Ellen Terry foundation stone gifted to university

A marble foundation stone, laid 120 years ago by one of the most celebrated actresses of Victorian theatre, has been rehomed in Coventry city centre.

Dame Ellen Terry was born on the city's Market Street in 1847 and rose to become a stage icon, with a career spanning several decades.

The actress laid the foundation stone of the Empire Theatre in 1906, but when the venue closed in the 1970s, it was taken to the Criterion Theatre in Earlsdon where it went on display.

Following recent redevelopment at the Criterion, the stone now has been gifted to Coventry University, a spokesperson said.

It will feature in a new exhibition at the university's Lanchester Library, launching on the 179th anniversary of actress's birth on 27 February.

The display will showcase rare items from the university's Ellen Terry collection, including prints and theatre programmes.

Paul Nolan, from Coventry University Archives and Special Collections, said the exhibition was about returning the foundation stone to where Terry's story began.

The university already has a building named after the actress, used as a hub for students from the College of the Arts and Society.

"This is about reclaiming her story, reminding the city of its cultural heritage and highlighting the Ellen Terry Building as a unique link between the university and the performing arts," Nolan explained.

"Dame Ellen Terry deserves to be remembered, not just as a Victorian icon but as a Coventry-born pioneer whose influence shaped theatre history."

Keith Railton, president of the Criterion Theatre, said a wall that originally held the Ellen Terry stone at the venue had to be removed to prepare for improvements.

"This presented a fitting opportunity to relocate the stone closer to its original site in the city centre," he said.

"We are delighted Coventry University has accepted our offer regarding its new home."

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