Ivy Cottage, 14 King William Street
An ivy bush was often considered to be the favourite haunt of an owl. The plant was also dedicated to Bacchus, in the belief that it could cure drunkenness.
The first houses erected in Hillfields were in King William Street in 1828, so the Ivy Cottage probably dated from the very origins of Hillfields. Prior to this date Primrose Hill House is described as being about half a mile from Coventry and the Hillfields area could only be reached by two roads - Swan Lane and Harnall Lane. The direct approach was by footpath from New Buildings under the arch of the old city gates In Hales Street and past Swanswell Pool. The pub first appears in directories in 1841 as the beerhouse, King William Street, with Thomas Gill as licensee. The Gills retained the license for the next forty years. In 1844 the Ivy Cottage was used for auctions. In 1926 Charringtons sold the pub, when the annual rent was 80/-. This must have been when Phipps brewery acquired it and it remained with their successors since that time. 
In the development plan of 1951 the City Council designated Hillfields a Comprehensive Development Area. There were at this date 25 pubs and 3 licenses in suspension in the area. They estimated that 3 pubs were needed to serve the area at a rate of 1400 persons per pub. 23 licenses were transferred to other areas It seems that the three retained pubs were the Queens Head (later the Queens), Ivy Cottage and Vauxhall. In 1982 the Ivy Cottage was described as a 'typical working class local', that the owners had 'obviously spent a lot of money and effort on the place' and that the public bar had 'a pleasantly relaxed atmosphere'.
However, in 1992 the pub was closed by the magistrates and in 1995 it was demolished and replaced with a car park for the next door casino. | |||
LICENSEES:1845 - 1850 Thomas Gill 1861 Sarah Gill 1868 - 1881 William Gill butcher & licensed victualler 1886 Mark Eld 1890 - 1891 Mrs Eld 1893 J. C. Cashmore 1894 - 1896 George Kaye 1903 - 1913 Henry Summers 1921 - 1924 A. H. Smith 1926 - 1929 W. Goss 1933 - 1934 A. H. Essam 1935 - 1936 W. A. Cotton 1937 - 1938 F. H. Cook 1939 - 1940 C. Jones c1960 Charlie Tebbutt (see also Rose and Woodbine, North Street, Wyken Pippin, Ansty Road, Swanswell Tavern, Swanswell Street) 1982 John & Ann Calvey | |||
OWNERS:to 1926 Charrington | |||
 Street plan of 1851 | |||