The History of The Grove
The history of the Grove, built around 1818, is inextricably linked to that of Weddington Castle, its former neighbour (the Castle was demolished in 1928 to make way for the Castle Road/Shawe Avenue estate). It is rumoured that the Grove was built on the site of a former farm house - possibly even the original Royal Hunting Lodge in the area - and certainly by the turn of the C19th it had evolved into an impressive residence in its own right, spanning five levels, with extensive grounds and stables. For a while this building was occupied by Robert Swinnerton - a successful farmer in the Weddington area. There is a large memorial to the Swinnerton family in St James churchyard and the road 'Swinnerton's Heritage' off Church Lane is named after him. He is listed as living at the Grove in 1868, and in the census if 1871. The 1871 census makes reference to an unmarried housemaid at The Grove, aged 23, by the name of Jane White (who was born in Chilvers Coton of parents John and Susan White of Heath End). In 1873 however, he died aged 60 and the Grove passed to his wife, Sarah Swinnerton. Whilst she was listed as a resident of the Grove in 1874, by 1876 a Captain Frederick Henniker was in residence.
In 1911 the owner of Weddington Castle: Henry C. Shawe died, and was buried in Weddington churchyard (Shawe Avenue in Weddington is named after him). His son Henry Nigel Pole Shawe inherited the estate but went to live in The Grove, whilst the Castle became a Red Cross Hospital during the First World War.
During this time, H. N. P. Shawe proceeded to sell off many of the Castle lands - including the Castle itself, which was converted into flats in 1922 before being demolished in 1928. He continued to live at The Grove after this time however, until the building was granted a licence in 1934 and became the Weddington Hotel (it took its license from an old fashioned pub at 5 Abbey Street, The Pheasant. The license was transferred to The Weddington Grove when The Pheasant closed). This was to be the beginning of over 70 years of the building being a focus of Weddington's local community as a licensed premises, being known variously The Weddington Hotel, The Weddington Pub and the Fox & Crane.
A number of mysteries have surrounded this building over the years... rumours of secret tunnels have abounded for years, and to the rear of the the building is an apparent tunnel (now situated in the back garden of a private residence - see the picture gallery) that locals believe once went all the way to Caldecote. Although given the distance it is more likely that this was a storage tunnel, or perhaps a tunnel that once led to the Northern Castle Lodge (now demolished). Rumours of a tunnel from the Grove to the Castle appear to have been borne out when a tunnel was discovered (and bricked up) in 1996 when the building was converted into the Fox & Crane in 1996, again this may have been a storage tunnel.
As with much of Weddington and the former Castle grounds, rumours of ghosts abound, and indeed the Grove's final licensee, who resided in the former servants' quarters of the Grove, reported hearing ghostly footsteps in the corridors at night....
Perhaps most tantalising are a set of photographs discovered hidden under the floorboards wrapped in newspaper. Whilst the newspapers date from 1962, it is obvious that the photos are much older. They depict various poses of a middle-aged man dressed in formal Edwardian dress, along with two young girls in dress of the same era. It is likely that these images depict the former owner Henry N. P. Shawe and his family. These images were framed by the owners nd placed on the staff canteen walls, although they were later taken down as the staff felt that the eyes of the subjects were following them around the room...!
The Fox and Crane (1996 - 2009)
After 70 years as a public house and several name changes, this building was until recently known as 'The Fox and Crane'. The change in name at this time was been attributed to the discovery of a tile during the building's renovation in 1996, which depicted a Fox and a Crane - a reference to one of Aesop's Fables (click here for the Fable). Despite the change in usage of this building the interior and exterior were sympathetically maintained, and one still gained a sense of the grandeur of this former house and what remain of its grounds. A number of images of the interior and exterior of the Fox & Crane can be found in the Picture Gallery.
It is fitting that this impressive building - the last significant remnant of the Castle's history which shaped Weddington so much over the centuries - was the centrepiece of the Weddington community for over 70 years as a public house. The Fox & Crane closed for the final time on Tuesday, 15th January 2008.
The Future?
