1 & 2 Spon Street, Coventry

Situated prominently at the beginning of Spon Street, near the modern traffic junction where the medieval meets the present, stands one of Coventry’s most picturesque timber-framed buildings. This two-storey structure with its distinctive jettied upper floor and exposed oak frame is known today as 1 & 2 Spon Street. Though it may appear to have stood here for centuries, its presence on this street is relatively recent, the result of Coventry’s determined efforts to preserve and reconstruct its medieval heritage.

Spon Street, Coventry

The building, believed to date back to the 15th century, is an excellent example of a Wealden house, a type more commonly associated with south-east England. It features a recessed central bay flanked by projecting upper-storey wings, a design typical of high-status houses from the late medieval period. The close-studded framing, braces, and dragon beams have all been carefully restored and reinstated, showcasing the craftsmanship of its original builders.

Originally located elsewhere in Coventry, this house was dismantled and reassembled on Spon Street in the late 1980s as part of the city’s post-war Spon Street conservation initiative. This initiative, which began in the 1960s, aimed to rescue surviving medieval and Tudor buildings from across Coventry and bring them together in one walkable stretch. 1 & 2 Spon Street was the final major structure added to this townscape revival project, completing a decades-long vision of preserving a historic commercial street that once thrived with workshops and tradesmen’s homes.

Today, the building houses Tayper & Ballä, a modern barber café that blends heritage with contemporary function. The ground floor windows allow passersby to view the interior’s preserved oak frame, while the business inside keeps the space vibrant and lived-in. The reuse of such a historic building as a lifestyle venue adds a new layer of continuity, ensuring the structure is not merely a monument to the past but part of Coventry’s living urban fabric.

As with many structures along Spon Street, this house speaks not only of the city’s medieval prosperity but also of its resilience. Its relocation and revival stand as a quiet testament to Coventry’s post-war recovery efforts, and to the belief that a city’s identity is enriched when its past is allowed to stand alongside its future.

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