Green Dragon, 122-123 Much Park Street
This photograph shows the new location in Spon Street. It was taken a few years ago when it had become a bar aptly-named "1450" - the rear is probably circa 1450, the front likely to be 1500.
The rear comprised the hall of the inn and two upper floors for guests. A wide through-passage linked both parts to a courtyard and rear wing, which was demolished about 1900. The heavy frame of the west gable belonged to its earlier and grander neighbour, No. 124, which was destroyed by bombing in the war.
The Green Dragon is mentioned in 1779 when a house next door was for sale. It seems to have ceased being an inn around 1866 when the license was transferred from Robert McKellar to John Hargreaves.
Phillips and Marriotts Midland Brewery encroached on the Green Dragon over the years. In 1892 they bought 123 Much Park Street and five cottages to the rear, a 21 foot frontage between the brewery and Green Dragon court. This may have meant they bought half of the Green Dragon premises or perhaps some re-numbering has gone on. They also used the old Green Dragon's well for water.
The end for the pub's role as a public house began with it being made To Let in May 1866, then from September put up for auction. On the 12th April 1867 the Coventry Standard reported that the Green Dragon had been converted to five tenements.
It is said that the Green Dragon was the inn referred to by George Eliot in 'Middlemarch', which was based on her memories of Coventry.
In 1972 part of the roof and first floor of the old building collapsed. It had been unoccupied since 1965 and was owned by Coventry Corporation. In a moment of pure genius, Mr. Brian Bliss, the Deputy Chief Building Surveyor, attributed the collapse to old age. Councillor Ron Morgan pointed out that, as a listed building, the Corporation was duty bound by law to protect the building. Between 1982 and 1984 the Green Dragon was dismantled and re-erected in Spon Street as part of the Spon Street Townscape Scheme.This sign comes from the coat of arms of the Earls of Pembroke, although the dragon in the George and Dragon stories is usually green. | |||
LICENSEES:1822 - 1826 Mary Jacox (died 29th Jan 1826) 1829 George Sanders (died in May, aged 38) 1829 - 1830 Hannah Sanders (widow of Richard) 1830 - 1841 Hannah Jones (same as above, nee Sanders - married Richard Jones of the Green Man, 15th April 1830) 1841 - 1842 Charles Randall 1842 Hannah Jones (Mar to Jul) 1842 Charles Randall 1850 Joseph Coleman 1851 - 1862 John Ainge 1862 William Graham 1865 William Douglas 1865 (May) to 23rd Mar 1866 Robert McLellan from 23rd Mar 1866 John Hargreaves | |||
 Street plan of 1851 | |||
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