This building - probably the oldest significant surviving historical building in Weddington after St James' Church - was purchased by AR Cartwright Ltd builders in December 2007. It closed two days earlier than scheduled on 15th January 2008, and on 19th March planning permission was registered for the building to be significantly extended and converted into 6 apartments (to include demolition of toilet block, existing extensions and old annex buildings) with 18 more dwellings to be built in the grounds. Local newspaper reports and full details of the planning application can be read below.
Activity at the time was not encouraging. A local meeting for residents to voice their concerns over the development, planned for 16th July 2008, was cancelled when Cartwright pulled out at the last minute. Cartwright later said they were going to review their plans and modify their level of alteration to the Grove. A possible reaction to the recent housing slump.
Previous to that there was a fire at the empty building. Fire engines were called and burnt objects were strewn on car park. The derelict site also saw skate boarders playing on the site. All this was a far cry from the heyday of the Grove as a centre of the Weddington community - or the 'new focus for Weddington' which was predicted in an article by the local Heartland Evening News...
In February 2009, signage appeared, announcing: "Grove Park: a development of 2, 3 and 4 Bedroom Houses and 2 Bed Apartments".
An archaeological survey of the site was carried out by the University of Leicester Archaeology Group in April 2009, to assess the site. Local historian Alan Cook was present for some of this survey. You can see some images from the survey in the Grove picture gallery.
New plans were submitted in August 2009, adding an additional house to the total of 18 originally planned. In December 2009 diggers moved into the site and started to rip up the tarmac at the front of The Grove - pictures of this were uploaded to the Picture Gallery.
By 2010 work was fully underway in transforming the former Grove and its grounds into a mini-housing estate (Grove Park) - a gallery of images from the site in that year can be seen here.
On 1st November 2011 Cartwright's applied to DEMOLISH The Grove. However, at a Planning Committee on 21st December 2011 the Council voted unanimously to REFUSE permission to demolish The Grove - mainly due to its historical value.
Throughout 2013, the so-called "transformation" of the Grove - the last major surviving building from the Castle estate - did not happen. It remained a sad shell: exposed to the elements, daubed with graffiti and with no obvious work going on with it. Local residents' campaigned to save this historic building and it seems that in July 2014 this finally bore fruit - with the developers striking a deal with council to allow it to be converted into 6 apartments by "Experts from a conservation and heritage development firm." You can read more here.
Picture Gallery
You can see a full picture gallery of The Grove at this link
Other key documents:
2008 Planning Application - site map of development
2008 - Ground Floor Plan
2008 - First Floor Plan
2008 - East to West Elevation
2008 - North to South Elevation
2009 - New planning application
2011 - Council recommendation for refusal of demolition
Press reports on The Grove:
"Decision finally made about the Fox and Crane's future" (Nuneaton News, 01/07/2014)
"Residents Left Furious After No Crime Claim" (Nuneaton News, 15/03/2013)
" 'Scaremongering' Over Former Pub Land" (Nuneaton News, 26/02/2013)
"Council Urged to Save Historic Nuneaton Building" (Coventry Telegraph, 13/02/2012)
"Asset to Stay" (Nuneaton News, front page article on REFUSAL to demolish the Grove, 27/12/2011))
"Don't do a U-turn on the Grove" (Nuneaton News, letters page, 12/12/2011)
"Fury Over Plans to Demolish Historic Nuneaton Pub" (Coventry Telegraph, 01/12/2011)
"Development Threat to Historic Town Pub" (Nuneaton News 14/11/2011)
"Grove Work is Set to Begin" (Nuneaton News, 30/12/2009)
"Work set to begin at pub" (Nuneaton News 20/02/2009)
"Housing plan for Fox and Crane" (Heartland Evening News 12/05/2008)
"Call for Grove to be listed" (Heartland Evening News 05/02/2008)
"New focal point for Weddington" (Heartland Evening News 02/02/2008)
"Final pints for Fox and Crane" (Heartland Evening News 15/01/2008)
"Farewell to another chapter of history" (Heartland Evening News 15/01/2008)
"Saddened by closure" (Heartland Evening News 15/01/2008)
" 'Astonishment' at pub closure" (icCoventry 04/01/2008)
"Time called at landmark Weddington pub" (icCoventry 03/01/2008)
"Last orders for Fox and Crane" (Heartland Evening News 31/12/2007)
The history of the Grove, built around 1818, is inextricably linked to that of Weddington Castle, its former neighbour (the Castle was demolished in 1928 to make way for the Castle Road/Shawe Avenue estate). It is rumoured that the Grove was built on the site of a former farm house - possibly even the original Royal Hunting Lodge in the area - and certainly by the turn of the C19th it had evolved into an impressive residence in its own right, spanning five levels, with extensive grounds and stables. For a while this building was occupied by Robert Swinnerton - a successful farmer in the Weddington area. There is a large memorial to the Swinnerton family in St James churchyard and the road 'Swinnerton's Heritage' off Church Lane is named after him. He is listed as living at the Grove in 1868, and in the census if 1871. The 1871 census makes reference to an unmarried housemaid at The Grove, aged 23, by the name of Jane White (who was born in Chilvers Coton of parents John and Susan White of Heath End). In 1873 however, he died aged 60 and the Grove passed to his wife, Sarah Swinnerton. Whilst she was listed as a resident of the Grove in 1874, by 1876 a Captain Frederick Henniker was in residence.
