38–39 Bayley Lane on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
38–39 Bayley Lane is a former building, whose present-day site is accessible from the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in
The cellar of 38–39 Bayley Lane is much smaller than the similar undercroft beneath St Mary's Guildhall, further along Bayley Lane which is used as a restaurant.
The undercroft consists of two square bays making a rectangular room (just over ). There are two separate entrances, one by which the cellar is entered from Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in the west and another, which is blocked after a few steps, in the east. There are niches in the western and southern walls which were used to store valuable goods.
The local topography allowed the cellar to be lit on the northern side with a window.
Coventry
Coventry ( or ) is a city in the West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its city status until the Middle Ages. The city is governed b ...
, England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. All that remains is the medieval undercroft
An undercroft is traditionally a cellar or storage room, often brick-lined and vaulted, and used for storage in buildings since medieval times. In modern usage, an undercroft is generally a ground (street-level) area which is relatively open ...
, a fourteenth-century cellar that initially belonged to a wealthy merchant, who was a clothier. The undercroft is built with sandstone with a stone-ribbed vault for added security and strength. It is a Grade I listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
History
The area of Bayley Lane that the building was located in was occupied by wealthy merchants in the late medieval period. Following the earlier levelling ofCoventry Castle
__NOTOC__
Coventry Castle () was a motte and bailey castle in the city of Coventry, England. It was demolished in the late 12th century and St Mary's Guildhall was built on part of the site.
History
Construction
It was built in the early 12t ...
, the area would have been undeveloped. Bayley Lane likely emerged as a route through the former castle bailey or outer court.
The status of the area grew after the establishment of St Mary's Guildhall, followed by the construction of Drapers Hall.
The property belonged to the Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
Priory and the earliest-known tenant was Robert Allesley, a girdler.
Undercroft
The cellar of 38–39 Bayley Lane is much smaller than the similar undercroft beneath St Mary's Guildhall, further along Bayley Lane which is used as a restaurant.
The undercroft consists of two square bays making a rectangular room (just over ). There are two separate entrances, one by which the cellar is entered from Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in the west and another, which is blocked after a few steps, in the east. There are niches in the western and southern walls which were used to store valuable goods.
The local topography allowed the cellar to be lit on the northern side with a window.
See also
*Grade I listed buildings in Coventry
There are 19 Grade I listed buildings in the City of Coventry. In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a building or structure of special historical or architectural importance. These buildings are legally protected from demolition, as wel ...
* 21–22 High Street, Coventry
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:38-39 Bayley Lane Herbert Art Gallery and Museum