Coventry
Coventry | ||
---|---|---|
Council Leader George Duggins (L) | | |
• Chief Executive | Julie Nugent | |
• MPs | Colleen Fletcher (L) Taiwo Owatemi (L) Zarah Sultana (L) | |
Area | ||
• City and metropolitan borough | 38.09 sq mi (98.64 km2) | |
Population (2021 Census) | ||
• City and metropolitan borough | 345,324 [1] | |
• Density | 8,050/sq mi (3,108/km2) | |
• Metro | 651,600[3] | |
Demonyms | Coventrian Coventarian | |
OS grid reference | SP335785 | |
NUTS 3 | UKG33 | |
2021 population[4] | 345,328 | |
Ethnicity (2011 Census)[5] | 73.8% White (66.6% White British) 16.3% Asian 5.5% Black 2.7% Mixed Race 1.6% Other | |
Website | coventry | |
Click the map for an interactive fullscreen view |
Coventry (
Formerly part of Warwickshire until 1451, and again from 1842 to 1974, Coventry had a population of 345,324 at the 2021 census,[1] making it the tenth largest city in England and the 13th largest in the United Kingdom.[9]
It is the second largest city in the
Coventry is 19 miles (31 km) east-south-east of Birmingham, 24 miles (39 km) south-west of Leicester, 10 miles (16 km) north of Warwick and 94 miles (151 km) north-west of London. Coventry is also the most central city in England, being only 12 miles (19 km) south-west of the country's geographical centre in Leicestershire.[11][12]
Coventry became an important and wealthy city of national importance during the
The city was rebuilt after the war, and the motor industry thrived until the mid-1970s. However, by the late-1970s/early-1980s, Coventry was in an economic crisis, with one of the country's highest levels of unemployment due to major plant closures and the collapse of the respective local supply-chain. In recent years, it has seen regeneration and an increase in population. The city also has three universities: Coventry University in the city centre, the University of Warwick on the southern outskirts and the smaller private Arden University with its headquarters close to Coventry Airport. In addition, Coventry was awarded UK City of Culture for 2021.[13][14][15]
History
Origins and toponymy
The
The origins of the present settlement are obscure, but Coventry probably began as an
Medieval
Around c. AD 700 a Saxon nunnery was founded here by
A market was established at the abbey gates and the settlement expanded. At the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066, Coventry was probably a modest sized town of around 1,200 inhabitants, and its own minster church.[17]
By the 13th century, Coventry had become an important centre of the cloth trade, especially blue cloth dyed with
Coventry's importance during the Middle Ages was such, that on a number of occasions a national
Tudor period
Throughout the Middle Ages Coventry had been home to several
William Shakespeare may have witnessed plays in Coventry during his boyhood or 'teens', and these may have influenced how his plays, such as Hamlet, came about.[31]
Civil War and aftermath
During the
Following the restoration of the monarchy, as punishment for the support given to the Parliamentarians, King Charles II ordered that the city's walls be slighted (damaged and made useless as defences) which was carried out in 1662.[33]
Industrial age
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, ribbon weaving and watch and clock making became Coventry's staple industries. In the 1780s, the ribbon weaving industry was estimated to employ around 10,000 weavers in Coventry, and its surrounding towns like Bedworth and Nuneaton. Coventry's growth was aided by the opening of the Coventry Canal in 1769, which gave the city a connection to the growing national canal network. Nevertheless, during the 18th century, Coventry lost its status as the Midlands' most important city to nearby Birmingham, which overtook Coventry in size.[34] During the same period, Coventry became one of the three main British centres of watch and clock manufacture and ranked alongside Prescot, in Lancashire and Clerkenwell in London.[35][36] By the 1850s, Coventry had overshadowed its rivals to become the main centre of British watch and clock manufacture, which by that time employed around 2,000 people. The watch and clock industry produced a pool of highly skilled craftsmen, who specialised in producing precision components.[37]
The ribbon weaving and clock industries however both rapidly collapsed after 1860, due to cheap imports following the
A second wave of industrialisation however, began soon after. Coventry's pool of highly skilled workers attracted
By the late-1890s, bicycle manufacture began to evolve into
