have comprised of a planned burgage series
(probably along both sides of High Street south of the present Birmingham Road
/Blythe Road8) , a rectangular market place, Church Hill9, laid out at right angles to
the main street close to the Church; and its back lane Parkfield Road, giving rear
access to individual burgage plots and marking the extent of the borough and the
start of the surrounding open field areas of cultivation.
The motive for Coleshill’s move towards urban status was commercial. The 12th and
early 13th centuries in England, and indeed over Europe, witnessed an
unprecedented boom in urban growth and it was at this time that many new towns
received their identity in law as boroughs. Borough status offered a settlement
substantial independence from the countryside, primarily by conferring rights to its
occupants (burgesses) releasing them from agricultural obligations to their lord in
return for payment of rent for their burgage plots. If successful, income from these
rents, plus market tolls, could far exceed that obtained from farming. The
establishment of a town was therefore an attractive prospect for a feudal lord,
particularly if an informal market was already in existence.
The urban development of Coleshill lay in secular hands with the Clintons (and after
them the de Montforts), but the church was an important land- holder as is evident
from the layout of the medieval town. Its precinct on the east side of the High Street
was probably an obstacle to the creation of a more regular burgage series on this
side of the road when the new town was laid out.
When the ownership of Coleshill was transferred from royal hands to the Clintons in
the late 12th century, the settlement would have suffered a fall in status, but it
nevertheless remained reasonably important politically as it sent representatives to a
parliament in 1275 10 It also remained important ecclesiastically as is evidenced by
6
VCH op cit p 50
Slater op cit p187
8 North of Birmingham Road/Blythe Road the plot boundaries do not appear to form part of a
planned series and may be the result of growth southward from settlement and economic
activity by the river.
9 T S Slater suggests Coleshill’s medieval market was simply Church Hill itself i.e. it was a
broad street market (see Field and Forest 1982 p184). Others such as A D Watkins (see
The Development of Coleshill 1982) have suggested a much larger area on the east side of
the High Street. The case for this is based on an interpretation of documentary sources but
does not appear to be supported on the evidence of plot boundaries (see footnote 23
below).
10 Mc Kisack, M 1962 The parliamentary Representation of the English Boroughs p 5
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the large number of clergy either living in the town or holding land here in the 13th
and 14th centuries. Most of these churchmen were associated with Coleshill’s
daughter chapels but other neighbouring churches such as Ansley and Packington
were also represented11.
Coleshill’s continuing commercial success is attested by the historical record which
documents the presence of the leather and cloth trades (not surprising given the
presence of the river) metal working, carpenters, wheelwrights etc throughout the
same period12and a large number of bakeries. Agriculture was also of course of
central importance to the town’s economy. As with all small- scale medieval towns,
its basis was firmly in the local area, and its market for corn apparently placed it high
in the league of west midland markets13.
When the last male Clinton heir died in 1353-4, the manor passed by marriage to the
de Montfort family. It remained with them until 1495 when, following the execution of
Simon by the king, the estate passed to the Digby’s who remained lords of the manor
until the 20th c 14.
The traveler and topographer John Leland passing through the town in the 1530s
and 40s described it concisely as follows -‘Colleshull towne a praty thrwgh-faire in
Werwikshire, lyeinge by northe and southe up [on] an hill, hathe but one longe strete,
and a paroche churche, at the south end of it’15
The town was at this time on the Tudor Royal Post system being strategically placed
between the two adjacent staging posts of Coventry and Lichfield on the principal
route between London and the northwest and Ireland. Between established staging
posts (usually inns set about ten miles apart) ‘post boys’ (often men of advancing
years) would carry letters in relays on horseback. Given the large size of the Swan
Hotel and its prestigious location, it seems not unlikely that it could have been
Coleshill’s Royal Mail staging post from its earliest days in the town16
The rise of long-distance traveling that developed in England with improving roads
during the 17th and 18th centuries also undoubtedly benefited the town economically,
lying as it did on an important national route. Coleshill is shown as a fairly large
settlement on what was the line of the key London - Lichfield - Chester road on John
Ogilby’s atlas of 1675 - the Brittania - suggesting it was an important stopping point
on the route. Daniel Defoe writer, traveler and government agent passed through
Coleshill on his way from Dunstable to Chester in the 1720s, describing it as ‘a very
handsome market town’. The size and number of former coaching inns (and in part
the number of public houses) built or modernized to meet the needs of travelers and
their horses is today the industry’s most tangible and evocative legacy.
Up until the late 18th century the open field system of agricultural production that had
continued for about a thousand years was brought to an end with an Act of Enclosure
passed in 1780. John Snape’s plan of Coleshill of 1783, presumably drawn up to
A D. Watkins ‘The Development of Coleshill in the Middle Ages’ 1982 p
Ibid pp 64-65
13 Ibid p 58
14 VCH p51
11
12
15
16
The Swan was known to be in existence by 1500 ( Watkin 1982 p 52) and to judge by the
size of the present building of the late 17thc, its predecessor was likely also to have been of
some size. It is mentioned in ‘Patersons Roads’ of 1829 as supplying post-horses (see The
Story of Coleshill p 36)
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show how the land was distributed between new owners (sponsored probably by
Lord Digby by far the largest landholder), gives a clear and accurate picture of the
physical layout of the town.
The plan shows that along with Lord Digby, the Church also had significant holdings,
as did the vicar of Coleshill - William Digby . The latter was the brother of Lord Digby
and Dean of Durham painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds. He was inducted at Coleshill
in 1765 where he remained until his death in 1788. The occupation of this post by
someone of William’s elevated social status (his earnings were reputed to be £5000
per annum), suggests that the church remained an important one in the area even as
late as the late 18th century – a suggestion reinforced by the impressive scale and
appearance of the vicarage rebuilt around this time.
At the other end of the social scale cottagers and smallholders disenfranchised from
their commoners rights to the land as a result of enclosure had no newly developing
local industries to turn to as they had in neighbouring small market towns such as
Atherstone and Nuneaton. Coleshill clearly did not industrialise on any scale and
remained essentially a rural market town throughout the 19th century. Almost one
third of the workforce remained in agricultural production at the start of that century,
whilst some 40% were tradesmen and craftsmen. There was also a significant
number of professionals or persons of independent means including doctors lawyers
and teachers. Without significant industry17 Coleshill never developed the deplorable
and notorious back yards and courts of worker housing once so common in the long
burgage plots lining the main streets of Nuneaton and Atherstone. Nor did it loose its
fine Georgian buildings to major Victorian redevelopment as often happened in
industrial towns and cities. In 1835 it was said of the town that ‘The houses are in
general well built and several of them are handsome and of modern date’.
With the lack of industry and the eclipsing of coach travel by the railways during the
19th century, the town became something of a quiet backwater. It retained the
character of genteel small-scale market town rooted in the local rural area - a
character still apparent to a degree today. The town’s population grew steadily during
the century from 1437 in 1801 to 2593 one hundred years later. There was however
little Victorian building along the High Street, nor indeed is it very apparent elsewhere
in the town.
By contrast the twentieth century and the arrival of the motorcar brought much
greater change. From 1941, Coleshill was locally governed by Meriden Rural District
Council until its dissolution and replacement by North Warwickshire Council in 1974.
Their offices were in what had been William Digby’s vicarage. As planning authority
the Council oversaw the ‘strategic’ growth of the town and District as a destination for
part of Birmingham’s post-war ‘overspill’ population. Lengthy sections of historic
street frontages along both sides of the High Street north of Church Hill and along the
south side of Church Hill itself, were cleared and replaced with unsympathetic
housing, shops and flatted developments typical of the 1960s and early 1970s.
The town did fare better with the management of car traffic owing to the pre- war
planning of a dual carriageway bypass - the A 446 - to the west, which opened
immediately after the war.
With such changes the character of the town altered. Its local rural market function
gave way to one of dormitory town for Birmingham commuters and the provision of
local speciality convenience shopping and small offices.
17
Only the tanning works by the river approached anything like factory scale production.
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Reaction to the loss of many of the town’s historic buildings began with the
campaigning to save Old Bank House from proposals for demolition (again by
Meriden RDC) and the formation of Coleshill Civic Society in 1963. Not long
afterwards in 1969, the town was declared a conservation area by Warwickshire
County Council. Though this did not immediately halt further losses these were on a
much more limited scale. However, the loss of a very sizable proportion of Coleshill’s
historic building stock is still deeply and bitterly resented by many of the local
population. Its Civic Society remains understandably vigilant and active concerning
proposals affecting the towns’ future appearance and use.
5.0 CHARACTER AREAS
Definition of Character Areas
Character areas are sub-areas of the conservation area that are distinguished or
defined by various attributes or characteristics derived in the main from past and/or
present land uses and their related patterns of ownership. These are reflected in the
layout or pattern of the town’s buildings and spaces, and in their individual
appearance and character.
The different character areas identified for Coleshill, and their principal features of
special interest or representative qualities, are as follows:

Area 1: The Church and its Precincts.
This is an area whose historic uses are closely associated with the Church of St
Peter and St Paul. It includes the upper end of Church Hill that has a quiet closelike quality owing to the handsome and polite Georgian houses and school facing
the church and its grounds. It also includes the extensive green precinct around
the church, the former vicarage and its grounds, and gardens to Coleshill House.

Area 2: Central High Street
An area comprising of the historic and present commercial core of the town
containing predominantly shops and offices in continuous frontages lining both
sides of the meandering street. Its historic buildings are mainly town houses with
an urban character and scale, nearly all of which have had shopfronts introduced
at ground level, together with public houses and former coaching inns including
the imposing Swan Hotel. The area also includes the lower part of Church Hill
which has historically been known as ‘the market place’ though its commercial
character was changed by the redevelopments of the 1960s.

Area 3: Upper High Street
This area includes a section of the High Street and Coventry Road that lies on
the southern fringe of the commercial core. Buildings along the street are
generally more dispersed, more varied in size and generally smaller than the
centre, being predominantly two storey cottages and houses. Nearly all retain
domestic frontages without shopfronts to the ground floor. The character of this
section of the street is as a result more village than town, though the elegant late
18th century Coleshill House is of a grander more urban scale. The 1960s
shopping parade at its southern end (currently outside the conservation area
boundary) has also introduced an unfortunate suburban element.
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
Area 4: The Back Lane to the Central High Street
The area includes the medieval rear plots that extend back (westward) from the
High Street to Parkfield Road, the original back lane of the High Street. To the
north it has a backland character of extensions outbuildings and carparking
areas. Further south it has the character of a residential street facing the cricket
ground.

Area 5: Sumner Road
This is a small area of interwar development dominated by the picturesque
Almshouses along Sumner Road and the Town Hall on the corner with the High
Street

Area 6: Lower High Street and Church Hill (south side)
This area running down the hill to the River Cole comprises mainly of houses and
shops from the 1960s and early 70s and has a predominantly suburban
character. It now has little architectural or historic interest other than forming part
of the principal medieval street and containing a small number of historic
buildings scattered among 20th century development. Most of these are listed.
The area also includes houses and offices to the north of Church Hill and south of
Blythe Road, together with a small separate enclave of flats built in the same
period on the south side of Church Hill .
 Area 7: River Side
This includes a section of the river Cole and its meadow floodplain to either side
of the historic road bridge at the foot of the hill leading up to the town center and
church.
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AREA 1: THE CHURCH AND ITS PRECINCTS
Principal features and characteristic qualities18:








Large church of St Peter and Paul – its tall spire and steeple dominating the
skyline.
Extensive green spaces associated with the church immediately adjacent to
the commercial core of the town extending along much of the east side of the
High Street and accessed directly off it.
Polite residential character to the upper part of Church Hill reminiscent of an
ecclesiastical close and including the town’s grandest domestic buildings Devereaux House and Old Bank House
Elevated views from the Church grounds over rural Warwickshire to the east
Grand, large former vicarage - home of William Digby in the late 18th century
and subsequent members of the Digby family through to the 1920s
The former school buildings to the ancient Grammar School
Absence of development to the east of the church thereby maintaining a close
connection between the town and its rural hinterland, and preserving country
views of the church spire from the east and northeast
Quiet and tranquil areas - both green and urban
Large mature trees make an important landscape contribution
Location & Topography
This area is based upon the Church and includes the upper part of Church Hill, the
green spaces east of High Street, plus Chantry House (the former Vicarage) and its
grounds, and the extensive rear gardens to Coleshill House.
Uses
The current dominant use and historic influence in this character area remains the
Church. Residential (mostly flats) and office uses are located immediately adjacent to
the Church precinct in Church Hill and the in Chantry House the former vicarage.
Historic Interest
The earliest fabric of the present church dates from the 14th century but the high
quality of its 12th century Norman font points to an important earlier building.
Furthermore the Domesday entry for Coleshill mentions a priest suggesting the
existence of a Saxon church. Given that Coleshill’s earliest church was a Minster, it
seems highly likely that a Saxon building occupied the site of the present church and
that this formed the focal point of the settlement before it became a town. As an
important church it had a large precinct. When the medieval town was laid out in the
12th century by its secular lord, Church ownership appears to have impeded the
layout of a regular burgage series on this side of High Street.
18
The failure to mention any particular feature does not imply it is of no importance. This
important caveat applies to all character areas in this appraisal.
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While 14th century in origin, the existing building was heavily restored in 1859 by W
Salter, so much so in fact that it has been remarked that the building appears
externally as a Victorian facsimile.19
Opposite the Church in Church Hill stands, Devereux House arguably the finest
house in the town. It was built in the early 18th century but not for the clergy. It was
the home to several generations of the Barker family, all of whom, remarkably,
practised medicine in Coleshill from 1698 to 1884.20 The Barker family vault lies
close-by, outside the church beneath a stained glass window in the Lady Chapel
dedicated to the family.
Next to Devereux House is Old Bank House. Dating from the late 18th century, it was
evidently built for someone of wealth and, as its name suggests, it offered banking
services – apparently the first in the town to do so21. Housekeeper’s accommodation
was provided in the two-storey building between it and Devereux House.
Closely associated with the church was the Free School. Its foundation is claimed to
stem from a bequest from Alice Digby widow of Sir Simon Digby in 1520 22, though
curiously the bequest makes no mention of a school. The existing former school
building on Church Hill adjacent to the church dates from the 18th century. It was
altered with an addition of a second storey in the late 18th century plus an extension
for the headmaster’s house in the 1820’s. It probably occupies the site of the 16th
century building. The Grammar school itself moved to a new building on Coventry
Road in 1956 and the old building is now used as offices.
Church Hill formed the medieval market place of the town. It has been conjectured by
some to have originally covered a much greater area to the south of the street and
west of the Church, down to and including, the vicarage grounds23.
As mentioned above, on the basis of the evidence of its buildings and historic uses,
the eastern, upper end, of Church Hill has been heavily influenced by the church and
its school for several centuries, and as a result has maintained a residential character
since at least the early 18th century.
Towards the bottom of the hill however its character has historically been more
commercial in nature and accordingly this lower section is discussed in Character
Area 2 below.
19
N Pevsner The Buildings of England Warwickshire p235
Georgian Coleshill a leaflet compiled by The Coleshill Heritage Group
21 ibid
22 Coleshill and the Digbys p 25
23
See for example The Story of Coleshill pp12 –13. This is open to doubt however, as early
mapping (Snape’s map of the late 18th century (the earliest surviving) and subsequent
Ordnance Survey maps) indicate medieval tenements here. This is reinforced by the recent
discovery of a 14th century building at 111a High Street (see below). Together they indicate
the presence of medieval plots running back from both the High Street and Church Hill in the
area immediately west of the Church. It is very rare, but not unknown, for a market place to be
later filled in with burgage plots in this way. Usually they were infilled with a central island
block of buildings without yards or gardens by landlords at an early stage in the development
of a town to increase the rent role.
20
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Townscape and Architectural Interest
The area is dominated by the church, standing on the highest point of the town, its
spire forming a landmark for miles around. The large size of the church and its
precincts relative to the modest size of the town is noteworthy. It is sited off the main
axis of Church Hill, which lies to the east. The church spire and steeple are visible
from many vantage points along the High Street and Church Hill, though the
monotonous bulk and alien flat roofed form of the 1960s development along the
south side of the latter mar the attractiveness of views in their vicinity.
Church Hill is a short, broad street of straight alignment running at right angles to the
High Street and parallel to the main axis of the church. It leads, as its name
suggests, directly up a slope to that landmark building and narrows in front of its
churchyard. In easterly views up the incline, Church Hill appears almost as a cul-desac due to enclosure by the former Free Grammar school building standing where
the road turns northward on the crown of the hill. Looking westward down the slope,
views are closed by buildings lining the western side of the High Street - principally
the Swan Hotel.
The upper half of the long north side of Church Hill opposite the churchyard is
enclosed by two of the town’s finest Georgian brick facades Devereux House and
Old Bank House. These together with the grammar school serve to define and
enclose an attractive church close-like space north of the church.
The church grounds extend over a wide area with expansive lawns and trees
bounded by hedges and mellow old brick walls creating an attractive green precinct
behind and along the east side of the High Street. The land is elevated and crisscrossed by pathways accessible to the public, that lead to open fields beyond to the
east and afford attractive views over rolling Warwickshire countryside. It thus has a
high amenity and recreational value and its proximity to the High Street makes for an
interesting contrast and juxtaposition between its tranquil semi-formal green treed
landscape and the busy commercial townscape of High Street.
To the south of this lies the former Vicarage, itself set in well treed grounds and
bounded by brick walls that once continued the sequence of green spaces from the
church down to Coleshill House. Extensive car parking and modern development to
the front of the vicarage has however interrupted the sense of continuity of green
space.
The grounds to Coleshill House24 are included in this area because they too
constitute a large, important, well-treed green space with historical Digby family
associations.
Local Features

Lych gate and path to the church grounds off the High Street
Negative Features


24
20th century development on the south side of Church Hill
Car-parking and modern development in the grounds of Chantry House
(See section 3 below)
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AREA 2: THE COMMERCIAL CENTRE - CENTRAL HIGH STREET AND THE
LOWER PART OF CHURCH HILL
Principal features and characteristic qualities








The primary shopping and commercial area of the town.
Serpentine road line of inconstant width characteristic of medieval ‘single
street’ towns with building elevations faithfully following the curved back
edges of street pavements
Strong enclosure with a mixture of two, two-and-a-half and three storey
buildings lining both sides of a narrow street in continuous rows, thereby
forming a linear corridor space
The larger more imposing two-and-a-half and three storey buildings
concentrated near the market place in Church Hill, particularly on the west
side. The late 17th century Swan Hotel opposite Church Hill has the grandest
presence on the High Street.
High concentrations of well preserved historic buildings - mostly former
houses with later shopfronts to their ground floors, together with several
purpose built inns
The majority of main facades to the street are18th century and represent the
full range of changing Georgian architectural fashions from early 18th century
to early 19th century, though many front earlier buildings. All centuries from
the 16th through to the 20th are represented externally within the street.
A high proportion of buildings contain timber-framing of earlier structures
hidden behind later brick facades.
Good survival rates of period architectural features to upper floors such as
timber sash windows, cornices and architraves etc.

