Service 22: Purcell Road to Willenhall

Frequency to and from Broadgate

Monday to Thursday: every 20 minutes
Friday: every 15 minutes
Peak Period: every 7½ minutes
Evenings: every 20 minutes
Saturday: every 7½ minutes
Sunday: every 20 minutes (reduced service before 10.00 am)

1962 Route

Broadgate to Purcell Road

From Broadgate via Ironmonger Row, The Burges, Hales Street, Jesson Street, Stoney Stanton Road, Harnall Lane East, Swan Lane, Swancroft Crescent, Heath Crescent, Valley Road, Blackberry Lane and Sewall Highway, terminating at the junction of Purcell Road with Sewall Highway.  Known terminus details from personal recollection:

• "All passengers alight here" in Sewall Highway just before Purcell Road;
• Bus turned right into Purcell Road.  When the service was first introduced, the bus reversed left into Sewall Highway and pulled forward for layover and pick-up in Sewall Highway just opposite the terminus.  Later, the bus reversed either into Elgar Road or Sullivan Road then turned back into Purcell Road facing Sewall Highway, turning left into Sewall Highway for layover and pick-up.

Service returned to Broadgate from Stoney Stanton Road via Bird Street, White Street, Hales Street and Trinity Street. 

Broadgate to Willenhall

From Broadgate via High Street, Earl Street, Much Park Street and the new Ring Road, Quinton Road, Mile Lane, The Mount, Daventry Road, London Road and St James' Lane, terminating in Remembrance Road at Willenhall shops.  Probable terminus details from road layout:

• "All passengers alight here" just before Willenhall Shopping Precinct;
• Bus pulled forward, then swung round at the junction with Robin Hood Road for layover and pick-up in Remembrance Road just beyond the shopping precinct.

Service returned to High Street from Quinton Road via Little Park Street. 

Post-1962 Extensions

In 1963, the Purcell Road service was extended along Sewall Highway to Little Heath.

Fare Stages from Willenhall to Purcell Road

Pre-1961

Cedric Close, Abbey Road, junction of Daventry Road with London Road, junction of Daventry Road with Quinton Road, Evening Telegraph Works, Broadgate, junction of Harnall LaneEast with Stoney Stanton Road, Newnham Road and Valley Road.

1962

Junction of Remembrance Road with St James' Lane, Cedric Close, Abbey Road, Whitley Hospital, junction of Daventry Road with London Road, John Grace Street, Martyrs Memorial, Broadgate, Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital, Wright Street, Newnham Road, Heath Crescent Post Office, Valley Road and junction of Blackberry Lane with Sewall Highway.

On Saturday, the evening frequency was increased to every 15 minutes.

History of the Route

January 1955

New Service introduced between Broadgate and Purcell Road via Trinity Street, Hales Street, White Street, Bird Street, Stoney Stanton Road, Harnall Lane East, Swan Lane, Swancroft Crescent, Heath Crescent, Valley Road, Blackberry Lane and Sewall Highway, terminating at the junction of Purcell Road and Sewall Highway.

July 1956

Extended southwards from Broadgate, through Cheylesmore to Willenhall via High Street, Little Park Street, Quinton Road, Daventry Road, London Road, Robin Hood Road and Remembrance Road.  It is not known whether it reached Robin Hood Road via Chace Avenue or via St James' Lane.

March 1959

Diverted in Cheylesmore to run via Mile Lane and The Mount rather than Quinton Road.  Also diverted in Willenhall to reach Remembrance Road via St James' Lane.

June 1962

New one-way systems introduced causing northbound services to be diverted between Broadgate and Stoney Stanton Road via Ironmonger Row, The Burges and Hales Street and Jesson Street, with eastbound services diverted from Little Park Street via Earl Street, Much Park Street and the new Ring Road.