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Paulclem

Sent to Coventry

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Paulclem
, 05-08-2010 at 05:57 PM (5353 Views)
The phrase "sent to Coventry" means that no-one is taling to you at the moment. It is thought that the phrase originated during the English Civil War, in the 1640s, when Royalist soldiers were being held in the city. Apparently they would be allowed to wander through the streets, but found that the residents refused to speak to them.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/s...-coventry.html

The Royalist soldiers were held in St John's church which is in the City centre. It is a nice church, and was the favourite church of an old Carmelite Monk we used to know. He would often sit in contemplation after wandering the city.





The Royalists were held in Parliamentary Coventry as it had a city wall built in the 14th Century. During the Restoration of the Monarchy, Coventry's wall was then ordered to be pulled down by Charles II. Only the gates, and parts of the walls were left. This was to ensure that cities that had supported Parliament's cause could not be used as fortified towns in the future. Otherwise Coventry may have had a wall as impressive as Chester or York.

Parts of the wall, and a couple of gates still survive today. I pass them on my way to work, when I go on the bus, and it is nice to reflect upon their age and the part they played in the country's history.

Cook Street Gate



An older picture.



The crenellations on the top were added later, as the second photo shows.

Swanswell Gate



There are remnants of the city wall around the city too.





Coventry's industrial past meant that the tourist opportunities these offered have not been capitalised upon. Thus they remain relatively hidden to the casual tourist. There are plans afoot to unify the City's best areas, so maybe the towers and walls will come to prominence again.

More information can be found here.

http://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/wa...uarewatchtower
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Comments

  1. Virgil's Avatar
    Thanks Paul, for the history lesson and the phrase. I've never heard "sent to Coventry" before. We don't have that here.
  2. qimissung's Avatar
    Yeah, "sent to Coventry" is not an idiom that survived the trip across the ocean, sadly. I wonder why. Cheldre here still sing "ring around a rosy" and other nursery rhymes, and those are English in origin.

    Interesting blog. I loved the pictures, and the saying. It's something I might tuck away in some recess of my brain and use sometime.
  3. Paulclem's Avatar
    Thanks Virgil. I hope it didn't come across as too schoolteachery. Coventry is my adoptive city, and I know more about it than my own city. It is a pretty interesting place, though they haven't made the most of it in the planning of the city.

    We used to think Ring o ring o roses referred to the plague, but this has been disputed, as the symptoms don't fit the plague very well according to Wikipedia.

    Nursery rhymes are pretty interesting though.
  4. prendrelemick's Avatar
    That is intresting Paul and a much better tale than the one I was told, that After Peeping Tom looked upon the naked Lady Godiva no one in Coventry would speak to him.


    We visited Coventry Cathederal last year on a wet Monday and were the only visitors-so we got a guide all to ourselves, an old man who remembered the night it burned down.
    Updated 05-10-2010 at 05:38 PM by Paulclem
  5. qimissung's Avatar
    A-h-h, I hadn't heard that. It was so much more interesting when I thought it referred to mayhem and death. It is still English in origin, though, right? Do you know what it does mean?
  6. The Comedian's Avatar
    Interesting blog, Paul. As an American, I hadn't heard of the phrase "Sent to Coventry" before. Oh and I love the pictures too -- England has such deeply rooted history that is so, ever present. I was struck by this the one time I was in you neck of the woods.
  7. Paulclem's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by prendrelemick
    That is intresting Paul and a much better tale than the one I was told, that After Peeping Tom looked upon the naked Lady Godiva no one in Coventry would speak to him.


    We visited Coventry Cathederal last year on a wet Monday and were the only visitors-so we got a guide all to ourselves, an old man who remembered the night it burned down.
    Cheers. You probably noticed that the centre has a focus problem. Lots of historic bits scattered here and there. Thinking back, there was probably a lot of roadworks there too.

    intend to post about the Blitz and the cathedrals at some pint.
  8. Paulclem's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by qimissung
    A-h-h, I hadn't heard that. It was so much more interesting when I thought it referred to mayhem and death. It is still English in origin, though, right? Do you know what it does mean?
    I'm not sure. i just looked it up, and it seems that the plague theory has been questioned, but there's nothing conclusive. There are different versions in different countries, so perhaps.
  9. Paulclem's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by The Comedian
    Interesting blog, Paul. As an American, I hadn't heard of the phrase "Sent to Coventry" before. Oh and I love the pictures too -- England has such deeply rooted history that is so, ever present. I was struck by this the one time I was in you neck of the woods.
    Thanks. We're very lucky as you say. Coventry isn't far from Stratford-Upon-Avon and London is an hour away on the train. I'll never forget coming out of Tower station on the underground and walking into this panorama of the Tower of London. I'd not long since been reading some historical novels in which it figured, and it brought a fantastic sense of history even though it was a busy rush hour.