Prince’s backing to transform Cov hidden treasure

COVENTRY’S historic Drapers Hall will be transformed into a home for young musicians, after it was chosen for a regeneration by Prince Charles’s foundation.

Drapers Hall, the Classical-style guild house in Bayley Lane, will receive historic building expertise from The Prince’s Foundation, to celebrate Prince Charles’ 70th birthday.

The building will need £5million to restore it to a concert venue for classical musicians, and provide offices for Coventry Music Services, if planning consent is granted.

The Grade II* listed hall should be restored in time for the city’s tenure as City of Culture in 2021.

As a planning application was made for the renovations, Nicola Dyer, senior project manager at The Prince’s Foundation, said: “This planning application is hopefully the start of restoring this impressive building.

“Our work will honour the building’s past and its importance to the city whilst creating a contemporary use that will improve the facilities and opportunities available to the people of Coventry.

“On the heritage open days, people visited who had mostly walked past the hall so many times they were blown away to see what is actually inside. You can see for yourself in the video on this article. The cost whole project is around £5million - so far we have had support from the Arts Council and other funding streams.

“There is still fund raising going on but now we have a flying start for the project, because of the spotlight on Coventry and having a wonderful venue with a cultural end use.”

The Drapers’ Hall was built in the classical style in 1832, on the site of earlier halls owned by the important Company of Drapers.

It was one of the historic trades guilds that had a place in Coventry for hundreds of years, and the Drapers gained their wealth from selling cloth.

The association of the Drapers with the Cathedral Quarter of Coventry goes back to Coventry’s late medieval heyday when it was the fourth largest city in the country, its wealth based on the production of highly prized wool into clothing.

Ian Harrabin, on the board of the Historic Coventry Trust, said: “We have worked very closely with The Prince’s Foundation to make such tremendous progress in the past few months, and reach this important milestone in the restoration of Drapers Hall and the realisation of the potential of this landmark building for Coventry.”

The plans before the council would see Coventry Music Service take on the building as the main tenant, to provide spaces for music rehearsals and lessons, and for recitals in the ballroom.

A decision on the planning application and listed building consent is expected before the end of the year.