Old Blue Coat School, Coventry Explained

Old Blue Coat School
Image Alt:Old Blue Coat School
Coordinates:52.4091°N -1.5091°W
Building Type:School
Architectural Style:Gothic
Address:Priory Row
Location City:Coventry
Location Country:England
Start Date:1856
Completion Date:1857
Renovation Date:2000
Owner:Holy Trinity Church, Coventry
Management:or
Operator:or
Governing Body:-->
Architect:James Murray
Designations:Grade II* listed
Embed:www.holytrinitycoventry.org.uk

The Old Blue Coat School is a building in the city centre of Coventry, England. It was built in 1856 on the site of the Priory of St Mary, and is currently used by the Holy Trinity Church.[1]

History

The Blue Coat School was founded in the early 18th century to provide housing, food and education for girls in Coventry until they were 16 years old. It originally occupied the north-west tower of the Priory of St Mary, the only part to survive the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The school buildings were extended and modified through the late 18th and early 19th centuries, but were in poor condition when a major rebuilding took place in 1856–7. The building as it stands today was designed by James Murray in a Gothic style to resemble a French château. The school occupied the building until 1964 when it moved to a new site in Terry Road, Coventry. The building lay empty and fell into disrepair until 2000, when it was renovated for use by the nearby Holy Trinity Church. The building was Grade II* listed on 5 February 1955, for reasons of architectural interest, historical interest and group value with the other buildings on the site of the old priory.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Church Centre @ the Old Blue Coat School . Holy Trinity Church Coventry . 25 February 2021.