The varied building frontages reflect the medieval burgage plots (whose
boundaries have now mostly gone) on which they stood lining both sides of
the street

A good range of surviving period shopfronts including early 19th century,
Victorian and Edwardian examples.
Location & Topography
This linear character area runs from Blythe Road/ Birmingham Road in the north,
down to Sumner Road / Chantry House in the south and includes the frontage
properties to either side of the street. The area also includes the lower part of Church
Hill, which, although not commercial in character today, was historically known as the
market place up until the early 20th century25
Use
The character area covers the commercial center and historic heart of present day
Coleshill.
25
Coleshill Remembered p25
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Historic Interest
The area comprises the surviving historic core of the medieval and Georgian town.
The frontages along the street stand at the head of plots that formed series of
medieval burgages running along the west side down to the back lane (now Parkfield
Road), and a more complex pattern of plots on the east side north and south of
Church Hill26. While many plot boundaries have disappeared they have influenced
the width of most of the building frontages visible along the High Street today.
Outwardly the earliest building evident in this part of the High Street is the ornate
black-and-white timber-framed façade of the former Three Tuns Inn (109 -111 High
Street) dating from the late 16th or early 17th century. However hidden behind later
mostly 18th century brick fronts are elements of several older buildings. The oldest
among them is 111a High Street, which, recent research has established, comprised
a shop fronting the street with domestic accommodation in the form of a solar above
and an open-hall with other rooms behind, the latter dating probably from the mid 14th
century.27
The remarkable extent to which the timber framing and other fabric of earlier houses
survives hidden behind 18th century and later facades along this and other parts of
the High Street has only recently been revealed by the investigations of Mr R
Meeson and the Civic Society. At the southern end of the character area, for
example, surviving historic fabric behind 18th and 19th century facades shows that the
entire row of buildings from 124 –138 High Street began life as timber-framed
buildings including what were probably a row of a ‘renters’ or series of small rented
units of the 15th or 16th century, and possibly also another late medieval open hall
and cross wing28.
The central High Street contains a good representative collection of late 17th century
and early 18th century houses, though often with later 18th and early 19th century
alterations to their facades, including rendering and window changes. The best
include the Swan Hotel, Queen Anne House, and Nantlle House (the latter an early
example of a double-pile plan in the town)
As would be expected in a market town on a major national route, the High Street
was, and still is, well endowed with several inns or former inns, most of which
originally had stabling (now mostly gone) and are of ancient origin. The Swan Hotel
for example is recorded as existing by 150029 and to judge by the size of the present
late 17thc building, its predecessor was likely also to have been of some size. It is
mentioned in ‘Patersons Roads’ of 1829 as supplying post horses.30 Its carriage arch
has been infilled with the present customer entrance arrangement but it had a rear
entrance direct on to Parkfield Road thereby avoiding the need for carriages to be
turned in the narrow confines of rear courtyards.
The Green Man, outwardly of the late 18th /early 19th century, retains parts of a
15th/16th century timber-framed building in a rear range and has some surviving
stabling. The Three Tuns already mentioned, now a restaurant, was probably
purpose built as an inn of the late 16th early 17th century. The former Angel Inn (74-76
26
see Historic Interest for Character Area 1 above page
R Meeson in Coleshill Buildings c. 1350 – 1850 p. 10
28 Ibid p 27-8
29 Watkin 1982 p 52
30
The Story of Coleshill p 36
27
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High Street) is again recorded as being in existence by 1500 31 and there are once
again remnants of a timber-framed building hiding behind a front range that dates
outwardly from the 18th century with early 19th century alterations. It retains its
carriage entrance.
While the central High Street and lower part of Church Hill was the commercial
centre of the town it would not have had the appearance we now associate with
shopping streets. Glazed shopfronts, one of the most conspicuous features of
commercial streets today, did not appear until the late 18th century - shops instead
might have had front counters that lay open to the street and were shuttered up at
night. Nor was there much if any need for advertising as all shopkeepers had their
own specialized trade for which there were regular local customers. When shopfronts
arrived in Coleshill from the early 19th century they were almost indistinguishable
from domestic bow windows comprising of many small panes of glass such as those
to 119 and 120 High Street. A good Regency example can be found at 134-136 High
Street. From the 1850s large areas of plate glass became affordable and the nearly
all small-paned shopfronts disappeared, making that at Coleshill a rare survivor.
Several good examples of these later 19th century and early 20th century fronts
survive including those at 80, 92, 94, 108 and 110 High Street.
Although it is not very apparent today, the lower part of Church Hill historically had
more of a commercial character than its northern upper end. It was known as the
‘Market Place’ until the early part of the last century with a weekly Wednesday
market held here until late in the 19th century. During the 18th century it contained a
market hall, an inn (The White Lion) with stabling, and one or two shops.
The market hall was a two storey rectangular building with an open arcaded ground
floor. It was placed in the middle of the road towards the bottom (western) end of
Church Hill. A timber pillory stood in front of the building and was moved to its
present site in front of 1-3 Church Hill following demolition of the hall in 1865.
As the commercial importance of the market in the lower part of Church Hill waned
during the later part of 19th century and early 20th century, it too, like the upper end
became increasingly residential in character; the White Lion for example had become
two houses by the early 20th century. This trend was substantially reinforced in the
1960s when all 18th century buildings on the south side were demolished for blocks
of flats erected in the 1960s by Meriden Rural District Council.
Townscape and Architectural Interest
Southward from the High Street/ Birmingham Road crossroads, the main street
climbs steeply to level out and run along the top of a ridge just beyond the Swan
Hotel. From here there are elevated long distance views northward to Hams Hall and
beyond. Continuing southward, the road alignment gently curves to the south-east so
there are no long distance vistas, but instead views are enclosed by the continuous
facades of buildings following the curved building lines along the back edges of the
street pavements. Different stretches of building frontages are gradually revealed
sequentially to view when proceeding along the footpaths, creating interest and
drawing one onward.
Most buildings on the west side of the street are two-and -a-half and three storeys
high until 120 High Street is reached, then they drop to two storey. On the east side
they are mostly tall two-storey mixed with three storey buildings until 121 High Street
31
Watkin op cit
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is reached when again lower two storey buildings predominate. The effect of the
building height reduction is to produce a more open, less corridor-like character to
the south third of this character area than is apparent near the commercial core
around the junction with Church Hill.
The vast majority of roof ridges run parallel to the street, and eaves heights are
varied, though they step down the hill with the slope north of the Swan Hotel.
However, timber- framed buildings present their gable ends to the street, even
though some of them may be disguised by later facades with parapets. Eaves
treatments also vary from deep cornices accompanying prominent roofs of Queen
Anne and early-Georgian buildings, to shallow eaves cornices often with a parapet
above hiding shallow roofs of late-Georgian and Regency periods. Windows to
facades have typical vertical proportions (or square to the upper-storey) based on
Classical rules, and generally symmetry is closely observed in their composition on
elevations. The number of bays of windows varies from two to seven and these set
up pleasing rhythms and visual interest along the street. The grandest are to be
found near Church Hill, most notably the Swan Hotel whose elegant broad façade of
seven bays, deep eaves cornice, and tall, steeply pitched roof terminates views from
the market place and signals the summit of the climb up from the River Cole some 80
metres below. Others of particular note, again with seven bay façades, are 108-110
High Street dating from the mid-late 18th century - now split into two properties, and
the former Angel Inn 74-76 High Street outwardly of the late 18th /early 19th century.
The rebuilding on individual burgage plots at different times by various owners has
resulted in a visually rich and varied streetscene and a dense and fine ‘grain’ to the
building pattern. Dramatic contrasts in adjacent plot development could arise such as
that on the east side of High Street just south of Church Hill, where the ‘busy’ blackand white gables of the timber-framed former Three Tuns Inn are juxtaposed with
calm and elegantly proportioned brick frontages of Georgian neighbours. As a result
the street does not form an architectural unity but it does have a distinct quality of its
own that derives from the organic development of historic plots over centuries that is
both unique and precious.
Unfortunately this complexity, literally built up over centuries, has been lost
completely on the east side on the incline of High Street up to Church Hill. It has also
been partially eroded by piecemeal individual building replacement of the later 20th
century further south along the street.
Architectural detailing to buildings has survived remarkably well and most façades
retain painted timber windows.
Coleshill has its own locally distinctive detailing of window heads to a number of
early-mid 19th century buildings. These take the form of shallow segmental arches in
stone or render with block-like terminals.
Within the lower half of Church Hill noteworthy buildings on the north side include
The Old House - a stuccoed Regency house of three storeys, the late 18th century
former market hall with 19th century alterations, and the Midland Bank dating from the
early 20th century.
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Local Features



