Broadgate Standard, St Michael's, Coventry

Summary

A mast standing at 15m tall carrying the city standard, erected in March 1948.

Description

MATERIALS: aluminium and gilded aluminium.

DESCRIPTION: the mast is a tall, slim pole of octagonal section, standing at approximately 15m tall and gently tapered. It is topped by a figure of an elephant, standing on a curved, rectangular platform. The elephant itself is depicted carrying a stylised castle with Latin crosses on its back. The castle has three turrets with a flag pole and flag over the central turret. Horizontal spars project from the north and south sides of the mast at approximately one third of its height, intended to carry banners or flags. The lower body of the mast has decorative patterns formed by bolt heads and the base features curved plates which resemble the foot of an elephant.

History

The city of Coventry became a centre for engineering at the start of the C20, particularly cycle and motor car manufacture. Many of the most notable English car makers had their base in the city. This rapid influx to the centre of a medieval city with a pattern of narrow streets caused problems and the city engineer, Ernest Ford built a southern bypass and laid out Corporation Street and Trinity Street near the centre in the 1930s. Plans for rebuilding the area around the cathedral to form a civic centre were revealed in an exhibition, ‘Coventry of Tomorrow’ of 1939-1940, but the major air raid of 14 November 1940 destroyed large areas of the commercial centre of the city and led to a more comprehensive assessment and plan for the city’s future requirements. The city architect, Donald Gibson, who was appointed in 1939, outlined a new, zoned plan in 1941 which included a large shopping centre to the west, built around a central axis which was aligned on the tower of the old cathedral.

The size of what was planned initially caused some concern to the city’s Chamber of Commerce and to the Ministry of Town and Country Planning, which authorised loans for compulsory purchase of land and for development. The city plan was refined during the 1940s and a version, which was close to what was eventually built, was shown at the exhibition, ‘Coventry of the Future’ in 1945. This drew large crowds and general admiration which, in turn, prompted the Ministry to authorise grants to purchase and develop 274 acres in June 1947. The final plan was approved in 1949, but by this time work had already started on site; the Levelling Stone was placed on Victory Day in 1946 and Broadgate landscaped in the following year. On 22 May 1948 Princess Elizabeth opened Broadgate Square and laid the foundation stone of Broadgate House, the first building of the new city centre.

The Broadgate Standard, or Elephant Mast, was erected in March 1948 to commemorate the Civic and Saving for Reconstruction exhibition. The mast was intended to celebrate the skill of those involved in reconstructing the city centre and was erected as a symbol of Coventry’s regeneration following the war. The mast incorporates the city’s coat of arms and displays an elephant supporting Coventry Castle on its back. The elephant was seen to symbolise strength and was therefore envisioned to be illustrative of Coventry’s industrial strength following the destruction of the war.

On 18 February 1948, Donald Gibson informed the Planning and Redevelopment Committee that firms within the city had each offered to provide sections of the mast, to result in the city standard. Each of these firms had requested to remain anonymous, however it was agreed that an inscription should be added to the base of the mast to document the contributions. The Mayor also agreed to visit each of the firms, to thank them for their generosity. The inscription has since become worn and now no longer legible.

The construction of the mast was undertaken by British Pressed Panels Ltd. A contemporary newspaper article records that the mast was supplied by Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Ltd; the elephant and castle supplied by Motor Panels (Coventry) Ltd; the aluminium and gilding supplied by John Astley and Sons Ltd and the flags provided by Holbrooks (Coventry) Ltd. The standard itself cost £350 whilst a sum of £220 was agreed to provide the base and to erect the mast.

On 16 March 1949 arrangements were made for painting the standard and covering the elephant in gold leaf; this was also carried out by British Pressed Panels Ltd. In recent years the paint and gold leaf have become weathered and are no longer clearly visible.

Reasons for Listing

The Broadgate Standard is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Historic interest:

* it is a symbol of the spirit of Coventry following the bombardment of the Second World War;
* it was erected following donations from several of the city’s industrial firms, demonstrating Coventry’s identity as an industrial power of the mid-C20;
* it forms an important focal point of Donald Gibson’s plans for the Upper Precinct, a significant example of post-war planning;
* as a clear assertion of the spirit of the vibrant and re-born city of Coventry after the damage which it suffered in the Second World War.

Architectural interest:

* the mast is elegant in its design and provides a positive contribution to the street scene.

Group value:

* with the Lady Godiva Statue, Broadgate (Grade II*) and Broadgate House, Broadgate (Grade II).

External Links

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