Coventry trip

Coventry trip

A Coventry trip will have you visiting a city that is now dominated by twin spires and identikit tower blocks. The city used to be a bustling hub for the production of cloth, clocks, bicycles, automobiles and munitions for much of its history. The munitions industry drew here the German Luftwaffe during World War II. On the night of 14 November 1940, the city was so badly bombed – or blitzed – that the Nazis coined a new verb: coventrieren, meaning ‘to flatten’.

Unfortunately, the post-war planners lacked inspiration and chose to fill the gaps with very dull concrete developments, and the city has faced further problems when the British motor industry collapsed in the 1980s.

But a couple of medieval streets did manage to somehow escape the bombs, thus offering an idea of what old Coventry must’ve been like. It does have quite a few must-see places, such as the motoring museum – important for petrol heads and children – as well a dramatic modernist cathedral.

St. Michael’s Cathedral & Ruins

The cathedral quarter is the richest part of the city in terms of history. The ruins of St. Michaels’ Church Cathedral still stand as a sort of permanent memorial to the Nazi blitz of 14 November 1940 which destroyed it and the 180 steps of its Gothic spire can be climbed in order to get some great panoramic views.

The modern cathedral is symbolically adjoined, this one being designed by Sir Basil Spence, it is a modern, architectural masterpiece.

Coventry Transport Museum

The museum features hundred of cars through the ages, from the ‘horseless carriage’ era to the jet-powered, land speed record breaker era. You can even find a brushed-stainless-steel, gull-wing-doors DeLorean DMC-12 – aka the time machine from Back to the Future – alongside a wonderfully refurbished Jaguar E-Type and many, many more. Make sure to consider some UK car rental services for your trip there.

George

George