Urban expansion and development
With many of the city's older properties becoming increasingly unfit for habitation, the first
As the population grew, the city boundaries underwent several expansions, in 1890, 1928, 1931 and 1965.[44]
The development of a southern by-pass around the city, starting in the 1930s and being completed in 1940, helped deliver more urban areas to the city on previously rural land. In the 1910s plans were created to redevelop Coventry's narrow streets and by the 1930s the plans were put into action with Coventry's medieval street of Butcher Row being demolished.[45] even before the war, the plans had been put in place to destroy the medieval character of Coventry.[46]
German bombing of Coventry
Coventry suffered severe bomb damage during the
Aside from London, Hull and Plymouth, Coventry suffered more damage than any other British city during the Luftwaffe attacks, with huge firestorms devastating most of the city centre. The city was probably targeted owing to its high concentration of armaments, munitions, aircraft and aero-engine plants which contributed greatly to the British war effort, although there have been claims that Hitler launched the attack as revenge for the bombing of Munich by the RAF six days before the Coventry Blitz and chose the Midlands city because its medieval heart was regarded as one of the finest in Britain.[citation needed] Following the raids, the majority of Coventry's historic buildings were demolished by a council who saw no need of them in a modern city, although some of them could have been repaired and some of those demolished were unaffected by the bombing.
Post-Second World War
Redevelopment
In the post-war years Coventry was largely rebuilt under the general direction of the Gibson Plan, gaining a new pedestrianised shopping precinct (the first of its kind in Europe on such a scale) and in 1962 Sir Basil Spence's much-celebrated new St Michael's Cathedral (incorporating one of the world's largest tapestries) was consecrated. Its prefabricated steel spire (flèche) was lowered into place by helicopter.[48]
Further housing developments in the private and public sector took place after the Second World War, partly to accommodate the growing population of the city and also to replace condemned and bomb damaged properties. Several new suburbs were constructed in the post-war period, including Tile Hill, Wood End, and Stoke Aldermoor.[48]
Boom and bust
Coventry's motor industry boomed during the 1950s and 1960s and Coventry enjoyed a 'golden age'. In 1960 over 81,000 people were employed in the production of motor vehicles, tractors and aircraft in Coventry.
Coventry's large industrial base made it attractive to the wave of Asian and Caribbean immigrants who arrived from Commonwealth colonies after 1948. In 1950, one of Britain's first mosques—and the very first in Coventry—was opened on Eagle Street to serve the city's growing Pakistani community.[49]
The 1970s, however, saw a decline in the British motor industry and Coventry suffered particularly badly, especially towards the end of that decade. By the 1970s, most of Coventry's motor companies had been absorbed and rationalised into larger companies, such as British Leyland and Chrysler which subsequently collapsed. The early 1980s recession dealt Coventry a particularly severe blow: By 1981, Coventry was in an economic crisis, with one in six of its residents unemployed. By 1982, the number of British Leyland employees in the city had fallen from 27,000 at its height, to just 8,000. Other Coventry industrial giants such as the tool manufacturer Alfred Herbert also collapsed during this time.[48]
In the late-1970s and early-1980s, Coventry also became the centre of the
21st century
Some motor manufacturing continued into the early 21st century: The research and design headquarters of
Since the 1980s, Coventry has recovered, with its economy diversifying into services, with engineering ceasing to be a mass employer, what remains of manufacturing in the city is driven by smaller more specialist firms. By the 2010s the biggest drivers of Coventry's economy had become its two large universities; the University of Warwick and Coventry University, which between them, had 60,000 students, and a combined annual budget of around £1 billion.[48]
In 2021 Coventry became the UK City of Culture. A range of artistic and local history events and projects took place over the next year, including “Coventrypedia” and the creation of the Coventry Atlas local history map.
