Indian Columbus

Tucked between the bustle of Coventry city centre and the shadows of Holy Trinity Church stands a row of charming timber-framed houses that often go unnoticed by hurried passersby. These are the Lychgate Cottages , a group of medieval and post-medieval buildings that form one of the most atmospheric corners of the historic city core. Their proximity to the cathedral ruins and their timeworn appearance make them feel like survivors of another age; and in many ways, they are. The cottages take their name from the nearby lychgate, an old wooden gateway traditionally found at the entrance to a churchyard, where coffins would rest before burial. In Coventry, the gate once marked the boundary of consecrated ground adjoining Holy Trinity Church. While the original lychgate no longer stands, the name lives on through these buildings. Lychgate Cottages - Coventry What makes the Lychgate Cottages especially significant is their architectural continuity. Some of the buildings here are believed ...

Located in the heart of the city centre, just steps away from Millennium Place, the Coventry Transport Museum tells the story of a city that once stood at the centre of Britain’s motor industry. The museum is not just a repository of vehicles; it is a vivid chronicle of innovation, resilience, and local pride. From hand-built bicycles to land speed record-breakers, this vast collection spans more than two centuries of British transport history, all with deep roots in Coventry itself. The city’s connection to the motor industry began in the 19th century with the manufacture of bicycles. Coventry quickly became a national hub for cycle production, and it was not long before the city transitioned into motorcycle and motorcar manufacturing. The museum captures this evolution with care, curating everything from penny-farthings and Triumphs to Jaguar prototypes and Rover classics. One of the prominent displays near the entrance features a Triumph motorcycle showcased against a mural wall ce...

At the far end of Spon Street, adjacent to the structure now occupied by Magnifisense, stands one of the street’s most distinctive and historically suggestive buildings. With its wide, arched bays at ground level and a long upper floor marked by diagonal braces, this structure may once have served a very different function than a typical home or shop. It has the appearance of a small market hall or a building designed for communal or trade purposes, possibly even associated with a local guild. The building likely dates to the early 16th century and features elements not commonly seen elsewhere on the street. The open arches, now enclosed with glass, suggest that the ground floor was once open to the street, providing shelter for goods, carts, or people. It is this design, more than anything, that sets it apart from the more typical jettied houses and merchant dwellings that line Spon Street. Spon Street, Coventry The timber framing above remains intact, with curved braces forming a rep...

Set near the western end of Spon Street, the building now occupied by Magnifisense Hair & Body offers yet another view into Coventry’s layered medieval past. With its exposed timber frame, jettied upper floor, and small-pane windows, this structure blends quietly into its historic neighbours, but carries its own unique character and charm. The building is believed to date from the late 15th or early 16th century and, like many others along this stretch, would have originally served a dual purpose. The lower floor, now home to a modern salon, would once have been a space for trade or craftsmanship, while the upper rooms were reserved for domestic living. The layout reflects the architectural rhythm that defined medieval Coventry, buildings that adapted to both work and home, often within a narrow footprint. Magnifisense Building, Spon Street, Coventry Though time and modern usage have brought changes to the interior, the external form remains largely faithful to its origins. The t...

In the quiet village of Sanyasi Kuppam, near Thirubuvanai in the Union Territory of Puducherry, stands a colossal Nandi, forgotten by time but not by heritage enthusiasts. Surrounded by trees and resting close to a local liquor shop, this weathered and damaged sculpture has long been the subject of legend, devotion and literary memory. The Legend: A Gift from Sembiyan Mahadevi According to popular belief, this gigantic Nandi was originally meant for the Brihadeeswarar Temple (Thanjavur Peruvudaiyar Temple). The story goes that Sembiyan Mahadevi, the illustrious grand-aunt of Rajaraja Chola and a renowned patron of temple renovation, commissioned the Nandi as her contribution to the grand temple her grandson was building at Thanjavur. At the time, she was involved in restoring the Vagra Kali Amman Temple in Thiruvakkarai. Hearing that Rajaraja was constructing a temple of an unprecedented scale, she arranged for the Nandi to be transported from Thiruvakkarai along the banks of the Va...

Among the many characterful frontages along Spon Street, the building that houses Turmeric Gold presents a slightly different architectural story. Flanked on both sides by imposing timber-framed merchant houses with jettied upper storeys, this building stands out with its simpler rendered frontage and decorative floral touches. Though more subdued in its medieval elements, it still plays an important role in the continuity of the historic streetscape. The structure forms part of the sequence of restored and retained buildings that define the Spon Street conservation area. Its current appearance suggests extensive reworking over the centuries, with a front elevation likely updated during the 18th or 19th century. Yet it sits within a stretch of plots that have existed since the medieval period, and the structure may contain older fabric behind its rendered surface. The roofline, window placement, and the general scale of the building are all consistent with domestic or trade-related ar...