I’m back in England right now, using Liverpool as a base to explore my home turf, the United Kingdom. If you haven’t come across my blog before, my name is Amy, and I am a cultural travel blogger. I’m here to bring you some of the most interesting old towns, places of worship and historical sites around the world. As a teenager, I visited Coventry Cathedral, but it seems so long ago now, that I was eager to revisit with fresh eyes and with more knowledge of history and religion than I had in my school days. So, I decided to make a return trip and spend one day in Coventry, with my fabulous aunty Deb!
The City of Coventry, it’s History and Reputation
Coventry’s reputation has had its highs and lows. It was once a powerful medieval city and a hub of industry. However, it became known in the 20th century for wartime destruction and grey post-war architecture. The heavy bombing in WWII, followed by rapid rebuilding, gave it a “concrete jungle” image for many years. As its car industry declined, so did public perception. In short, during my lifetime, Coventry has had a reputation of being a bit of a dump!
There was actually a phrase when we were growing up – ‘are you sending her/him to Coventry?’ The phrase “sent to Coventry” means when someone is deliberately ignored or socially excluded, AKA ‘The silent treatment’. Yet another negative perception of Coventry as a city! It is interesting to see where this comes from in history, though. It actually dates back to the English Civil War (1642–1651), when Royalist soldiers captured by Parliamentarian forces were sent to Coventry—a city loyal to Parliament. The locals refused to speak to the prisoners, effectively shunning them. Over time, the phrase came to symbolise being cut off or ostracised by a group and was used extensively in the Midlands.
But, Coventry has always been resilient. In recent years, it’s reinvented itself with cultural investment, earning the title of UK City of Culture 2021 and reminding visitors that its story is one of strength, not decline. The city boasts more history and culture than may be expected. King Henry VI actually moved the Royal family and the Crown jewels to Coventry in 1459, during the height of the War of the Roses (the civil war between the Houses of Lancaster – Henry’s side – and York). Note that the War of the Roses was a much earlier conflict than the English civil war (it spanned several decades from 1455 to 1487).
How to get to Coventry
Coventry is easy to get to from most major UK cities. There are direct trains from Manchester, London and Birmingham. The train from Birmingham to Coventry takes around 20-30 minutes, so it is easily doable as a day trip from Birmingham. If you are flying into the UK to visit Coventry Cathedral, the closest airport is Birmingham International. By coach, there are connections to several cities in the Midlands and across the UK. The coaches stop at Pool Meadow Bus Station, which is in the city centre, opposite the Coventry railway station. The Old Town, where you will find the Cathedral and other historical monuments, is walkable from the railway station and coach station in around 20 mins.
How long to spend in Coventry? One day is sufficient!
One day is perfect for visiting Coventry. You definitely don’t need to spend more than a day there, unless you were coming for a specific festival or concert as well. We arrived around 11am and left at 5pm and had plenty of time to explore the main sites and also to eat out (more on that later)!
Coventry Tourist Information and planning your day
The Coventry Visitor Information Centre is a small hut just a stones-throw from the station (Station Square, CV1 2FL). The staff were extremely friendly and knowledgeable, telling us all about the history of the city and some of the phrases used throughout history, such as ‘sent to Coventry’ and ‘Peeping Tom’ (more about that one when we visit Lady Godiva!
If you want to have a guided tour, you will benefit from a local with expert knowledge. You can book a Coventry Cathedral quarter walking tour through Get Your Guide here. However, the city is very small and walkable, and there is plenty of information available and so a guided tour is not necessary. Pop to the Visitors centre first to grab a map and some information and then head towards the Cathedral Quarter on foot via Greyfriars Green and Warwick Road. If you don’t quite fancy the walk into the centre, Ubers are available and it will cost around ÂŁ6-7 for a taxi.
Brunch at Cosy Bar
We headed straight to market square for a brunch at Cosybar. It’s a plush brunch bar with bellinis and an art deco interior, with a balcony overlooking the square and the Lady Godiva statue. I went for a full English breaksfast with eggs, bacon and beans (we don’t eat it in UK every day – just for a treat!) and my aunty had smashed avocado toast.
Lady Godiva Statue (Self Sacrifice)
The statue of Lady Godiva, called ‘Self-Sacrifice’ is found in the centre of market square and is probably the most famous statue in Coventry. It comes from the legend of Lady Godiva, who was married to Leofric during the middle ages, a wealthy nobleman who imposed harsh taxes on his tenants. Lady Godiva protested against this, and her husband told her that he would lower the taxes the day that she rode naked on a horse through the centre of Coventry. And so, that is exactly what she did! Everyone in the city of Coventry vowed to stay inside and not to look as she rode through the centre, only covered partially by her long flowing hair. But, there was one man called Thomas, who just couldn’t resist a look. And that is where the English phrase ‘peeping Tom’ comes from!