Geography
Climate
As with the rest of the
Climate data for Coventry (Coundon),[a] elevation: 122 m (400 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1892–present | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 14.4 (57.9) |
18.1 (64.6) |
23.0 (73.4) |
26.7 (80.1) |
30.9 (87.6) |
32.4 (90.3) |
38.9 (102.0) |
35.1 (95.2) |
34.2 (93.6) |
28.2 (82.8) |
20.6 (69.1) |
16.4 (61.5) |
38.9 (102.0) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.2 (45.0) |
7.9 (46.2) |
10.4 (50.7) |
13.6 (56.5) |
16.8 (62.2) |
19.7 (67.5) |
22.0 (71.6) |
21.5 (70.7) |
18.6 (65.5) |
14.3 (57.7) |
10.2 (50.4) |
7.5 (45.5) |
14.2 (57.6) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.5 (40.1) |
4.8 (40.6) |
6.8 (44.2) |
9.2 (48.6) |
12.2 (54.0) |
15.2 (59.4) |
17.3 (63.1) |
17.0 (62.6) |
14.4 (57.9) |
10.9 (51.6) |
7.2 (45.0) |
4.8 (40.6) |
10.4 (50.7) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.8 (35.2) |
1.8 (35.2) |
3.1 (37.6) |
4.8 (40.6) |
7.7 (45.9) |
10.6 (51.1) |
12.6 (54.7) |
12.4 (54.3) |
10.3 (50.5) |
7.5 (45.5) |
4.4 (39.9) |
2.1 (35.8) |
6.6 (43.9) |
Record low °C (°F) | −16.7 (1.9) |
−18.2 (−0.8) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
3.4 (38.1) |
0.8 (33.4) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−4.9 (23.2) |
−8.9 (16.0) |
−16.1 (3.0) |
−18.2 (−0.8) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 61.4 (2.42) |
46.8 (1.84) |
45.6 (1.80) |
49.1 (1.93) |
52.7 (2.07) |
65.8 (2.59) |
61.2 (2.41) |
66.2 (2.61) |
54.9 (2.16) |
68.7 (2.70) |
64.6 (2.54) |
61.3 (2.41) |
698.3 (27.49) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 12.0 | 10.2 | 9.8 | 9.8 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 9.1 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 10.7 | 12.2 | 11.7 | 123.3 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 61.4 | 84.0 | 115.1 | 147.1 | 191.6 | 184.7 | 197.6 | 179.6 | 137.1 | 100.6 | 63.1 | 61.0 | 1,507.2 |
Source 1: Met Office[56] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: BWS[57][58] RMetS[59] |
- ^ Weather station is located 0.5 miles (0.8 km) from the Coventry city centre.
Climate data for Coventry Airport, 6km from Coventry | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
86 | 83 | 79 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 74 | 78 | 83 | 87 | 88 | 79 |
Average dew point °C (°F) | 2 (36) |
2 (36) |
3 (37) |
5 (41) |
7 (45) |
10 (50) |
12 (54) |
12 (54) |
10 (50) |
8 (46) |
5 (41) |
3 (37) |
7 (44) |
Source: Time and Date (between 1985-2015)[60] |
City boundaries
Coventry forms the largest part of the
The protected West Midlands Green Belt, which surrounds the city on all sides, has prevented the expansion of the city into both the administrative county of Warwickshire and the metropolitan borough of Solihull (the Meriden Gap), and has helped to prevent the coalescence of the city with surrounding towns such as Kenilworth, Nuneaton, Leamington Spa, Warwick and Rugby as well as the large village of Balsall Common.