The Parish Pump. A listed building but not the original, which was lost
following a car accident. The present pump was given by Lord Plumb from his
farm at Southfields32
Pillory and stocks outside the former Town Hall in lower Church Hill. The
pillory is unique in Warwickshire and very unusual nationally as it has a threefold combination of pillory, whipping post, and stocks33. It was last used in
1863
Locally distinctive segmental arched window heads with block terminals to
some early –mid 19th century buildings.
Negative Features

32
33
Modern, later 20th century developments including the former Post Office
(123-129), 128a-130 High Street. 133-135 High Street, and the east side of
the High Street from Blythe Road to Church Hill
Coleshill Remebered 2 p25
County Historic Environment Record Ref No 285
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AREA 3: UPPER HIGH STREET AND COVENTRY STREET
Principal features and characteristic qualities






More residential and less commercial in character than Area 2 and
generally smaller in scale with two storey houses and cottages predominant,
particularly south of Maxstoke Road, though with the occasional notably large
three storey house present.
Coleshill House is a dominant presence on the east side of the High Street
Important concentration of listed houses from the 15th to 18th centuries
between the Town Hall and Maxstoke Road
Pronounced curving street alignment south of Sumner Road
More openness to the street and with trees and greenery to gardens and
spaces apparent particularly those to Chantry House.
Good views of Church Spire and steeple along street from the south and by
Chantry House
Location & Topography
This is a linear area including buildings fronting the upper part of the High Street and
part of Coventry Street, from Sumner Road in the north to no. 37 Coventry Stet in the
south.
Uses
This area is characterised by its prevailing residential use. It does though contain a
shop, two coaching inns (one now a hotel with large recent additions), and one or two
houses used for offices. The current conservation area boundary excludes
development on the west side of Coventry Road which is mostly of later 20 th century
date and includes a 1960s parade of shops of poor visual quality and of alien
suburban character.
Historic Interest
High Street ends and Coventry Street begins at the junction with Maxstoke Lane.
This may coincide with the southernmost extent of the medieval new town, though
Parkfield Road, the back lane of the medieval borough, continues a little further south
on the west side. The oldest surviving building in the area, 148 High Street, is a late
medieval hall house with hall range running parallel to the street.
Development was always less dense in this part of the town away from the more
expensive and sought after commercial plots around the market place.
In Church Hill There were large gaps of undeveloped frontages along the west side
of the road well into the last century. One such opposite the grounds to Chantry
House served to physically separate this part of the street from the commercial core.
The grand residential tone set by the vicarage possibly had an influence on the
elegant 141 High Street now Coleshill House built to the south in the mid-late 18th
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century. The house provided accommodation for the Digby family, Lords of the
Manor, during their visits to the town34 after they moved the family seat from Coleshill
to Sherborne Castle in Dorset in the 18th century. It incorporated two 17th century
cottages adjacent to the north to provide domestic service and other ancillary
accommodation to the big house as well as incorporating their gardens. The cottages
have now been returned to separate ownerships.
The Coach and Horses and the former Red Lion were an important commercial
presence in the street from the early 19th century (if not earlier in the case of the
former).
The majority of cottage rows or short terraces along the east side of Coventry Road
within the conservation area date from the first half of the 19th century, with others
from the late 19th century.
The west side of Coventry Road is excluded from the conservation area and is
mainly a 20th century streetscape of commercial buildings of no architectural or
historic interest.
Townscape and Architectural Interest
South of Sumner Road the street broadens slightly as it scribes a broad arc from
southeast to south and the street space opens up as building density reduces and
the occasional building (such as the town hall and Chantry House) is set back from
the general historic building line. Gaps between buildings allow mature trees to grow
and glimpses of rear gardens to be seen, and the height and scale of buildings is
generally lower. There are some notable exceptions to the general trend, most
significantly the imposing Coleshill House, the less grand two-and-a-half storey
Ferndale House and the three storey former 146 High Street. The modern three
storey extension blocks to the Coach Hotel also increase the scale of building in the
immediate vicinity though not altogether successfully.
Unlike the central area there are few shopfronts to the ground floors of historic
buildings with nearly all them retaining their original domestic entrances and
windows. Also unlike the central area there are not long continuous building
frontages but shorter rows or terraces of houses interrupted by gardens and yards.
As a result the character of this area is much more residential and less commercial
than area 2. It generally has more of a village high street quality than an urban one.
The quality of buildings declines noticeably on moving southwards beyond Maxstoke
Lane where Coventry Street begins. Here there is a predominance of late eighteenth
and nineteenth century two storey cottages in short rows, many of which are now
much altered and intermixed with later 20th century development.
North of Maxstoke Road there is a significant group of listed houses lying along both
sides of the High Street. It is a heterogeneous group that displays a broad age range
extending back to the medieval period including:


