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Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral
St Michael's Cathedral, consecrated in 1962 right beside the ruins of the old cathedral; Jacob Epstein's St Michael sculpture is on its east wall.
A mini guide to
Coventry city centre
The cathedral quarter, Broadgate, the museums and medieval Spon Street
Photos
1 / 8Welcome to the area
The cathedral quarter, Broadgate, the museums and medieval Spon Street
The cathedral quarter is the oldest part of Coventry's centre. The bombed shell of St Michael's and its spire stand beside the 1962 cathedral, with Holy Trinity Church, the medieval St Mary's Guildhall on Bayley Lane and the excavated priory remains close by. The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum is on Jordan Well, on the edge of the quarter.
Broadgate, with the Lady Godiva statue, is the centre of the shopping streets, and the Coventry Transport Museum is a short walk north. West of the centre, Spon Street and Bond's Hospital keep some of the city's surviving timber-framed buildings; Ford's Hospital is on Greyfriars Lane, Cook Street Gate is in the north, and the Belgrade Theatre is on Belgrade Square.
Highlights
Start here
If you only have a few hours, these are good places to begin.
Ruined cathedral
Old Cathedral ruins
Shell of the 14th-century church of St Michael, a cathedral from 1918, bombed in the Second World War; its 87-metre tower and spire survive.
Directions Website Report a problem with Old Cathedral ruins
Museum
Herbert Art Gallery & Museum
Museum, art gallery and records archive on Jordan Well, next to the cathedral quarter.
Directions Website Report a problem with Herbert Art Gallery & Museum
Museum
Coventry Transport Museum
Large public collection of British-made road transport: more than 240 cars and commercial vehicles, 100 motorcycles and 200 bicycles.
Directions Website Report a problem with Coventry Transport Museum
Historic building
St Mary's Guildhall
Grade I listed medieval guildhall on Bayley Lane, open for visits, with a tea room and restaurant.
Directions Website Report a problem with St Mary's Guildhall
Church
Holy Trinity Church
Parish church beside the cathedral, known for the doom wall painting above its chancel arch.
Directions Website Report a problem with Holy Trinity Church
Find your way
On the map
The map shows Coventry city centre and the streets around it. The Getting there page lists nearby stops and stations.
Insider tips
Before you go
1
Start in the ruins
Walk through the shell of the old cathedral before entering the new one, built immediately beside it and consecrated in 1962.
2
Allow time for the Transport Museum
Wikipedia lists more than 240 cars and commercial vehicles, 100 motorcycles and 200 bicycles; it is a few minutes' walk from Broadgate.
3
Look for timber-framed survivors
Spon Street, Bond's Hospital and Ford's Hospital keep some of the timber-framed buildings that survived the war and the ring road.
4
Combine with Warwickshire
Warwick is about 10 miles south; our Stratford-upon-Avon guide covers Warwick, Kenilworth and Leamington.
Tips from the Britlens editors
Explore this guide
Everything for Coventry city centre
Photo credits
- Coventry city centre (area photo): Cmglee, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Coventry Cathedral: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Old Cathedral ruins: Andrew Walker (walker44), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Herbert Art Gallery & Museum: E Gammie, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Coventry Transport Museum: Jim Linwood from London, CC BY 2.0, source
- St Mary's Guildhall: Snowmanradio, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Holy Trinity Church: Kanyocsaba, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Lady Godiva statue: Cmglee, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- St Mary's Priory remains: E Gammie, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Spon Street: habiloid, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Belgrade Theatre: Herry Lawford, CC BY 2.0, source
- Ford's Hospital: Jim Linwood, CC BY 2.0, source
- Bond's Hospital: Paul Coles (Wikipedia Takes Coventry participant), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cook Street Gate: PAUL FARMER, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- The Charterhouse: Carmen McLean-Ellmann, Oliver Ellmann (Wikipedia Takes Coventry participant), CC BY 3.0, source
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under the licences shown. All photo credits
Keep exploring Coventry