Panoramic views of Coventry City Centre from the cathedral tower
Suburbs and other surrounding areas
- Alderman's Green
- Allesley
- Allesley Green
- Allesley Park
- Ash Green
- Ball Hill
- Bannerbrook Park
- Bell Green
- Binley
- Bishopsgate Green
- Brownshill Green
- Canley & Canley Gardens
- Cannon Park
- Chapelfields
- Cheylesmore
- Church End
- Clifford Park
- Copsewood
- Coundon
- Courthouse Green
- Daimler Green
- Earlsdon
- Eastern Green
- Edgwick (or Edgewick)
- Ernesford (or Ernsford) Grange
- Finham
- Fenside
- Foleshill
- Gibbet Hill
- Gosford Green
- Great Heath
- Hearsall Common
- Henley Green
- Hillfields
- Holbrooks
- Keresley
- Little Heath
- Longford
- Middle Stoke
- Monks Park
- Mount Nod
- Nailcote Grange
- Pinley
- Potters Green
- Radford
- Spon End
- Stoke
- Stoke Heath
- Stoke Aldermoor
- Stivichall (or Styvechale)
- Tanyard Farm
- Tile Hill
- Toll Bar End
- Upper Stoke
- Victoria Farm
- Walsgrave-on-Sowe
- Westwood Heath
- Whitley
- Whitmore Park
- Whoberley
- Willenhall
- Wood End
- Woodway Park
- Wyken
Compass
Places of interest
Cathedral
The spire of the ruined cathedral forms one of the "three spires" which have dominated the city skyline since the 14th century, the others being those of Christ Church (of which only the spire survives) and Holy Trinity Church (which is still in use).
The new Coventry Cathedral was opened in 1962 next to the ruins of the old. It was designed by Sir Basil Spence. The cathedral contains the tapestry Christ in Glory in the Tetramorph by Graham Sutherland. The bronze statue St Michael's Victory over the Devil by Jacob Epstein is mounted on the exterior of the new cathedral near the entrance. Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, regarded by some as his masterpiece, was written for the opening of the new cathedral.[62] The cathedral was featured in the 2009 film Nativity!.[63]
Coventry Cathedral is also notable for being one of the newest cathedrals in the world, having been built following the Second World War bombing of the ancient cathedral by the Luftwaffe. Coventry has since developed an international reputation as one of Europe's major cities of peace and reconciliation,[64] centred on its cathedral, and holds an annual Peace Month.[65] John Lennon and Yoko Ono planted two acorns outside the cathedral in June 1968 to thank the city for making friends with others.[66]
Coventry also has a Baptist church named Queens Road Baptist Church, which was first established in 1723 and moved to its current building in 1884.
Cultural institutions
The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum is one of the largest cultural institutions in Coventry. Another visitor attraction in the city centre is Coventry Transport Museum, which has the largest public collection of British-made road vehicles in the world.[67] The most notable exhibits are the world speed record-breaking cars, Thrust2 and ThrustSSC[68] The museum received a refurbishment in 2004 which included the creation of a new entrance as part of the city's Phoenix Initiative project. It was a finalist for the 2005 Gulbenkian Prize. The £5 million Fargo Village creative quarter shopping precinct was open in 2014 on Far Gosford Street with a mixture of retail units.
About four miles (6.4 kilometres) from the city centre and just outside Coventry in
Coventry was one of the main centres of watchmaking during the 18th and 19th centuries and as the industry declined, the skilled workers were key to setting up the cycle trade. A group of local enthusiasts founded a museum in Spon Street.[35]
The city's main police station in Little Park Street also hosts a museum of Coventry's police force. The museum, based underground, is split into two sections—one representing the history of the city's police force, and the other compiling some of the more unusual, interesting and grisly cases from the force's history. The museum is funded from charity donations—viewings can be made by appointment.
