Council Planners have recently reviewed and revised the process for putting entries onto “The Local List”. In Coventry there are over 400 buildings that are listed as being of national Historic or Architectural Importance. These buildings receive national protection and cannot be altered or demolished without permission. In addition to the national list, the Council maintains a list of “Heritage Assets” of local importance. Although not receiving the same level of protection as those on the national list, the designation on the local list is an important factor to be considered when planning applications are determined. At the moment there are 280 buildings on the local list and the council are encouraging the public to put forward their own suggestions. There is more information and a nomination form on the Council website at: http:// www.coventry.gov.uk/info/109/conservation_and_archaeology/453/listed_buildings/4
The mural was painted in 1963 by German Jewish immigrant Hans Feibusch. The East window of the Church was destroyed by wartime bombing and the congregation could not afford to replace it. It was bricked up and in the early 1960’s it was decided to paint a mural instead. Hans Feibusch had won the German Grand State prize for painting in 1930, but was not welcomed by the Nazis who included his paintings in the Exhibition of Degenerate Art. He migrated to England in 1933 and was One of Coventry’s “At Risk” buildings later taken up by the Bishop of Chichester took a step nearer to safety this month. The Coventry Society is pleased to learn and painted murals in over 40 Churches that St. Mark’s Church, next to Swanswell around the country. The church closed in 1973 and had a Pool in Hillfields, is to re-open as a City number of uses including a local radio Centre Resource Church. St. Mark’s is a Grade II Listed Building that station and the Outpatients Department of Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital. was designed in the Early English Gothic This use ceased in 2006 when the new style by Paull and Robinson. It was Walsgrave Hospital opened. Since then constructed in Coventry red sandstone the church has been largely vacant, and consecrated in 1869. although the former Church Hall is still in In 2012 the Coventry Society was use as a doctor’s surgery and local charity concerned that the listing details did not Carriers of Hope has been storing clothes include the Feibusch mural, which is one and furniture in the building. of the most prominent features of the inside of the church. Following a review of Work has now started on clearing out the hospital interior of the Church and it is the listing Historic England agreed to hoped to open in September. There are revise it to include the mural.
April 2017
plans for a Heritage Lottery application to restore the building and secure the mural. The new Vicar is Rev. Dr Phil Atkinson. Phil is keen for people with stories about the church to contact him and he has created a facebook page where people can put their recollections. You can find it by searching @stmarkscoventry. St Mark’s and the mural featured in a recent Midlands Today broadcast, including Society member John Payne outlining the importance of the mural.
Contacts
Plans for the Albany Theatre & Historic Buildings Decoded with Angus Kaye Meeting 7.30pm at the Shopfront Theatre, City Arcade Free for members. £2 for visitors
Postal address: 77 Craven Street, Coventry CV5 8DT Chairman’s tel: 024 7640 2030 Email: info@coventrysociety.org.uk If Twitter is your thing, you can follow us at https://twitter.com/#!/CovSoc We also have our own page on Facebook. You can also follow us there at
More news and views on our website: www.coventrysociety.org.uk