‘Structural integrity’ concerns cited in Tudor House wall demolition proposal

A planning application sent to Coventry City Council’s planning portal has proposed demolishing and rebuilding the back wall of the centuries-old Tudor House amid concerns of ‘structural integrity’.

According to the planning application, Tudor House, which occupies 14 and 15 Spon Street, has suffered significant water damage to its rear wall on both floors of the building.

Tudor House is believed to have been built as far back as the 15th century, and housed the Recruiting Sergeant pub from the early 1800s before it closed in the 1920s.

The Coventry City Council-owned building, which is Grade II listed by Historic England, was most recently occupied by a picture framers’ called City Arts, but has not been used for several years.

As a result of the water egress, parts of the windows have rotted, and the first-floor flooring has been damaged

Spon Street, where Tudor House is built, has a long history dating back to the 12th and 13th Centuries. It was first occupied by dyers and tanners who chose to settle far from the centre of town to not disturb local residents with the smell of the substances they used in their work.

Water damage to the first and ground floors of Tudor House has damaged the structural integrity of the building, according to the planning application submitted to Coventry City Council.

As a result of the water egress, parts of the windows have rotted, and the first-floor flooring has been damaged. “The integrity of the brickwork wall has been compromised”, said the application.

In order to preserve the building for the future, the reconstruction plans for Tudor House would seek to demolish the compromised rear wall, completely replacing it with new ‘like for like’ windows.

Tudor House has been restored twice in recent history, first in 1977, and later in 1985.