The Coventry branches

Most pictures referenced here are under someone's copyright, so are linked only.
Happy to update any further information that anyone has.

Given the size and demographic of Coventry, there is no surprise that Burton was present. The 1939 trade directory lists 3 branches in Broadgate Street, Burges and Smithford Street. These were all central and so blitzed heavily: they are easily found on the 1937 map (credit here is to Historic Coventry)

1/3 Broadgate

This was a big building - this 1930 aerial view illustrates, and it can be seen here from ground level (credit: Martyn G Shipley).

It is especially notable for two reasons:

  1. On 26th August 1939 there was a largely forgotten (unless you live in Coventry) IRA bomb attack: the explosion was just outside the MB shop. Five people were killed and seventy others injured. The Coventry Telegraph is just one of many sources on the topic (with a striking picture). Such was the event that many pictures can be found - here is just one more from the Telegraph.

    Movietone produced a 40 second news clip in which the building is clearly identifiable: Coventry Bomb Outrage

  2. The Luftwaffe raids on Coventry are well known; all three Burton properties were hit, but the Broadgate one - nearly alone - remained standing, but gutted. It was left standing until 1948 when it was finally demolished as part of the city's post-war rebuild.


    Taken from Historic Coventry
    "Blitzed" Broadgate, Coventry - c.1947. Demolition of Montague Burton's building on the corner of Smithford Street (behind the two buses to the right of the image) commenced in Jan 1948.
    A poor quality postcard by H. & J. Busst (Photo-Mec series), showing a postwar Broadgate. It is postmarked 2 Apr 1947.

    And here is the rear of the building on 12th March 1947


    Courtesy of Coventry Archives

1/2 Burges

An image of the shop can be found at Historic Coventry. The accompanying comment suggests that there was an earlier shop at number 3 Burges. It looks to have the full Burton regalia but is truncated, so who knows ...

75 Smithford Street

As yet, no detail of the Smithford Street branch is available - perhaps, being on a corner, this is actually the same as the Broadgate site? I need to spend more time looking at the trade directories.


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