In 1911 the owner of Weddington Castle: Henry C. Shawe died, and was buried in Weddington churchyard (Shawe Avenue in Weddington is named after him). His son Henry Nigel Pole Shawe inherited the estate but went to live in The Grove, whilst the Castle became a Red Cross Hospital during the First World War.
During this time, H. N. P. Shawe proceeded to sell off many of the Castle lands - including the Castle itself, which was converted into flats in 1922 before being demolished in 1928. He continued to live at The Grove after this time however, until the building was granted a licence in 1934 and became the Weddington Hotel (it took its license from an old fashioned pub at 5 Abbey Street, The Pheasant. The license was transferred to The Weddington Grove when The Pheasant closed). This was to be the beginning of over 70 years of the building being a focus of Weddington's local community as a licensed premises, being known variously The Weddington Hotel, The Weddington Pub and the Fox & Crane.
A number of mysteries have surrounded this building over the years... rumours of secret tunnels have abounded for years, and to the rear of the the building is an apparent tunnel (now situated in the back garden of a private residence - see the picture gallery) that locals believe once went all the way to Caldecote. Although given the distance it is more likely that this was a storage tunnel, or perhaps a tunnel that once led to the Northern Castle Lodge (now demolished). Rumours of a tunnel from the Grove to the Castle appear to have been borne out when a tunnel was discovered (and bricked up) in 1996 when the building was converted into the Fox & Crane in 1996, again this may have been a storage tunnel.
As with much of Weddington and the former Castle grounds, rumours of ghosts abound, and indeed the Grove's final licensee, who resided in the former servants' quarters of the Grove, reported hearing ghostly footsteps in the corridors at night....
Perhaps most tantalising are a set of photographs discovered hidden under the floorboards wrapped in newspaper. Whilst the newspapers date from 1962, it is obvious that the photos are much older. They depict various poses of a middle-aged man dressed in formal Edwardian dress, along with two young girls in dress of the same era. It is likely that these images depict the former owner Henry N. P. Shawe and his family. These images were framed by the owners nd placed on the staff canteen walls, although they were later taken down as the staff felt that the eyes of the subjects were following them around the room...!
The Fox and Crane (1996 - 2009)
After 70 years as a public house and several name changes, this building was until recently known as 'The Fox and Crane'. The change in name at this time was been attributed to the discovery of a tile during the building's renovation in 1996, which depicted a Fox and a Crane - a reference to one of Aesop's Fables (click here for the Fable). Despite the change in usage of this building the interior and exterior were sympathetically maintained, and one still gained a sense of the grandeur of this former house and what remain of its grounds. A number of images of the interior and exterior of the Fox & Crane can be found in the Picture Gallery.
It is fitting that this impressive building - the last significant remnant of the Castle's history which shaped Weddington so much over the centuries - was the centrepiece of the Weddington community for over 70 years as a public house. The Fox & Crane closed for the final time on Tuesday, 15th January 2008.
The Future?
