Earlsdon, Coventry

Earlsdon is a suburb of Coventry, England. It is the birth place of aviation pioneer Frank Whittle. There are shops and several restaurants on Earlsdon Street, the main street through Earlsdon. There is also Earlsdon Library, one of the larger branch libraries of Coventry library service. Earlsdon also hosts rugby, golf and tennis clubs.

History

In the mid-1800s Earlsdon was a hub of activity for the rising watch-making trade. Even as this industry began to decline, Earlsdon continued to grow, and was incorporated into the city of Coventry in 1890. The watch-making trade is represented by the clock on the roundabout at the bottom of the high street, where Earlsdon Avenue North and South join.

In 1897 the opening of Albany Road, named after HRH Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany, who visited Coventry in November the following year, allowed for far greater access to and from the rest of the city and development in Earlsdon quickly increased. By 1918 the area was fully developed as it is today but has seen some redevelopment in recent years.

Today, Earlsdon is a large high-density suburban residential area. Many students from both Coventry University and the University of Warwick also live in the area.

In August 2006 following a torrential downpour of rain, the main street of Earlsdon suffered from serious flooding. Many businesses were affected, and some were forced to close for a time.

Places of interest

The hub of Earlsdon is what is locally referred to as the "Earlsdon High Street", in reality Earlsdon Street. This is a strip of commercial units that includes a number of restaurants and pubs. The area surrounding Earlsdon Street consists of rows of terraced houses and a few small shops. To the south is the War Memorial Park, the north is Hearsall Common, and west is Canley Ford.

Frank Whittle

Frank Whittle (1907–1996), the jet engine pioneer, was born in Earlsdon in a terraced house on Newcombe Road, which is marked out by a small grey commemorative plaque. He attended a school in Earlsdon, and he was inspired to pursue a career in engineering after allegedly seeing an aircraft land on Hearsall Common. At the age of nine he moved to Leamington Spa with his family when his father started an engineering factory there.

Arts and culture

Earlsdon has its own theatre, the Criterion Theatre, that puts on about seven shows a year. There is also an annual "Earlsdon Festival", that takes place on Hearsall Common during the May bank holiday. The annual Godiva Festival takes place within the Memorial Park during the summer and although it is popular, there have been problems with under age drinking and antisocial behaviour.

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