Coventry

I

Introduction

Coventry, city and metropolitan borough (see Coventry (borough)) in the West Midlands metropolitan area, central England. Coventry is England’s tenth-largest city.

II

Economy

Coventry is an important industrial centre. The chief products include machine tools, agricultural machinery, artificial fibres, aerospace components, motor vehicles, and telecommunications equipment. The city’s economy has diversified into financial services, education, and power transmission. Coventry has an airport, , which is primarily used for freight services.

III

Places of Interest

Notable buildings in Coventry include Holy Trinity Church (13th century); St Mary’s Hall (a medieval building that was once a merchants’ guildhall); the Whitefriars Museum (1342); and Ford’s Hospital (1570s). Coventry Transport Museum (formerly the Museum of British Road Transport) features a large collection of road transport vehicles, including cars, bicycles, commercial vehicles, and motorcycles. Among the museum’s impressive exhibits is Thrust SSC, which became the first car to break the sound barrier on land in October 1997. Sir Frank Whittle, inventor of the jet engine, was born in Coventry, and an exhibition devoted to his life and work is a focal point of the Midland Air Museum.

The city has several institutions of higher learning, including the University of Warwick (1965) and the University of Coventry (1992). There is also a Crown Court. The Belgrade Theatre, a repertory theatre company founded in 1958, is based in the city. The company organizes an annual arts festival and periodically presents the medieval Coventry Mystery Cycle plays (see Miracle, Mystery, and Morality Plays) within the grounds of the old cathedral. Football League side Coventry City FC has played its home games at Highfield Road since 1899—the ground became the first all-seater football stadium in England in 1981. A new stadium is being built in the Foleshill area of the city and is due to be completed by the beginning of the 2005-2006 season.

The Anglican cathedral church of St Michael is one of the city’s most famous landmarks. The original 14th-century building of Coventry Cathedral was almost completely destroyed by German bombing during World War II. Only the outer walls and spire remained standing and were left as a memorial of the war. The new cathedral, the building of which began in 1954, is a symbol of the city’s recovery from the wartime devastation. Designed by Sir Basil Spence, with notable decorative contributions from Sir Jacob Epstein, Graham Sutherland, John Piper, and other distinguished artists, it is linked to the shell of the old cathedral by a canopied porch. The new cathedral was consecrated and opened in 1962; on that occasion the first performance of the “War Requiem”, which Benjamin Britten had written for the cathedral, was given.

IV

History

In 1043 a Benedictine monastery was established in Coventry by Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and his wife Lady Godiva. By the 14th century the town was a trading centre renowned for its woven textiles. At this time Coventry had many prosperous guilds, which were noted for performing the town’s famous miracle plays. When Coventry was incorporated in 1345, it was the fourth-largest city in England. The ribbon-weaving trade declined in the mid-19th century and was largely supplanted by the clock- and watch-making industry. In the late 1890s, the first motor cars in Great Britain were manufactured there, and the first large-scale production of a synthetic fibre began in Coventry in 1905. During World War II, German bombing destroyed much of the city centre; Coventry today is twinned with Dresden, Germany. Population 300,700 (2001 estimate).