Coventry City Farm was a small farm in an urban setting. It was mainly to educate city children who might not get out to the countryside very often. The farm closed in 2008 due to funding problems.[69]
Demography
Coventry ethnicity demographics from the 2021 census[1]
| |
---|---|
Ethnicity | Population |
White (British, Irish, Other) |
226,246 |
Asian (Indian, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Pakistani, Other) |
63,915 |
Black (African, Caribbean, Other) |
30,723 |
Mixed (White & Asian, White & Black African, White & Black Caribbean, Other) |
11,731 |
Other | 12,706 |
Coventry has an ethnic minority population which represented 34.5% of the population at the 2021 census.
Coventry has a large student population (approximately 15,000 are non-UK[71]) who are in the UK for 12 months or longer that are included in these figures.
Year | Total population[72] |
---|---|
1801 | 21,853 |
1851 | 48,120 |
1901 | 88,107 |
1911 | 117,958 |
1921 | 144,197 |
1931 | 176,303 |
1941 | 214,380 |
1951 | 260,685 |
1961 | 296,016 |
1971 | 336,136 |
1981 | 310,223 |
1991 | 305,342 |
2001 | 300,844 |
2007 | 306,700 |
2009 | 309,800 |
2010 | 310,500 |
2011 | 316,960[73] |
2013 | 329,810[74] |
2014 | 337,428[75] |
2015 | 345,385[76] |
2016 | 352,911[77] |
2017 | 360,100[78] |
2018 | 366,785[79] |
2021 | 345,328[80] |
Coventry religious demographics from the 2021 census[1]
| |
---|---|
Religion | Population |
Christian | 151,577 |
No Religion | 102,338 |
Muslim | 35,800 |
Undeclared | 21,166 |
Sikh | 17,297 |
Hindu | 13,724 |
Buddhist | 1,257 |
Jewish | 259 |
Other | 1,908 |
According to the 2021 Census, 43.9% (151,577) of residents identified themselves as Christian making Christianity the largest followed religion in the city.
Islam was the second most followed religion with 10.4% (35,800) of residents identifying with the religion.
5.0% (17,297) of Coventry's population were Sikh, disproportionately larger than the national average in England of 0.8%.
Almost a third of Coventry residents, 29.6% (102,338), identified themselves as having no religion and 6.1% did not declare any religion.[1]
Government and politics
Local and national government
Traditionally a part of
Coventry is administered by
Certain local services are provided by West Midlands wide agencies including the West Midlands Police, the West Midlands Fire Service and Transport for West Midlands (Centro) which is responsible for public transport.
In 2006, Coventry and Warwickshire Ambulance Service was merged with the
Coventry is represented in Parliament by three Members of Parliament (MPs) all of whom are from the Labour Party. They are:
- Colleen Fletcher – (Coventry North East)
- Zarah Sultana – (Coventry South)
- Taiwo Owatemi – (Coventry North West)
Up until 1997, Coventry was represented by four Members of Parliament, whereupon the Coventry South West and Coventry South East constituencies were merged to form Coventry South.
