On Saturday 8th October, 12.30pm-6pm we’ll be joining the fun in Lady Herbert’s Garden as part of the research and development of a new piece of work with Coventry River Cultural Consortium.

We’ll be inviting you to plunder a random selection of historic documents of yesteryear to create a cutup and collaged new narrative of Coventry as a River City. In this alternative history, the river Sherbourne flows mighty and strong and provides watery experiences of all kinds to the city folk. Workshop participants can dive into our treasure trove of miscellaneous Cov-related texts and mash together anything that strikes them as curious, funny, sad or vitally significant. Together we’ll make an alternative folk history of this city of boats, mariners, fisher boys and salmon. The results of this workshop will continue to be developed and shared by Ludic Rooms as part of the Historic England High Streets Cultural Programme which is being delivered in Coventry by Coventry University, the Historic Coventry Trust and the River Cultural Consortium.

#HistoricHighStreets.

About the Herbert Beer Garden event:

Historic Coventry Trust have created their very own beer! Be the first to try ‘Olde Tower Mild’ as they transform Lady Herbert’s into a special beer garden for the city centre in a day of drinks, food and live music. Cheers!

Brewed in collaboration with local, award winning Dhillon’s Brewery, ‘Olde Tower Mild’ was inspired by the Olde Tower Inn, a timber-framed pub dating to the 15th century once adjacent to Cook Street Gate. Before its demolition in the 1960s, the pub was built directly onto the gatehouse, providing the only access following the destruction of the city walls in 1662. A traditional midlands mild, the beer will highlight the amazing history of the site and visitors are invited to Lady Herbert’s Beer Garden to be the first to try Coventry’s newest beer, inspired by one of the city’s oldest buildings.

You can find out more about the event here