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Ellen Terry foundation stone returns to Coventry city centre
The foundation stone laid by Dame Ellen Terry in 1906 now has a new home at Coventry University
University news
Wednesday 14 January 2026
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A marble foundation stone laid by Dame Ellen Terry will return to Coventry city centre as Coventry University continues to mark the legacy of one of Britain’s most celebrated Shakespearean actresses.
Born on Market Street in 1847, near what is now Broadgate, Ellen Terry rose from her theatrical roots to become a Victorian stage icon, with a career spanning seven decades and a celebrated partnership with Henry Irving that toured internationally.
In 1906 the actress returned to Coventry to lay the foundation stone of the Empire Theatre, just around the corner from her birthplace. When the theatre closed in the 1970s the stone was rescued by Alderman Harry Weston, President of the Criterion Theatre, and displayed there for decades. Following recent redevelopment at the Criterion, the stone has now been gifted to Coventry University.
The university already honours Ellen’s legacy through the Ellen Terry Building - a hub for students from the College of the Arts and Society, including those on the Acting for Stage and Screen BA (Hons) course. The course runs innovative projects such as the award-winning Telepresence in Theatre initiative, which was recently named Study Abroad and Exchange Experience of the Year by global education platform The Pie.
Now the foundation stone will feature in a new exhibition at Lanchester Library, launching on the 179th anniversary of her birth on February 27, 2026, close to her birthplace.
The exhibition will showcase rare items from Coventry University Archives’ Ellen Terry collection, including prints, theatre programmes and donations from Honorary Life Fellow Celia Fitzhugh and actress Tina Gray, known for her one-woman play about Ellen.
Coventry University is proud to bring Ellen Terry’s story back to the heart of the city. This exhibition is about returning the foundation stone to where her story began, close to where Ellen was born.
Ellen was one of the first female actors to achieve true celebrity status in Victorian Britain, working alongside Henry Irving and touring internationally. She was born here in Coventry, yet many people don’t realise her incredible legacy.
Our February exhibition will showcase rare items, including the original foundation stone from the Empire Theatre, prints and theatre programmes, to raise her profile and celebrate her connection to Coventry. 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.
Dame Ellen Terry deserves to be remembered, not just as a Victorian icon but as a Coventry-born pioneer whose influence shaped theatre history.
Paul Nolan, from Coventry University Archives and Special Collections
Paul hopes the stone’s return and exhibition will spark plans to commemorate the 180th anniversary of her birth in 2027 and the centenary of her death in 2028. His vision includes a potential touring exhibition and events in collaboration with organisations such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and Smallhythe Place, her former home cared for by the National Trust.
In 2025 we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Criterion Theatre Company. During preparatory work for improvements to our venue, it became necessary to remove the wall that held the Ellen Terry stone. This presented a fitting opportunity to relocate the stone closer to its original site in the city centre. We are delighted Coventry University has accepted our offer regarding its new home.
Keith Railton, President of the Criterion Theatre
Discover more about Coventry University’s archives collection.
