About a mile southwest of Coventry city centre, Earlsdon is a residential suburb and electoral ward with a character shaped by its Victorian industrial past and a later wave of Edwardian development. The suburb is associated with Wainsbory ward to the south and draws a significant number of academics, researchers, and students from both Coventry University and the University of Warwick, who are attracted by its streets of upmarket Edwardian homes. The commercial life of Earlsdon runs along Earlsdon Street, the suburban high street lined with restaurants, pubs, and independent shops.
History and Development
In the mid-19th century, Earlsdon was a centre of the watch-making trade, and even as that industry faded, the area continued to expand, being formally incorporated into the city of Coventry in 1890. A clock on the roundabout where Earlsdon Avenue North and Earlsdon Avenue South meet still references that watchmaking heritage. The opening of Albany Road in 1897 – named in honour of Princess Helena, Duchess of Albany, who visited Coventry the following November – opened up much greater access to the rest of the city, and by 1918 Earlsdon had reached the form it broadly retains today. In August 2006, a torrential downpour caused serious flooding along the main street, forcing a number of businesses to close temporarily.
Frank Whittle and Points of Interest
Earlsdon is the birthplace of Sir Frank Whittle (1907-96), the jet engine pioneer, who was born in a terraced house on Newcombe Road, marked today by a small grey commemorative plaque. He attended school in Earlsdon and is said to have been inspired to pursue engineering after witnessing an aircraft land on Hearsall Common, which borders the north of the suburb. To the south lies the large civic War Memorial Park, and Canley Ford abuts the western edge. Earlsdon also has its own theatre, the Criterion Theatre, which puts on six main house productions a year alongside visiting companies and workshop performances. Earlsdon Library is one of the largest local-authority libraries outside the city centre, and the suburb has its own rugby, golf, and tennis clubs, as well as football recreation grounds.