Coventry's Old Grammar School set to be reopened

[dutchman]

Plans have been unveiled to transform a neglected medieval building in Coventry city centre.



The Old Grammar School in Hales Street – one of the city’s oldest buildings – could be opened up as part of exciting plans by Coventry Transport Museum.

Details of the scheme for the grade one listed building were unveiled today as an initial bid for a £4.9 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund was accepted.

The museum has plans for a major redevelopment to store its public archives and create six new exhibitions and educational displays.

The building, which is owned by the Church of England, has been in disrepair after more than 20 years of lying empty.

Gary Hall, the museum’s chief executive, is working in partnership with the Old Grammar School Trust, to revive the empty building.

He said he was “absolutely delighted’’ with the Heritage Lottery Fund’s initial support for the project.

He added: “I am also delighted and proud to be working with the Old Grammar School Trust to bring one of Coventry’s oldest buildings back into use after so many years.

“The project will create a unique, internationally significant transport heritage attraction that will improve the visitor experience and provide enhanced opportunities for people to learn about, and get involved with Coventry’s rich transport heritage.”

The Rev David Mayhew, chairman of the Old Grammar School Trust, said: “We are delighted that, as a result of our partnership with Coventry Transport Museum, we will finally be able to achieve a long standing ambition to see the Old Grammar School brought back into use and particularly excited that it will, once again, be used for educational purposes.”

The funding bid has to go through other stages before it would get final approval.

The building was founded as the medieval church to the Hospital of St John in the 1100s.

Later, in the sixteenth century city benefactor John Hales purchased the building and founded a grammar school for boys.

The school grew and flourished there until 1885 when it moved again – this time to the site of the present King Henry VIII School in Warwick Road.

[Spuffler]

That's a glimmer of good news to relieve all teh doom and gloom!

[dutchman]

I vaguely remember it being used for Xmas toy fairs in the late 1950s, early 1960s.

The trouble is the stone building - like so many others in the city - now stands in almost total isolation. The Opera House has gone, Well Street has gone, the bottom part of Bishop Street has gone. It's only a matter of time before the council bulldozes what's left of Hales Street. They planned to do it in 1965 but the central government grants ran out before they could finance anything to replace it.