COVENTRIANS will be able to get an insight into plans to reveal more of Coventry’s intriguing ‘Weaver’s House’ which dates back almost 600 years.
An open day at The Weaver’s House on Upper Spon Street will take place between 10am and 4pm this Saturday, April 1.
The building is part of Black Swan Terrace, six timber-framed cottages built in 1455 which have been modified and added to over the centuries.
The cottages were saved from demolition and restored by the Spon End Building Preservation Trust, a board of trustees formed in 2000 by a group of local residents interested in maintaining the local heritage.
They were opened to the public in 2007.
The Weaver’s House research showed Coventry narrow-loom weaver John Croke and his family lived there in 1540 and the property boasts a full-size replica loom and working garden.
Approval has been granted for the development which will reveal more of the history of the buildings in the terrace.
The work will create a new display space in the visitor centre, adjacent to the Weaver’s House, to show more artefacts and information about the site.
The trust will also build up the remains of the former ‘Coventry Court’ building at the top of the garden which previously stood behind The Weaver’s House and was used for housing in the 19th and 20th centuries.
This latest round of work will aim to show what life would have been like for Coventrians living in those buildings.
Plans will be displayed during open days throughout the year, starting on Saturday, and trust volunteers want people’s help, photographs and memories, as they gather information about life in the Coventry Court building.
The Spon End Building Preservation Trust chair Tina Woodroffe said anyone with scraps of information or connections to the Coventry Courts could provide a ‘vital piece of the jigsaw.’
People can emailing [email protected] to submit photographs or other memorabilia. Alternatively, donate them in person at Saturday’s open day.
Visit theweavershouse.org for more information.
