What’s Cool in Coventry?

 

Somewhere in the West Midlands and situated in the historic County of Warwickshire, you will find the city of Coventry. You will find it draped over the banks of the River Sherbourne, elegantly flaunting its own cathedral-like a jewelled brooch. The second-largest city in the West Midlands; Coventry lies a whopping 94 miles north of London.

In short; Coventry is a lovely city that makes a home for more than 300,000 people. We took a more in-depth look because we couldn’t help ourselves – and because some of our writer’s here at Five Minutes Spare are lucky enough to belong to this well-known town.

So what can you expect from Coventry? Let’s look at the history to see if we can spot the best bits…

A Little Coventry History

 

Coventry has been in existence since before England has. True story. Back in the times of longboats and raiding parties the Vikings attacks were so successful because “Englaland” (as it was called in the early days) didn’t exist yet. Originally the country was divided into Kingdoms, eventually, the Vikings conquered the north and east of the country, but the last kingdoms united before they fell. Wessex and Mercia. It was one of the leaders of Mercia that founded Coventry… and that’s why the Vikings are relevant. Arguably, without the Vikings, there might never have been an England as we know it.

Anyway: the legend has it that Earl Leofric of Mercia and his better-known wife the Lady Godiva sponsored the building of both a nunnery and a monastery in the place where Coventry now stands. The nuns came in 1016 and the monks in 1043, presumably to keep an eye on the nuns. Later, the castle was added by the 4^th Earl of Chester.

Let’s pause a moment… there is much contention over whether the Lady Godiva did ride naked through the streets of the city. References and recordings of this seem to be made afterwards (Britannica). The story is that her husband grew bored with her bleating on about the poor of the city and told her he would acquiesce to her demands if she rode naked through the city. He obviously did not know his wife very well, for she was next seen riding a horse in the buff, her hair all that covered her modesty. Her selfless act of defiance is immortalised today via a statue at Broadgate in the city centre.

In 1144, Robert Marmion decided he wanted to run the city. He booted the monks out of their monastery and used it as a fortress to attack the freshly built Coventry Castle. He failed, died, and his new fortress was razed to the ground. No monk wants to reside in a building that was once home to a massacre.

Coventry thereafter continued to grow having a huge influence in the cloth trade, and becoming home to some famous bishops. The city grew quickly throughout the following few hundred years and, by the Fourteenth Century, it had become the fourth most populous city in England and in 1451 King Henry VI actually granted it County status via Royal Charter; which it retained until 1842.

Coventry Through the Ages

 

If we skip ahead a little to the 16^th century, the civil war saw the city walls used to house Royalists. If you were ‘sent to Coventry’ it was a bit of a prison sentence – but it was much less of a prison sentence than being sent to Australia or to fight in a war abroad, as was later used as punishment in London.

Around the same time, the city started to go through economic ripples that have repeated on a cycle to this day. Business is good, things grow, the city expands (Charles II knocked down the town walls). After a while of this it stagnates, slows, then stops entirely. There is a period of recession in the city and the finances start flowing once again.

Handweaving died here in the 1800s and was replaced with looms. This made so many workers jobless that there were riots. By the end of the century, the city was known for bicycles instead thanks to one of the towns more famous sons James Starley who is credited with being one of the people behind their invention. Only a short time later the English car industry took over (ironically aided by the work of his Nephew who set up what would become Rover) and boosted the economy temporarily… but always it comes back to this lull between industries… a lull the city is experiencing right at this very moment.

What About Recent Coventry?

 

Asides from being the recipient of the UK City of Culture Award for 2021; what’s in Coventry nowadays? Well, architecturally it would be viewed as more contemporary as the city was bombed extensively in WW2 during the ‘Coventry Blitz’. It is estimated that around 4,000 homes were destroyed by the Luftwaffe. Interesting fact: a bomb disposal squad were called to the town centre in March of 2008 when an unexploded bomb was found. A controlled explosion took care of it, but it was an eerie reminder of that terrifying moment in history.

Many of the best historic buildings & monuments were destroyed however there are still some quaint areas if you bother to look. The city was extensively rebuilt during the 50s & 60s but fortunately, this was done tastefully and in many parts “Old Coventry” is still on display. Overall there is 19 Grade I listed buildings in the City of Coventry but sadly no prize for spotting all of them.

The motor industry boomed during the 1970s & 1980s adding the relative prosperity of the city, however with the future lying in sustainability it remains to be seen whether this industry can adapt.

Was anyone Famous Born in Coventry?

 

Of course! With a diverse population embroiled in the arts, there are a whole bunch of famous Coventry Celebrities. Some of these include the singer Vince Hill, Delia Derbyshire the composer, presenter Clive Owen and playwright Philip Larkin. You can find a fuller list over at Coventry Live.

Interesting Coventry Facts

 

More than a few interesting things have happened in Coventry. Here are some of the ones that we know about:

• Shakespeare saw plays in Coventry when he was a boy. It is very likely that these plays sparked his imagination and led to his future career path.
• George Elliot wrote “Middlemarch” only after spending some time in Coventry. She wrote under a male pseudonym because in those days you couldn’t be female and hold a quill at the same time. Her name was Mary Ann Evans.
• The man who invented the jet engine came from Coventry: one Frank Whittle.

Things to See and Do in the City

 

This city has loads of attractions. If you are looking for the best things to do in Coventry, then listen up! Here are our top attractions in the area:

Coventry Transport Museum is one of the top attractions in the city, according to more than three thousand reviewers. Home to two of the fastest cars in the world, this is a museum dedicated to the rich vehicle industry in the city – dating all the way back to that guy that invented jet engines. Learn all sorts of things or browse their shop for memorabilia. Either way, you will never look at the city in the same way again.