On Thursday, 19 May 2016, Councillor Lindsley Harvard was inaugurated Lord Mayor of Coventry for 2016–17 as Coventry's 65th Lord Mayor. Councillor Lindsley Harvard has been a Labour Councillor serving on the council for fourteen years, for Earlsdon Ward (1996–2000) and for Longford Ward since 2006.[82] On Thursday, 19 May 2016, Councillor Tony Skipper was inaugurated as the Deputy Lord Mayor of Coventry for 2016–17. He has been a Labour councillor since 1995; representing Earlsdon Ward between 1995 and 2001, and then Radford Ward since 2001.[83]
The Bishop of Coventry is Christopher John Cocksworth, who was consecrated on 3 July 2008.[84]
Council affiliation
In May 2016, it was as follows[85]
Party | Councillors | |
---|---|---|
Labour Party | 39 | |
Conservative Party | 14 | |
Independent | 1 | |
Total | 54 |
Twinning with other cities; "city of peace and reconciliation"
Coventry and
City | Country | Year twinned | Ward |
---|---|---|---|
Graz[89][90][92] | Austria | 1957 | Binley & Willenhall |
Sarajevo[89][90] | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1957 | Cheylesmore |
Cornwall, Ontario[89][90] | Canada | 1972 | Earlsdon |
Granby, Quebec[89][90] | 1963 | ||
Windsor, Ontario[89][90] | 1963 | ||
Jinan[89][90] | China | 1983 | Foleshill |
Lidice[89][90] | Czech Republic | 1947 | Henley |
Ostrava[89][90] | 1959 | ||
Caen[89][90][93] | France | 1957 | Longford |
Saint-Étienne[89][90][93] | 1955 | ||
Dresden[89][90] | Germany | 1959 | Lower Stoke |
Kiel[89][90] | 1947 | ||
Dunaújváros[89][90] | Hungary | 1962 | Radford |
Kecskemét[89][90] | 1962 | ||
Bologna[89][90] | Italy | 1960 | Sherbourne |
Kingston[89][90] | Jamaica | 1962 | St Michael's |
Arnhem[89][90] | Netherlands | 1958 | Upper Stoke |
Warsaw[89][90] | Poland | 1957 | Wainbody |
Cork[89][90][94] | Ireland | 1958 | Holbrooks |
Galați[89][90] | Romania | 1962 | Westwood |
Volgograd/Stalingrad[89][90] (suspended)[91] | Russia | 1944 | Whoberley |
Belgrade[89][90] | Serbia | 1957 | Woodlands |
Coventry, Connecticut[89][90] | United States | 1962 | Wyken |
Coventry, New York[89][90] | 1972 | ||
Coventry, Rhode Island[89][90] | 1971 |
Arts and culture
On 7 December 2017 it was announced that the city would be the 2021 UK City of Culture, being the third such place to hold the title after Derry in 2013 and Hull in 2017.[95]
Literature and drama
- The poet Philip Larkin was born and brought up in Coventry,[96] where his father was the City Treasurer.
- During the early 19th century, Coventry was well known due to author George Eliot who was born near Nuneaton. The city was the model for her famous novel Middlemarch (1871).
- The Coventry Carol is named after the city of Coventry. It was a carol performed in the play The Pageant of the Shearman and Tailors, written in the 15th century as one of the Coventry Cycle Mystery Plays. These plays depicted the nativity story, the lyrics of the Coventry Carol referring to the Annunciation to the Massacre of the Innocents, which was the basis of the Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors. These plays were traditionally performed on the steps of the (old) cathedral. The Belgrade Theatre brought back the Coventry Mystery Plays in 2000 to mark the city's millennium celebrations: the theatre now produces the Mystery Plays every three years.
- The Belgrade Theatre was Britain's first purpose-built civic theatre, opened in 1958. In 1965 the world's first Theatre-in-Education (TiE) company was formed to develop theatre as a way of inspiring learning in schools. The TiE movement spread worldwide, the theatre still offers a number of programmes for young people across Coventry and has been widely recognised as a leader in the field. It was reopened in 2007 following a period of refurbishment.[97]
- Novelist Graham Joyce, winner of the O Henry Award is from Keresley. His World Fantasy Award-winning novel "The Facts of Life" is set in Coventry during the blitz and in the post-war rebuilding period.
- The playwright Alan Pollock[98] was brought up in Coventry. Other playwrights associated with the city include Nick Walker and Chris O'Connell – founder of the city's Theatre Absolute.
Music and cinema
During the late-1970s and early 1980s, Coventry was the centre of the
Coventry has a range of music events including an international jazz programme, the Coventry Jazz Festival, and the Godiva Festival. On the Saturday of the Godiva Festival, a carnival parade starts in the city centre and makes its way to War Memorial Park where the festival is held. Coventry's music is celebrated at The Coventry Music Museum, part of the 2-Tone Village complex.
