Grey Friars Gate

Grey Friars Gate. . , Bull Yard was formally a short street (Bull Street) leading to Barracks Square Market (now the Barracks car park), but on Samuel Bradford’s 1748-49) Coventry map it was part of a much longer path leading from Greyfriars gate to Smithford Street, beside the Black Bull Inn – “The Back Way to the Bull”. The path was used by the Royalist leader, the Earl of Northampton, to escape from the Inn when his troops were outnumbered by Parliamentary forces in 1642, during the Civil War. , The “Bull” a three-storey, timber framed building of eight bays mentioned in the 15th century documents was the ”Black Bull” by the 17th century. A large field belonging to the Inn was called thee Bull Field. In 1793 the ”Black Bull” was replaced by the Cavalry Barracks, a five bay stone building. , The plaque at the Shelton Square entrance to Bull Yard commemorates another “Bull”, the Dun Cow slain by Guy Warwick. In Coventry legend the cow was a huge wild boar which terrorised the people and ‘rooted up’ Swanswell (Swine’s Well) Pool with its snout – Guy slew it. , In the paving the outline of the Town Wall is marked: this was built between 1385 and 1391. Also depicted is Greyfriars gate, one of the principal gates out of the twelve which once circuited the Wall. Its actual site was in the roadway nearby. In 1648 Royalist soldiers were imprisoned there. In 1705 it was made into a dwelling, but was demolished in 1781. , Coventry City Council , City Development Directorate , 1999.