Coventry Cathedral – although established away back when; this cathedral was mostly bombed to death in the Coventry Blitz. Obviously, it has been restored and added to over the years so that it now stands as the real gem it should be. An architectural marvel: stop by if you are in town.

Mary’s Guildhall is a fascinating site that was built on the ruins of the monastery. The same monastery that existed there from the 11^th century and that a defector once used as a fortress. It is still standing, used, and can be toured. Go and see for yourself.

The Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve is a wetland/grassland pond area on the banks of the River Avon. It is home to more than 230 bird species, 480 plant species, 550 fungi species, and thousands of insects. There are ten pools of water and in total over 228 acres of nature reserve. It’s a great place for birdwatchers and romantic evening walks (or both if your beau is a twitcher).

Herbert Art Gallery and Museum has some wonderful exhibits. It is where art students are sent to study and where you can find a little peace and quiet in the middle of the city. Exhibits change so look online before you visit to see what you are getting. Whatever is on it is a great way to spend a couple of hours and the good news is its open 7 days a week (closed over X-Mas and New Years Day only).

 

Sports Fan?

Well, you are in luck (although we will caveat that currently if you are a football fan) as the City has a number of sports represented. The Caveat is that although the City technically has a Professional football league club in Coventry City, at the time of writing (2019-20) they play their home games in Birmingham! Hopefully, the saga of where to play will end soon and they can get back to the city for the 20-21 season.  Anyway here are the main teams:

Football:

The main team (despite not actually playing here currently) is Coventry City FC who are currently in the Football League Division One. Once they were one of the longest-standing members in the top flight of British football (34 consecutive seasons from 1967-8 until 2000-01), however since then life has not been so kind and they spent the 2017-8 season in the bottom tier. A sad state of affairs for a team who once beat the mighty Bayern Munich 2-1 in Europe, and won the FA Cup Winners in 1987. Anyway history aside, they should be playing in the city again soon, and look to be on their way back.

The city also has a number of non-league football teams, the best known of whom is probably Coventry Sphinx & Coventry Alvis who have been around since 1928 & 1946 respectively. Both play in the Midland Football League. More recently following the problems with the professional club yet another Coventry United was formed (In 2013) and they have gone on to have quite a bit of success being promoted in each of their first three seasons. Their main claim to fame though is their 28-0 win over Polesworth in April 2014. So even if the big boys are not around you can still enjoy some good football at a more grassroots level.

Rugby Union

Coventry is now home to the famous ex London club Wasps. Wasps were formed way back in 1867 but after well over a century in the capital, they upped sticks and relocated in 2014. They play in the Premiership (which they won in 2016-17) and regularly pull in five-figure crowds. The capacity at the Ricoh means that you will probably be able to get a ticket on the day, however if you were coming down especially for a game it might be wise to book in advance just in case.

The city is also home to Coventry RFC who were formed in 1874. They play in the second tier – the RFU Championship, and although no longer the top team in the city, they did have a fair bit of success in the 1960s & 1970s winning the main cup competition (then the John Player Cup) in consecutive seasons in 1973 & 1974. So if Rugby Union is your game and the season is on it is likely that one of the teams will be playing at home that week.

 Rugby League

Ther sort is represented by the semi-pro side Coventry Bears, who like Coventry RFC play at the Butts Park Arena.  They currently (2019-20) play in League One having steadily moved up the leagues since their formation in 1998.

 

Ice Hockey

Coventry Blaze plays in the Elite Ice Hockey League, which is the highest level in the UK.  Their home is the Skydome Arena which can hold around 3000 spectators.  They moved here from Solihull in 2000 and won the title four times between 2004 and 2010. Recently they have been a bit less of a force, however if you fancy watching a game then it would be best to book as they can attract quite large crowds.

 

How to Get to Coventry?

Now you have a flavour for what’s on offer you are going to want to visit so which way is best?

By Road

Coventry can be found by road follow the M1 north to the M45, then follow signs for Coventry City Centre along the A45.

By Bus or Coach

The National Express runs between all cities in the UK. If they do not have tickets, try MegaBus.

By Rail

Coventry is between London and Birmingham on the mainline. If you leave London (Euston) it will take approximately 30 minutes before you arrive in Coventry.

By Boat

We guess you could sail up or down the River Sherbourne which runs through the City, but the road is a whole lot less complicated.

By Air

Coventry airport is currently closed however Birmingham airport is only 10 miles away if you are planning to visit from overseas.

 

Where to Eat, Drink, Party and Stay, in Coventry?

 

Finally: we wouldn’t be us if we didn’t know all the best places in town for a good night out. If you want to stay over then Booking.com can help you out. The average hotel is anything from £30> a night. Depending on how far away you live this may be cheaper than a taxi.

For food try Millie’s Kitchen for some family-focused feasting. Hummus House is growing steadily in popularity with the student crowd and we don’t disagree. The best pubs and clubs in town include the Aardvark for an old-school pint, the Golden Cross for a fancy date night, and The Empire for some dancing, depending on what is on.

Got Five Minutes?

 

Thus concludes our five-minute take on all-things-Coventry. Got something to add? Be sure to head over to the forum and let us know!

Whether you want to learn a new skill or plan your next travel itinerary; we have it all. Come visit, draw up a chair and stay awhile. You never know what you might find out when you use your Five Minutes Spare wisely.