In the film
BBC Radio 1 has announced that its BBC Radio One's Big Weekend will take place in Coventry at the end of May 2022, as part of the closing ceremony for the UK City of Culture.[99]
Customs and traditions
Coventry Godcakes are a regional delicacy, originating from the 14th century and still baked today.[100]
The Coventry Flag
The Coventry Flag,[101] designed by Simon Wyatt,[102] was adopted through a popular vote on 7 December 2018. The Coventry Flag represents the unique identity of the Warwickshire city and its residents. It emerged as the winner in a competition organised by BBC Coventry & Warwickshire[102] and proudly flew during Coventry's tenure as the UK City of Culture in 2021. The design features Lady Godiva, a local heroine, depicted in black on a white pale, symbolising Coventry's history, principles, and its reputation as a city of peace. Sky blue panels on either side of Lady Godiva represent "Coventry Blue," reminiscent of the historic local textile industry and Coventry City Football Club, known as the "Sky Blues."
Venues and shopping
There are several theatre, art and music venues in Coventry attracting popular sporting events and singing musicians. Along with this, the city has several retail parks located out of the city centre and its own shopping mall in the heart of the city:
- Warwick Arts Centre: situated at the University of Warwick, Warwick Arts Centre includes an art gallery, a theatre, a concert hall and a cinema.
- FarGo Village, a creative quarter with various independent businesses
- City College Coventry. Known as the Butts or College Theatre, it closed in 2009 with the sale of the college to private developers. The theatre re-opened in 2013 as the Albany Theatre, as part of the Premier Inn hotel on the site of the former Butts Technical College and is run as a charitable trust with support from the council.
- Belgrade Theatre: one of the largest producing theatres in Britain, the 858-seat Belgrade was the first civic theatre to be opened in the UK following the Second World War. The theatre underwent a huge redevelopment and reopened in September 2007; in addition to refurbishing the existing theatre, the redevelopment included a new 250-seat studio auditorium known as B2, a variety of rehearsal spaces and an exhibition space that traces the history of theatre in Coventry. It is surrounded by Belgrade Plaza.
- 2012 Olympic Games. The adjacent Jaguar Exhibition Hall is a 6,000-seat events venue for hosting a multitude of other acts.
- SkyDome Arena, which is a 3,000 capacity sports auditorium, and has played host to artists such as Girls Aloud, Paul Oakenfold and Judge Jules. It is the home ground for Coventry Blazeice hockey club, and has also hosted professional wrestling events from WWE, TNA and Pro Wrestling Noah
- War Memorial Park—known by locals simply as the Memorial Park—which holds various festivals including the Godiva Festival and the Coventry Caribbean Festival, every year. It also host the weekly Parkrun event.
- Coventry BearsRugby League Club, holds music concerts occasionally.
- Criterion Theatre, a small theatre, in Earlsdon.
- Coombe Country Park, although outside the city boundary, Coventry City Council's only country park.
- The Wave – an indoor water park and spa, owned and operated by Coventry City Council, was opened in 2019.
- Herbert Art Gallery and Museum - a museum, art gallery, records archive, learning centre, media studio and creative arts facility on Jordan Well, Coventry.
Sport
On the sporting scene,
Club | Sport | Founded | League | Venue |
---|---|---|---|---|
Coventry City F.C. | Football | 1883 | EFL Championship | Coventry Building Society Arena |
Coventry Sphinx L.F.C. | Football | 2012 | West Midlands Regional Women's Football League | Coventry Sphinx Sports and Social Club |
Coventry United L.F.C
|
Football | 2015 | FA Women's Championship
|
Butts Park Arena |
Coventry R.F.C. | Rugby union | 1874 | RFU Championship | Butts Park Arena |
Coventry Bees | Speedway | 1928 | ||
Coventry Blaze | Ice hockey | 2000 | Elite Ice Hockey League | SkyDome Arena
|
Broadstreet RFC | Rugby Union
|
1929 | National League 2 (North) | Ivor Preece Field |
Coventry Jets | American Football
|
2003 | BAFA National Leagues | Coventry Sphinx Sports and Social Club
|
Coventry Sphinx F.C. | Football | 1946 | Midland Football League Premier Division
|
Coventry Sphinx Sports and Social Club |
Coventry United F.C. | Football | 2013 | Midland Football League Premier Division
|
Butts Park Arena |
Football
There are two professional
Coventry United L.F.C. play at the Butts Park Arena and were originally Coventry City Ladies before the Sky Blues discontinued their women's team, at which point they affiliated with Coventry United, and rose through the divisions to their current position in the second-tier of the women's game.