34
a small late medieval (15th c) hall and cross wing at 148, High Street,
154 High Street an early 17th c timber framed cottage of two bays and two
storeys,
Georgian Coleshill p 67
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

137 -139 probably originally a pair of 17th century timber-framed cottages,
Coleshill House, No. 141 (formerly the public library) a substantial threestorey house set in large gardens and of a double pile plan of two parallel
ranges the front of five bays with Roman Doric porch dating from late 18 th or
very early 19th century.
Local Features

Locally distinctive stone window heads to some early – mid 19th century
buildings
Negative Features


Alterations to windows and doors of unlisted residential properties (under
permitted development) particularly along Coventry Street
Poor quality later 20th century infill development
21
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AREA 4: THE BACK LANE TO THE CENTRAL HIGH STREET
Principal features and characteristic qualities

‘Backland’ character of rear extensions, outbuildings, yards and car parks to
properties fronting the High Street to the northern half of the character area.

Late Georgian and Victorian residential character to the southern half with
houses fronting street opposite the cricket and recreation ground

Elevated long distance views over recreation fields to Chelmsley Wood,
Birmingham, and the West Midland conurbation.

Alleyways, some possibly of medieval origin, connecting Parkfield Road with
the High Street
Location & Topography
This is a rectangular block of land running along the northern half of Parkfield Road
on its east side.
Use
The area is of mixed use. To the north it comprises mainly of rear service areas and
car parks to shops and commercial properties on the High Street, together with rows
of small shops and a new public library along alleyways linking Parkfield Road with
the High Street. There is also some modern housing at the northern end close to
Birmingham Road. To the south private housing is the prevalent use along with a
bowling green, social club and doctor’s surgery.
Historic Interest
Parkfield Road was the medieval back street giving rear access to burgage plots
lining the west side of the High Street and marking the westerly limit of the medieval
borough. It is likely that it was originally much narrower and may have been widened
in the 18th century to accommodate coaches.
The plots were typically long thin and rectangular and ran back at right angles from
the High Street. On the most valuable plots near the market place the only available
space for expansion of individual properties crowding the High Street was down the
strip to the rear. Here were built long ranges of outbuildings, workshops,
warehouses, etc accessed either from the front by a passageway through the main
building or from the back lane. Stables and coach houses forming rear courtyards
filled the plots to the town’s inns. Away from the more valuable commercial area the
plots might contain areas for cultivation of vegetables and buildings for livestock.
Townscape and Architectural Interest
The street lacks coherence having developed in an ad-hoc and unplanned way within
the confines of rear land to burgage plots held in a multiplicity of different ownerships.
The northern half of the area nearest the market place has an urban backland
character with views along the lengths of the rear plots containing extensions and out
22
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buildings and a 19th century cottage (7 Parkfield Road) stretching back and reducing
in height the further away they are from the main buildings fronting on to the High
Street. The demands of 20th century commercialism and the car have resulted in the
erosion and degradation of these rear areas removing rear brick boundary walls and
outbuildings to make space for tarmacadamed car parking areas, poorly designed
extensions (particularly to the Swan) and unsightly boundary treatments.
The southern half of the area from 21 Parkfields Road, has more coherence, as
houses of some architectural and historic distinction have been positioned to front on
to the street and take advantage of elevated views westward. However there are
frequent wide gaps between them, with service roads and other open spaces so that
the area generally lacks cohesiveness.
Among those houses worthy of modest note (none of them listed) in this southern
area are 23 & 25 Parkfield Road – a pair of late Regency/early Victorian semidetached houses with original reeded doorcases, 29 Parkfield Road - a
contemporary detached three bay two storey house with incised decoration to door
pilasters (recently marred by the insensitive insertion of plastic windows), and Nos.
33-35 a pair of 19th century brick houses with later inserted pointed -arched windows,
possibly in imitation of the Sumner Road almshouses (see Section 5 below).
Negative Features






Unsightly rear extensions to Swan Hotel
Demolished and part demolished rear boundary walls formerly marking
medieval plot boundaries
Poor appearance of car parking areas
Lack of enclosure to the street to the north of the area
Unsympathetic alterations to houses
Poor boundary treatments
23
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AREA 5: SUMNER ROAD
Principal features and characteristic qualities



