Old Grammar School, Coventry: A School Founded in a Medieval Hospital
Site at a Glance
- Popularity
- Medium
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval, Modern
- Civilizations
- British, English
- Site type
- Civic
- Remains
- School
On this page8 sections
History
Hospital and school foundation
The Old Grammar School, Coventry, is a former school in the United Kingdom, occupying the site of the Hospital of St John the Baptist, founded between 1154 and 1179. Prior Lawrence, a senior official of a Benedictine monastery, a community belonging to a Christian religious order, established the hospital. Its warden and secular brothers or sisters oversaw the house and chapel services. The charitable institution offered temporary shelter and relief to poor travellers, as well as longer-term care for local people who were sick or elderly.
Around 1544, the hospital closed and its property was sold to John Hales. Henry VIII made the sale conditional on Hales establishing a free school in Coventry, and he did so. King Henry VIII School first occupied a former Carmelite monastery, another Christian religious order, before moving into the hospital site after 1558.
Royal association and changes to the site
Elizabeth I reportedly visited Coventry in 1565, passing the school after entering through Bishop Street Gate. Tradition held that she remarked that her father had brought about the school’s foundation, and she was also said to have contributed to its upkeep.
Street widening in 1794 prompted demolition at the site, and the street was renamed Hales Street. King Henry VIII School moved to its present location on Warwick Road in 1885. The Old Grammar School then remained empty for more than 20 years.
Restoration and status
Restoration work began in 2014, adapting the building for exhibitions, education and events associated with the Coventry Transport Museum. The Old Grammar School is listed at Grade I, England’s highest category for buildings of exceptional architectural or historic interest.
Remains
Buildings and alterations
The site stands at the corner of Bishop Street and Hales Street. The Old Grammar School is a one-storey building, and the former hospital complex also included a church.
School building
A half-timbered section of the building was demolished in 1794. During restoration, an adjoining building was removed and a replacement extension was constructed to provide disabled access to the Old Grammar School.
Hospital church
The church’s west end and bell tower were demolished in 1794.
