Cook Street Gate, Coventry

Cook Street Gate is a medieval gate in Coventry, probably built in the second half of the 14th century.

Now a Scheduled Monument and Grade 1 Listed, it was constructed as part of the defence circuit of the city.

In medieval times, due largely to a thriving textile and weaving trade, Coventry had become the fourth largest and possibly the best defended city in England.

It was only smaller in population and wealth than York, Bristol and, of course, London. The city was, in effect, the 'capital' of the Midlands.

The city, situated at the crossroads of the national road system, and with some of the strongest defences in the country, was of great strategic importance.

Reflecting Coventry's commercial and strategic importance, in 1355 construction began on city walls, a vast and expensive undertaking funded by local tolls and taxes.

The building started at New Gate and was initially finished in around 1400, but much repair work and re-routing was subsequently carried out and its final form was not completed until 1534.

They were an impressive feature; measuring nearly 2.2 miles around and consisting of two red sandstone walls infilled with rubble over 8 feet thick and 12 feet high, with 32 towers including 12 gatehouses.

The gates were named New Gate, Gosford Gate, Cook Street Gate, Bishop Gate, Well Street Gate, Hill Street Gate, Greyfriars Gate, Cheylesmore Gate and Little Park Street Gate, Bastille Gate, Priory Gate, and Bablake Gate.

With its walls, Coventry was described as being the best-defended city in England outside London.

It was no coincidence that the Lancastrian royal family chose Coventry as a new seat of power in the period 1456–1460 at a time of national unrest.

The city played an important role in the Wars of the Roses, and holding Coventry was seen as crucial to controlling the rest of the kingdom.

Parliament was held in Coventry twice in the 15th century, as well as a number of Great Councils. And in 1451 was even made its own county! The County of Coventry survived for nearly 400 years.

In 1451, King Henry VI granted Coventry along with its surrounding hamlets the elevated status of County.

And so, from the 6th December 1451, there existed the "County of the City of Coventry" which would carry this status for nearly four centuries.

The well-preserved Cook Street Gate is one of only two which survive of the original twelve town gates and the only one through which a road still runs.

The other is Swanswell Gate - completed around 1485 AD but was derelict by the late 19th century.

In 1662, after the restoration of the monarchy, in revenge for the support Coventry gave to the Parliamentarians during the Civil War, the city walls were demolished on the orders of King Charles II.

Now, only a few short sections and two city gatehouses remain.

When his brother, King James II visited the city in 1687, he received a magnificent reception in an outward show of loyalty to the Crown, but within two years most of the same people were celebrating the coming of Willian of Orange.

The gate was presented to the city in 1913 by Sir William Wyley and restored in 1918.

Today, the gatehouse is one of ten Scheduled Monuments in Coventry and a Grade I Listed Building.

Coventry's darkest hour came during World War II when Adolf Hitler singled out Coventry for heavy bombing raids.

Large areas of the city were destroyed in a massive German bombing raid during the night of 14/15 November 1940.

The attack destroyed most of the city centre and the city's medieval cathedral; 568 people were killed, 4,330 homes were destroyed and thousands more damaged.

Aside from London and Plymouth, Coventry suffered more damage than any other British city during the Luftwaffe attacks, with huge firestorms devastating most of the city centre.

The city was targeted due to its high concentration of armaments, munitions and engine plants which contributed greatly to the British war effort.

After the war, the city was extensively rebuilt.

The new city centre built in the 1950s was designed by a young town planner and included one of Europe's first traffic-free shopping precincts.

Cook Street Gate survived, however, and today it’s maintained by Historic Coventry Trust.

The 700 year old gate makes for a great photo opportunity as it sits proudly today near Lady Herbert's Garden, where part of the wall still exists.

Recently, it was annoyed in November that Cook Street Gate is available to rent.

Shortland Horne are the Estate Agents promoting the structure, calling it ‘a once in a lifetime opportunity to rent one of Coventry most historic and unique properties.’

Only two gates from the original twelve have survived and now it's your time to rent this super studio apartment!

For further info, you can get in touch with them using this number: 02476 222123

If you’d like to visit, the address is: Cook Street Gate, Cook St, Coventry CV1 1RA.

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