Attractive picturesque almshouses of the 1930s within a formal front garden
setting
‘Black and white’ town hall of 1926
The Croft and rear ranges to 140 High Street
Location & Topography
Sumner Road is a short, shallow- curving east-west road constructed between the
wars on the line of a public footpath connecting the High Street with Parkfield Road
opposite the former parish church vicarage.
Use
The uses are predominantly civic and residential the latter having an institutional
character. It is a quiet street.
Historic Interest
From 1830 William Sumner, a grocer and chemist from Birmingham, operated a
dispensary and tea-dealing business from 98 High Street, Coleshill35. The family,
who resided at 37 Blythe Road36 for many years, made their fortune in the early 20th
century with ‘Typhoo -Tipps’ tea.
One hundred years after the Coleshill business began, John Sumner established the
Colehaven Trust to provide shelter for “well bred ladies of blameless character who
found themselves in reduced circumstances”
It built the almshouses along the recently constructed Sumner Road in 1930
Townscape and Architectural Interest
The town hall occupies a prominent corner site with High Street. Its main two storey
mock timber-framed façade faces that street while a mostly brick and render
assembly hall range to the rear encloses almost half of the south side of Sumner
Road.
The style and detailing of the Town Hall to all public elevations is relatively plain and
simple, but well done and pleasant, and characteristic of the interwar period,
complimenting the near-contemporary Colehaven Almshouses opposite.
The latter are picturesquely arranged, set back from the pavement behind attractive
lawned gardens framed by mature clipped hedges. The buildings are two-storey and
nicely detailed, with prominent roofs in a Tudor style. They are built in mellow yellow
sandstone with tall and prominent chimneystacks adding to the picturesque skyline
silhouette of the linear row.
35
36
still a chemists today see Georgian Coleshill p57
now St Andrew’s an early 19th century listed building outside the conservation area
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A similar though simpler near-contemporary pair of houses (also part of the
Colehaven Trust) faces opposite adjacent to the town hall. These have been
sympathetically added to the south where a late 20th century block in pale red-brown
brick and yellow stone dressings successfully turns the corner into Parkfield Road.
At the other end of the street, the corner opposite The Town Hall is successfully
turned and the street enclosed by the stucco facades of rear ranges to 140 High
Street. These are terminated by The Croft a two storey three bay facade running at
right angle to the street. The latter has the locally distinctive shallow segmental
arched stone heads characteristic of several of Coleshill’s early – mid 19th century
buildings.
25
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AREA 6 LOWER HIGH STREET AND BLYTHE ROAD
Principal features and characteristic qualities


Part of the medieval settlement now predominantly suburban residential
development of the 1960s, itself of no architectural or historic interest
A handful of scattered listed buildings – good examples of domestic
architecture from the 15th to 18th centuries
Location & Topography
This character area, or rather areas, comprises of the High Street north of
Birmingham Road/ Blythe Road down to St Pails House in the north, a block
bounded by that road, High Street and Church Hill, and a small island block behind
the High Street immediately west of the Church. They are grouped as one because
they are all areas dominated by, or exclusively filled with, housing from the 1960s
and early 1970s
Use
Predominantly residential with some shops and offices along the High Street and
Church Hill
Historic Interest
Lower High Street formed a major part of the medieval town but, unlike the
settlement south of Birmingham Road, the plots shown along it on historic mapping
are not regular and do not all terminate along a common boundary line, indicating
they may not have formed part of the original planned medieval borough. Settlement
from an early period here would, at least in part, be associated with economic activity
generated by the river (cloth and leather working) and the important point of crossing
over the river via Cole Bridge. The latter was liable to flooding making it impassable
for travelers on the Chester Road, who would therefore require local over-night
accommodation and food. Inns with stabling were consequently to be found close-by
on both sides of the river from an early period.
There was a large three-and-a-half-storey Victorian tannery (the only notable sign of
industry in Coleshill), sited just to the north and east of St Pails House indicating the
importance of leatherworking in Coleshill over a long period. This was replaced with
housing development in the middle of the last century.
Early photographs show that houses to both sides of High Street along this section
were predominantly low two-storey ones with some one-and-a-half storey and the
occasional three-story buildings amongst them. By the mid 20th century many of
these had fallen into serious disrepair through lack of maintenance. Most had large
gardens or yards to the rear, and this, coupled with the escalating prices for building
land during the 1960s, made redevelopment a lucrative prospect for owners and
developers. With no conservation powers to prevent demolition or exert significant
influence over the quality of new buildings, nearly all were swept away and replaced
with generally poor quality houses (both in terms design and the materials used)
along the street frontages and behind them in the former gardens. The same was
true of residential re-development around Church Hill which had comprised of
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gardens to large houses fronting Church Hill together with agricultural land occupied
with barns up to the mid century. The town’s gaol once occupied the site of modern
housing at 11-15 Blythe Road.
Townscape and Architectural Interest
As a result of mid 20th century development, townscape interest in this character area
is low. Historic building lines of old properties following the back edge of pavements
were ignored and new buildings were placed behind arbitrary setbacks. These,
together with several entrances to new cul- de-sac development to the rear of High
Street buildings, weakened enclosure and destroyed the linear historic building
pattern. The rich variety of building frontages built up over hundreds of years was lost
within a decade to the dull uniformity of a one-period environment lacking in quality.
A petrol filling station and former telephone exchange represent the nadir of this 20 th
century townscape.
Only the few isolated remaining historic buildings offer relief from the lack of building
quality.
The listed examples form an interesting collection comprising:
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37 High Street A late 15th century timber-framed building with hall range
parallel with the street
Laburnum House occupying a corner site with Old Penns Lane. Very early
18th century with typical prominent hipped roof and angle pilasters
The Arches 16 High Street dating from the early 19th century with a series of
three large semicircular brick arches on the south elevation
St Paul’s House 1 High Street an impressive early 18th century brick threestorey house with five bays of sash windows and rusticated corner pilasters
Negative Features



20th century housing and road layout
Petrol filling station
Telephone Exchange
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AREA 7: RIVERSIDE - COLE END AND THE RIVER BRIDGE
Principal features and characteristic qualities



Large, green, well treed, park-like open space along the floodplain of the
River Cole
Coleshill Bridge
Wheatsheaf Inn (currently just outside the conservation area)
Location & Topography
This is a roughly triangular area of ground straddling either side of the River Cole
Uses
The principal uses are recreational and amenity
Historic Interest
The river was important to the economy of Coleshill. A mill was mentioned in the
Domesday Book and it is likely that this was located on the site of the later ‘Town Mill’
at Cole End on the north bank just within the conservation area boundary. All trace
of the last, 18th century, brick building and its pond have disappeared following
demolition in 1937 and the subsequent filling of the mill leat and landscaping to
create a park by Meriden RDC37.
Leather tanning supported allied leather working trades in the town including
shoemaking and saddlery manufacture, the latter apparently being of some renown
for quality regionally in the 16th century38. Tanning was clearly of some scale up to
the 20th century to judge from the size of the Victorian Tanning works pictured in
early photographs (see above). The river also supported cloth manufacture and
medieval documents make mention of tenters for the stretching of cloth to dry in
shape.
Frequent flooding of this strategic crossing point on a nationally important route
necessitated the provision of sleeping accommodation and stabling for the
inconvenienced traveler on both sides of the river. The Wheatsheaf (now Harvester),
currently outside the conservation area was an important one on the north bank
Townscape and Architectural Interest
This is a pleasant informal municipal landscaped area of mature trees grassed areas
and footpaths to either side of the river. It is surrounded by 20th century housing
which detracts from otherwise attractive views towards the town and the Church
spire.
Coleshill Bridge is the area’s principal feature. It comprises of six arches over the
Cole dating from the mid 16th century and is built of red sandstone. Although partly
37
38
Hayfield & Watkins 1995 p78
Watkins 1982 p66
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rebuilt and widened in red brick on the west side in the 18th century it is still a single
carriageway road which constricts the road approach to the town from the north.
The Wheatseaf is a long and low building of painted brick on a prominent corner
close to the bridge. Outwardly it appears to date from the late18th early 19 th century
but is likely to have earlier origins.
Negative Features


