Coventry’s Cathedral Quarter: A Tale of Riches, Destruction, and Rebirth

Coventry, once the fourth most powerful city in England, has seen many changes throughout its storied past. This walking tour takes you through 1,000 years of history in what was once the best preserved medieval city in England.

The tour starts at Broadgate Square in front of the statue of Lady Godiva, where you’ll hear about how she founded Coventry’s Benedictine Monastery, along with some legendary gossip. I’ll point out the largest collection of publicly owned British Transport as you pass Coventry Transport Museum, where it’s housed. From there, you’ll stroll under the Whittle Arches to see a statue of Frank Whittle, the man who changed air transport forever, before entering the heart of the Cathedral Quarter. I’ll tell you about Coventry’s many links with Kings and Queens, and how it was the only city in England whose cathedral was closed down during the reign of Henry VIII. As you walk through the Coventry Cathedral Ruins, you’ll find out how Coventry later became the only English city to have its cathedral destroyed in World War II during the Coventry Blitz. By the time you return to the tour’s starting point, you’ll have heard some of the most gripping stories about Coventry, a modern city with an intriguing past hiding around every corner.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

• See what’s left of Coventry’s three cathedrals: the original Abbey church of the Benedictine Monastery, (now the Priory Gardens), St Michael’s (which only became a cathedral in 1918, and is now the Cathedral Ruins), and Coventry Cathedral (or Coventry’s new cathedral, the first to be built after the war)
• Wander under Coventry’s Blue Glass Bridge, a modern folly, and through Lady Herbert’s Garden
• Learn about St Mary’s Guildhall, built in 1340 to form a headquarters for the united guilds of the Holy Trinity
• Hear stories about Lady Godiva, various powerful Saxon and Norman earls, and the original Peeping Tom who was struck blind for living up to his name
• Gaze up at the two spires of Coventry’s medieval city churches, Holy Trinity Church with its famous doom painting, and St Michael’s in the cathedral ruins, right next door to each other. Find out why one survived the bombing and the other didn’t
• Visit the place where the last public execution in Coventry occurred
• Find the hidden river which was the source of power for the medieval city
• Walk through Cook Street Gate, one of the last surviving gatehouses of Coventry’s city wall

Join me on this tour to discover how Coventry has died and risen again like a Phoenix throughout its history, as different industries thrived and declined.