Walsgrave

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Walsgrave-On-Sowe was a village located about 3 miles north-east of Coventry, West Midlands in England. However, due to urban growth, it is now an outer suburb of the city.

It is the site of Coventry's new PFI hospital (University Hospital Coventry), lies next to the M6, M69 interchange and has a small commercial area including a call centre for Barclays bank. Also in that area is the Walsgrave Triangle Retail Park and Cross Point Business Park; there is a Tesco, Asda, Holiday Inn Hotel, Hilton Hotel, Hotel Campanile, McDonald's, several pubs and bars, a bowling alley and a cinema.

Nearby Schools include Woodway Park, Cardinal Wiseman RC School, Sir Frank Whittle, Potters Green Primary, Walsgrave CE Primary School and SS Peter and Paul RC Primary.

Walsgrave-On-Sowe neighbours the relatively more deprived Wood End area, both areas are in the Henley Ward of the Coventry. The close proximity of Wood End next to Walsgrave-On-Sowe has lead crime and disorder to spread into the once peaceful village.

[edit] History

Walsgrave has reputedly been in existence for approximately 1000 years. The first mention of a chapel in Walsgrave-On-Sowe (then known as Sowe) was in 1221. The chapel would have been built after 1086, as there is no reference in the Domesday Book of a priest serving the area. St Marys Church currently stands on site of the former chapel.

Walsgrave grew into a sizeable village commercially based around agriculture and coal mining. Plans for incorporating Walsgrave within the boundaries of Coventry were proposed in the late 1920's; Walsgrave gradually lost its individual identity owing to new road development, the replacement of much of its older buildings and houses with new housing schemes, and the eventual closure of the pit.