Concrete pedestrian bridge
Poorly sited park furniture
5: MANAGEMENT PROPOSALS
5.1 Introduction
An important aspect of the conservation area appraisal is to provide the basis for
proposals for the future care and development of the heritage value of the area whilst
giving due consideration to the constraints acting upon it and the resources likely to
be available. The proposals should ‘take the form of a mid-long term strategy setting
objectives for addressing the issues and recommendations for action arising from the
appraisal and identifying any further or more detailed work needed for their
implementation’.39
In setting these objectives, which are largely focused on physical improvements to
the urban fabric, the Council is keenly aware that non- physical factors are of equal
importance for sustaining a high quality historic environment in the future. In
particular, the Council is committed through its planning and economic development
policies and initiatives, to supporting a healthy local economy and a prosperous and
participative local community that will underpin the physical conservation objectives
set out below. These wider matters are to be addressed in policies to be contained in
the forthcoming planning Local Development Framework.
Work on the production of the Local Development Framework is currently in
progress. It is intended that both the appraisal and management proposals contained
in this document will inform the core strategy and later SPD policies for the LDF.
Public consultation on these proposals will be in accordance with the statement of
community involvement so as to meet the requirements of the LDF and ensure they
carry the appropriate weight in future planning decisions.
5.2 Suggested Conservation area boundary changes
The following boundary changes are suggested:-
Boundary Revision 1 To include the graveyard and cemetery and paddocks
to the east of the Church.
39
Guidance on the Management of Conservation Areas English Heritage
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Reason: The Cemetery is an important element within the church precinct
and the 20th century history of the town. The northern third dates from the late
Victorian period and the remaining part from the early - mid 20th century. The
paddocks north of the cemetery are included partly to rationalize boundaries
and partly to take in part of the setting of the conservation area, thereby
reinforcing the need to preserve this as undeveloped land in the future. Some
of these boundaries may be of ancient origin and are shown on Snape’s map
of 1783.
Boundary Revision 2 Extension to Birmingham Road to include Park
Cottages, The Bell and the former Congregational Chapel.
Reason : Part of a limited early-mid 19th century westward expansion of
Coleshill at the junction of Parkfield Road and Birmingham Road. Notable for
the presence of Park Cottages - listed buildings of c 1830 - and the
contemporary former Congregational Chapel a building of much character
and townscape value. The Bell Inn, despite substantial alteration including
rendering, is also of merit dating from c 1800.
It is suggested that the area also take in the Parkfield Court a late 20th century
development in a Revivalist style but of higher than usual quality for its time.
Unfortunately extending the area would necessitate the inclusion of poor
1960s housing on the north side of Fairview Mews which has no intrinsic
interest or merit.
Boundary Revision 3 Rationalisation of the western boundary south of the
Town Hall.
Reason: To rationalise boundaries which cut arbitrarily through properties
such as the Coach Hotel grounds.
Boundary Revision 4 To include the former Wheatsheaf Inn at Cole End
Reason: To include a historic inn
Boundary Revision 5 Rationalisation of the eastern and western boundary
of Area 2
Reason: To avoid boundaries dividing existing curtilages as at 37 High Street,
and to exclude housing of no architectural or historic interest behind street
frontages.
Boundary Revision 6 To include the cricket ground.
Reason: To include an important area of green open space on the west side
of the own which allows distant views towards Birmingham and is the focus of
housing along part of Parkfield Road.
The proposed changes are illustrated on the Townscape Appraisal plan.
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5.3
Issues arising from the conservation area appraisal and discussions
with local people40
The following issues were identified locally as needing to be addressed by
management proposals

Improving community awareness of, and commitment, to conservation
area principles

Enhancement of particular sites and areas within the conservation
area (none specified)

A need for more planning control over small scale changes that do not
at the moment require planning permission such as changing windows
and doors on the front of houses that are not listed. (ie by Article 4
Directions which withdraw permitted development rights)

A strategy for the management and protection of trees and green
spaces

The regular and systematic monitoring of change in the conservation
area
5.4 Management Proposals
Following on from the above, the draft proposals below have been formulated
for the purposes of public consultation as part of this conservation area
appraisal process:1. Undertake a detailed survey of houses in the conservation area to
determine if there is sufficient justification and owner support for the
imposition of an Article 4:2 direction to remove certain permitted
development rights relating to changes of materials and details such as
windows and doors to houses in the area. If so, to take the appropriate
steps to put the Direction in place.
2. Survey and record all instances of unauthorized plastic windows to
buildings that are not private dwelling houses, and carry out a
comprehensive campaign of enforcement action against all cases where
the power to enforce exists.
3. Where opportunities and resources arise to seek to promote the
sympathetic redevelopment of sites identified in the detailed appraisal as
detracting from the character or appearance of the area including
4. Develop area-specific development control based planning policies
aimed at preserving and enhancing character and appearance of the
conservation area.
These might include policies that
40
From questionnaire responses received from Civic society members in June 2007
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




require all development proposals to positively enhance the
character and appearance of the conservation area rather than
merely preserve it
protect and preserve surviving historic boundaries41 from
development
protect and preserve all surviving historic town centre gardens and
green spaces form development
enhance identified poor quality shopfronts
preserve and reinforce the various characteristics of the character
areas identified in Section 5 of this appraisal
These would need to be linked to the LDF via policies and guidance in the
local development document to carry any weight in planning decisions.
5. Consider the implementation of a Tree Management
Programme
involving the identification of all mature trees within the conservation area
along with determining priorities for possible replacement and possible
sources of funding to meet the costs involved.
6
41
Undertake a comprehensive photographic record of the conservation area
to monitor the rate and nature of change
As identified from Snapes’ map of 1783 and early OS mapping.
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