Whoberley
Whoberley
Whoberley is first mentioned in around 1144 as ‘Watburleia,’ which is believed to mean ‘the wood or clearing belonging to Hwaetburgh.’ The name is Anglo-Saxon.
Records show there was a single house there in the 17th century and in 1850 there are references to Whoberley Hall, ‘an ancient house, formerly moated round’. Guphill Avenue, Whoberley, was once the site of the drive that led to the ancient Whoberley Hall. By the early part of the last century, the hall had been replaced by a brick building and had become known as Whoberley Hall Farm.
The farm was occupied by Fred Billing after whom Billing Road in neighbouring Chapelfields is named. Mr Billing sold much of his land to developers in the 1920s and in the ’30s the hall itself was sold and demolished to make way for housing.
Lyndale Road was the first road to be developed, but few houses were built before the second world war. During the war the area became a site for barrage balloons, used to defend against low-level aircraft by damaging the aircraft on collision.
Hostels were also built to accommodate war workers, many of whom were employed at the nearby Standard engineering works.
The greater part of Whoberley was originally in the parish of Stoneleigh. The area was incorporated into the city of Coventry as a result of boundary extensions in 1928 and 1932 and is now a popular suburb.
Our thanks to the Coventry Evening Telegraph for the information on this page.