Stivichall

Stivichall or Styvechale (pronounced "sty-chull"; IPA: /ˈstaɪ-tʃəl/) is a mainly residential area of south Coventry. It includes Fenside which forms part of southeast Stivichall. To the north and northwest Stivichall has a shared border with the War Memorial Park, along Coat of Arms Bridge Road. The district of Cheylesmore is to the northeast with Whitley to the east. The southern border of Stivichall is shared with the northern border of the city's Finham and Green Lane districts along the A45 dual carriageway.

The western area of Stivichall, known locally as Styvechale Grange, is a large residential district developed during the late-1960s and early-1970s to cater for Coventry's then-rapidly rising population (which peaked at 340,000 inhabitants in 1971).

A rural parish on the outskirts of Coventry, the Styvechale estate had belonged to the Gregory family since the 16th century, but in 1919, the land was purchased by Coventry Corporation and used in part to create the War Memorial Park, with the general development of the area soon following. The main roads from Coventry to both Leamington Spa and Kenilworth pass through and join within the boundaries of Stivichall, and whilst the estate was still in the Gregory family's ownership, access was denied to the roads unless a toll of 1d per horse and 6d per vehicle was paid to them. The toll house which stood at the junction of the roads was demolished in 1964.

Although the pronunciation of the district is not in doubt, its spelling is a subject of debate. The 'Styvechale' variant is generally deemed more attractive in fitting with the Olde English tradition of the district's name, though since 1945 'Stivichall' has been the official designation for the area. All direction signage reads 'Stivichall'. In the early-1990's there was a campaign to reintroduce the 'Styvechale' variant on local signage and within civic circles, with many people finding the Stivichall designation ugly.

The site on which Stivichall Primary School was built is bounded by Green Lane and Coat of Arms Bridge Road.

tyvechale Manor

The core of the building may date from the late 17th century and it may be built on the site of a medieval manor house. Many extensions were added to it from Victorian times onwards. In the 19th and early 20th centuries it was known as the Manor House, until it became Bremond College, a girls private school, in about 1935. It is currently a residential block of flats.cite web
url = http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=16016&strquery=styvechale%20manor
title = The City of Coventry: The outlying parts of Coventry: Stivichall
publisher = British History online |accessdaymonth = 10 June|accessyear = 2008]

tivichall Hall

Stivichall Hall, was built by the Gregory family in the 1750s probably on a newly enclosed site. It was a three story building with a frontage of five windows on each story, and it was subsequently extended into a seven-window fronted building. It was sold with some of the estate to Coventry corporation in 1928. It became derelict and it was demolished after World War II. In 1932, Major C. H. Gregory-Hood gave an area of fields and woods around Stivichall Croft and Coat of Arms Bridge Road to Coventry Corporation for permanent preservation, and he sold the rest of the estate. An obelisk stands on this site and records the gift.

Gregory bridge

The Gregory bridge is a railway bridge that carries trains running between Coventry and Leamington Spa. [McGrory. p. 117.] The land on which the line was built was owned by the Gregory family, and having opposed the project, in 1842 Mr A F Gregory finally agreed to sell just sufficient land for the line's construction, but only on the condition that the Gregory family coat-of-arms was incorporated into the face of the bridge. The line was opened on completion of the work in 1844.

t James Church

The original St James Church dated back to about 1270 and was demolished around 1800. The present church, situated on Leamington Road, Stivichall was completed in 1817 having taken seven years to build. [McGrory. p. 116.]

Notes

References

*cite book |title = The illustrated history of Coventry's suburbs |page = p. 117|first = David|last = McGrory |isbn = 1859833438| publisher = Breedon Books|2003
*Albert Smith and David Fry: (1991). "The Coventry We Have Lost". Vol 1. Simanda Press, Berkswell. ISBN 0-9513867-1-9
*Albert Smith and David Fry: (1993). "The Coventry We Have Lost". Vol 2. Simanda Press, Berkswell. ISBN 0-9513867-2-7