Broadgate should be renamed Godiva Square, says Coventry man

[dutchman]

A 21-year-old man has started a campaign to get Coventry's revamped square in Broadgate renamed as Godiva Square.



Zain Luke Ali has launched a one man crusade to try to get the name of Coventry’s biggest public square changed to Godiva Square.

Zain, of Tilehurst Drive, Tile Hill, thinks that better represents the area and history of the city.

The former Bablake School pupil said: ‘‘I was just walking through the other day and took a photo of the square.

“I uploaded it up on Facebook and asked people what they thought and I have had about 500 people comment or say they like my idea of renaming the square.

“That part of Coventry has always been a central location for meeting, street performing, public events, parades but not many people these days even refer to it as Broadgate so why is it called Broadgate Square?

“People I know refer to the shops around it, or Godiva statue herself, and with the clock there too everything is about Godiva here.

‘‘This started as just me putting a picture on Facebook but after people’s reaction to it, it got me thinking.’’

Zain has already sent is proposal to Coventry City Council which will consider his suggestion.

The name Broadgate dates back to the middle ages.

It refers to the gate at the entrance of the castle.

Zain added: “I don’t want to take the Broadgate name away completely because its been that name for years and is part of the city’s history too.

"But it maybe we can call the shopping centre Broadgate instead because Cathedral Lanes isn’t the best name for that either.

“A lot of people don’t even know where the name Broadgate comes from but it relates to the Coventry Castle which was there about 1,000 years ago.

"But people worldwide know about Godiva.

“There will be some people who disagree with me but the square is about building something new for the city so I think it needs a new name too.”

Agreeing with some of his ideas the current Lady Godiva, Pru Porretta said: “Godiva is known throughout the world and a lot of people do refer to that area as where the Godiva statue or clock is, but I’m not convinced we can just change the name like that.

“The name does relate to the history of the area and it goes back a long time, so we would need to get the views of the young and old in the city before this change could happen.

"Broadgate’s appearance has changed so much just in my lifetime, but it has always had the same name.”

[dutchman]

I'm not convinced the name has anything to do with a castle.

'Gate' was the common Viking name for street and there was also a nearby 'Broad Well'.

[rebbonk]

It'll forever be known as Mutton's patio

[Spuffler]

They didn't even have castles 1000 years ago, either, did they? Not as we understand castles, anyway! Do they REALLY call it Broadgate SQUARE now? Surely not?

[dutchman]

They didn't even have castles 1000 years ago, either, did they?

Yes but it was made of wood and burnt down. It was later rebuilt, probably in stone and one of the towers survives as part of St Mary's Guildhall.