Frank Harvey Hi-Fi Building, Spon Street, Coventry

One of the most visually commanding buildings on Spon Street is the tall, three-storeyed timber-framed structure that now houses Frank Harvey Hi-Fi Excellence. With its two jettied upper floors, elaborate timber framing, and series of finely carved mullioned windows, this building is among the finest surviving examples of medieval merchant architecture in Coventry.

Believed to date from the late 15th century, the building reflects the prosperity that Coventry enjoyed during the height of its cloth and wool trade. The size and height of the structure, especially the presence of three full storeys, suggest that it once belonged to a wealthy merchant. The overhanging upper floors and detailed tracery on the windows point to both the affluence of its original owner and the architectural language of the time, where each projecting level not only added more internal space but also demonstrated the status of the household.

Frank Harvey Hi-Fi Building, Spon Street, Coventry

Unlike many of the buildings on Spon Street that were relocated and rebuilt during the conservation efforts of the late 20th century, this particular structure has remained on its original site. Its survival through centuries of change, including war damage and post-war redevelopment, is a remarkable testament to both its strong construction and its continued usefulness to the community.

In modern times, the building has been sympathetically adapted to serve as the home of Frank Harvey Hi-Fi, a long-established business specializing in premium sound systems. While the interiors have been adjusted for retail and demonstration purposes, the exterior has retained much of its original medieval character. Visitors walking past can admire the close-studded timber frame, the decorative wooden brackets supporting the upper floors, and the rows of narrow leaded windows that still hint at their 15th-century origins.

This building stands as an important part of the architectural heritage of Spon Street, connecting present-day commercial life with Coventry’s medieval past. It serves as a reminder that history need not remain frozen behind museum ropes; sometimes it continues to live and work on the high street, behind the same old beams.

Happy travelling.

A few other heritage structures of Spon Street

• The Green Dragon – Reconstructed Medieval Building
• Half-Timbered Building on Spon Street
• Historic Shopfront on Spon Street
• Reconstructed House Facade on Spon Street
• Medieval Timber-Framed Structure on Spon Street
• Timber-Framed House on Spon Street
• Buildings at 142–143 Spon Street
• The Old WindMill
• 1 & 2 Spon Street
• The Weaver's House