Henry VI Statue and Holy Trinity Church
Head to Coventry Cross, where you will find a monument containing the statue of Henry VI. Henry VI was vital to the city of Coventry’s history. He didn’t really like London very much, and so he brought the Crown Jewels, the court and the Royal family to Coventry during the early part of the War of the Roses.
Opposite the Coventry Cross, you will see the Holy Trinity Church, which miraculously remained relatively untouched by the blitz, other than one window. It has some interesting things to see inside such as the medieval ‘Doom’ painting, a 15th Century pulpit and two stunning stained glass windows that were replaced after the blitz.
Tudor Buildings in Coventry – The Guildhall
The Tudor period began with Henry VII winning the Battle of Bosworth Field, which concluded the War of the Roses in 1485. It lasted from 1485 to 1603, and despite the severe bombing of Coventry during the Second World War, there are still some prime examples of Tudor architecture to be found in Coventry today. The most popular to visit is the Guildhall and Cheylesmore Manor House.
Coventry Cathedral – The old and the New
The story of Coventry’s Cathedrals actually goes back before the time of St Michaels (the bombed out Church)…
Saint Mary’s Priory, Coventry
The very first Cathedral in Coventry, St Mary’s Abbey, is now just a ruin. It was destroyed by King Henry VIII during the ‘dissolution of the monasteries’ in 1538. He disbanded all of the Roman Catholic Monasteries, Abbies, Friaries and Convents, seizing their wealth and disbanding their assets. All that remains of St Mary’s today is a partial outline, including the foundations of the nave and the aisles, which can be accessed by a walkway and have been made into a garden.
St Michaels – The Bombed out Cathedral
The beautiful gothic perpendicular Church of St Michaels was built between the late 14th and early 15th centuries and became the main Cathedral at the time. Devastatingly, it was destroyed in the Blitz of 1940 during World War II. The roof was bombarded with incendiary bombs that were highly flammable. The intense heat caused the roof to be engulfed in flames and the iron supports to buckle, and the roof collapsed. The outline remains as a ruin, with several sculptures and memorials inside. It is free to visit St Michaels, the Blitz museum and the new modern Coventry Cathedral.
The Blitz Museum
Go down the stairs in the corner of the bombed out Cathedral to visit the Blitz museum. It reopened during 2020, just after Covid, and is free to get in and run by volunteers who are very knowledgable. Deep down inside the Cathedral ruins, you will find a treasure trove of WW2 memorabilia and 1940’s artefacts, including gas masks, newspapers and uniforms. There is a recreated 1940s classroom and a blitz house with a bomb shelter.
The Modern Coventry Cathedral
In 1950, a competition was held for the rebuilding of Coventry Cathedral. Sir Basil Spence won, with his forward thinking design that preserved the old Cathedral and interlinked it to the new, representing unity and reconciliation. The Cathedral is known as one of the most supreme examples of brutalist architecture in the UK.
On your right as you enter, you will see the Baptistry window by John Piper. It’s made of 198 colourful glass panels and is 26 metres high. Walk down the nave to see the choir stalls topped with cranes as a symbol of peace, hope and healing. Look behind the altar and you can’t miss the enormous tapestry of Christ in Glory, woven by hand on a 500 year old loom.
Also noteworthy is Coventry’s ‘Charred Cross‘. The cross is made up of two beams of wood that fell from the burning Old Cathdral during the war, and landed in the shape of a cross on the floor. Today it is preserved and displayed in the modern Cathedral.
There are a couple of interesting chapels within the modern Cathedral, including the Chapel of Gethsemane and the Unity Chapel. The chapel of Gethsemane has an iron screen in the shape of the crown of thorns and a mosaic of the ‘angel of agony’.
The Unity Chapel celebrates difference and the many ways that Christians worship God. Difference can be challenging but can also spark debate, and the unity chapel is designed to bring different people across the world together. Look at the beautiful mosaic floor. It has images of the five continents and the four synoptic gospels.
Matilda Chocolate Cake at the Vault Cafe
After all that walking and exploring, we were in desperate need of coffee and cake! We headed to the Vault for the most amazing chocolate cake that I have ever tasted – the Matilda cake – three layers of chocolate cake topped with pouring chocolate sauce! It was the perfect end to a perfect day. Many thanks to aunty Deb for accompanying me on this trip. Love ya Dab!
Further reading on UK cities and Cathedrals
If you enjoyed reading this article on Coventry, you might also like to read some of my other articles on UK cities, such as York and Leicester. I also have a YouTube channel and an Instagram account so be sure to subscribe for more updates from me!