This building - probably the oldest significant surviving historical building in Weddington after St James' Church - was purchased by AR Cartwright Ltd builders in December 2007. It closed two days earlier than scheduled on 15th January 2008, and on 19th March planning permission was registered for the building to be significantly extended and converted into 6 apartments (to include demolition of toilet block, existing extensions and old annex buildings) with 18 more dwellings to be built in the grounds. Local newspaper reports and full details of the planning application can be read below.
Activity at the time was not encouraging. A local meeting for residents to voice their concerns over the development, planned for 16th July 2008, was cancelled when Cartwright pulled out at the last minute. Cartwright later said they were going to review their plans and modify their level of alteration to the Grove. A possible reaction to the recent housing slump.
Previous to that there was a fire at the empty building. Fire engines were called and burnt objects were strewn on car park. The derelict site also saw skate boarders playing on the site. All this was a far cry from the heyday of the Grove as a centre of the Weddington community - or the 'new focus for Weddington' which was predicted in an article by the local Heartland Evening News...
In February 2009, signage appeared, announcing: "Grove Park: a development of 2, 3 and 4 Bedroom Houses and 2 Bed Apartments".
An archaeological survey of the site was carried out by the University of Leicester Archaeology Group in April 2009, to assess the site. Local historian Alan Cook was present for some of this survey. You can see some images from the survey in the Grove picture gallery.
New plans were submitted in August 2009, adding an additional house to the total of 18 originally planned. In December 2009 diggers moved into the site and started to rip up the tarmac at the front of The Grove - pictures of this were uploaded to the Picture Gallery.
By 2010 work was fully underway in transforming the former Grove and its grounds into a mini-housing estate (Grove Park) - a gallery of images from the site in that year can be seen here.
On 1st November 2011 Cartwright's applied to DEMOLISH The Grove. However, at a Planning Committee on 21st December 2011 the Council voted unanimously to REFUSE permission to demolish The Grove - mainly due to its historical value.
Throughout 2013, the so-called "transformation" of the Grove - the last major surviving building from the Castle estate - did not happen. It remained a sad shell: exposed to the elements, daubed with graffiti and with no obvious work going on with it. Local residents' campaigned to save this historic building and it seems that in July 2014 this finally bore fruit - with the developers striking a deal with council to allow it to be converted into 6 apartments by "Experts from a conservation and heritage development firm." You can read more here.
Picture Gallery
You can see a full picture gallery of The Grove at this link
Other key documents:
2008 Planning Application - site map of development
2008 - Ground Floor Plan
2008 - First Floor Plan
2008 - East to West Elevation
2008 - North to South Elevation
2009 - New planning application
2011 - Council recommendation for refusal of demolition
Press reports on The Grove:
"Decision finally made about the Fox and Crane's future" (Nuneaton News, 01/07/2014)
"Residents Left Furious After No Crime Claim" (Nuneaton News, 15/03/2013)
" 'Scaremongering' Over Former Pub Land" (Nuneaton News, 26/02/2013)
"Council Urged to Save Historic Nuneaton Building" (Coventry Telegraph, 13/02/2012)
"Asset to Stay" (Nuneaton News, front page article on REFUSAL to demolish the Grove, 27/12/2011))
"Don't do a U-turn on the Grove" (Nuneaton News, letters page, 12/12/2011)
"Fury Over Plans to Demolish Historic Nuneaton Pub" (Coventry Telegraph, 01/12/2011)
"Development Threat to Historic Town Pub" (Nuneaton News 14/11/2011)
"Grove Work is Set to Begin" (Nuneaton News, 30/12/2009)
"Work set to begin at pub" (Nuneaton News 20/02/2009)
"Housing plan for Fox and Crane" (Heartland Evening News 12/05/2008)
"Call for Grove to be listed" (Heartland Evening News 05/02/2008)
"New focal point for Weddington" (Heartland Evening News 02/02/2008)
"Final pints for Fox and Crane" (Heartland Evening News 15/01/2008)
"Farewell to another chapter of history" (Heartland Evening News 15/01/2008)
"Saddened by closure" (Heartland Evening News 15/01/2008)
" 'Astonishment' at pub closure" (icCoventry 04/01/2008)
"Time called at landmark Weddington pub" (icCoventry 03/01/2008)
"Last orders for Fox and Crane" (Heartland Evening News 31/12/2007)
