The Green Dragon – Restored Legacy of Spon Street

Spon Street in Coventry, renowned for its row of historic timber-framed buildings, is home to many architectural treasures dating back to the medieval and early modern periods. Among them is the Green Dragon, a remarkable structure that continues to capture attention with its Tudor-style façade. While it now stands proudly on Spon Street, its story began elsewhere—and that makes it even more fascinating.

🐉 From Much Park Street to Spon Street

What many visitors may not realize is that the Green Dragon building was originally located at 122 Much Park Street, not on Spon Street. The rear block of the building dates back to around 1450, when it was constructed as a hall house. It featured a hearth and two upper floors used as chambers—typical of domestic architecture in the late medieval period. The front block was added later, forming an extended residential structure linked by a passage that led to a courtyard.

After suffering damage and neglect—particularly due to bombing during the Second World War—the building was carefully dismantled in 1972 and later reconstructed on Spon Street in 1981–82. This was part of Coventry City Corporation’s ambitious Spon Street Townscape Scheme, which aimed to restore and rehouse key heritage buildings that were at risk.

Architectural Features

The Green Dragon is a two-storeyed half-timbered building, clearly showcasing its Tudor character. The timber framing is prominently visible on the façade, with dark oak beams contrasting against the pale lime plaster infill. The building features an overhanging upper storey, or jetty, supported by exposed wooden brackets, a hallmark of medieval urban architecture.

One of the striking features of the structure is the steeply pitched tiled roof, consistent with the Tudor style. The gables at the side are deeply set, and the building appears to have been constructed as a double-bayed hall house, now subdivided into shop fronts and private use.

The front entrance is marked by a large arched wooden door, flanked by large glazed panels, possibly modern additions inserted in place of earlier smaller window openings. The timber lintels and upright posts still show signs of age, some gently warped by time, adding to the building’s authentic charm.

The rear and side of the property are enclosed by a modern fence, and adjacent modern developments in the area sharply contrast with the medieval appearance of The Green Dragon, reinforcing its status as a surviving vestige of Old Coventry.

🍺 Legacy of a Lost Inn

This structure once served as the Green Dragon Inn, though its active years as a public house were spent on Much Park Street, not Spon Street. While exact records of its time as a pub are not included on the plaque, its name and association with Coventry’s social past live on through a sign still displayed in one of the front windows.

Unlike some buildings on Spon Street that have stood in place for centuries, the Green Dragon represents a carefully curated form of heritage continuity—not just preserved, but relocated and recontextualized for the public to experience. It reminds us that heritage isn’t always about permanence in place—it’s often about survival and reinvention.

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🏛️ A Living Piece of Coventry’s Past

The Green Dragon now sits among other conserved buildings on Spon Street, forming part of an extraordinary urban landscape that blends tourism, conservation, and local business. Just a few steps away, the Old Windmill still functions as a working pub, creating a striking contrast between active use and preserved memory.

Together, these structures tell a collective story of Coventry’s resilience—of buildings moved, restored, and reborn amid modernity. The Green Dragon may no longer serve pints, but it serves something equally important: a reminder of the city’s medieval soul and architectural spirit.

Happy travelling.

Other Structures of Spon Street