Aside from these clubs, there are several other clubs in the city playing non-league football.
Both Coventry University and the University of Warwick compete in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) football competitions. For the 2014–15 season, the Coventry University men's 1st team compete in BUCS Midlands 1a, while the University of Warwick men's 1st team competes in BUCS Midlands 2a. Both institutions' women's 1st teams both play in BUCS Midlands 2a.
Rugby Union
At the beginning of the 2014–15 season, there were 14 clubs based in Coventry, playing at various levels of the
Coventry Rugby Football Club play in the RFU Championship, the second tier of the English rugby union system. The club enjoyed national success during the 1950s, the 1960s and 1970s, with many of its players playing for their countries, notable players include Ivor Preece, Peter Jackson, David Duckham, Fran Cotton and Danny Grewcock. From 1921 to 2004, the club played at Coundon Road Stadium. Their current home ground is the Butts Park Arena, which was opened in 2004.
There are a further 12 clubs playing in the Midland divisions of the English Rugby Union system. In 2015, they included Barkers Butts RFC, Dunlop RFC, Earlsdon RFC, Pinley, Old Coventrians, Coventrians, Coventry Welsh, Stoke Old Boys RFC, Copsewood RFC, Keresley RFC, Old Wheatleyans RFC and Trinity Guild RFC.
Both Coventry University and the University of Warwick compete in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Rugby competitions.
Rugby League
Midlands Hurricanes are the major rugby league team in the city. Originally known as Coventry Bears, the Hurricanes compete in the Betfred League 1, as a semi-professional team in the third tier of the game. They play their home matches at the Butts Park Arena.
In 2002, the club won the Rugby League Conference, and took the step up to the national leagues. In 2004, they won the National Division 3 title and have appeared in the
Both Coventry University and the University of Warwick compete in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Midlands 1a competition.
Speedway
Coventry Speedway was based at
The Coventry Bees started in 1948 and have operated continuously until the end of the 2018 season. They started out in the National League Division Three before moving up to the Second Division and, later to the top flight. The Bees were crowned League Champions on nine occasions (1953, 1968, 1978, 1979, 1987, 1988, 2005, 2007 and 2010).
Amongst the top speedway riders who represented Coventry teams were Tom Farndon, Jack Parker, Arthur Forrest, Nigel Boocock, Kelvin Tatum, Chris Harris, Scott Nicholls, Emil Sayfutdinov and World Champions Ole Olsen, Hans Nielsen, Greg Hancock, Billy Hamill, Ronnie Moore and Jack Young.
In 2007, the Bees won the domestic speedway treble of Elite League, Knock-out Cup and Craven Shield, while Chris Harris won both the Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain and the British Championship. The Bees retained the Craven Shield in 2008, and Chris Harris added further British Championship victories in both 2009 and 2010. The Elite League Championship Trophy returned to Brandon in 2010 when the Bees convincingly beat Poole Pirates in the play-off finals.[108]
The
In 2017, the stadium became unavailable for motorsports, with new owners Brandon Estates pursuing planning permission for housing – thus, neither Coventry team was able to compete in the leagues, although a number of challenge matches were undertaken on opposition teams' tracks.
For 2018, Coventry Bees were entered into the National League, the third tier of British Speedway, riding their home meetings at the Paul Chapman and Sons Arena, Beaumont Park, Leicester – the home of Leicester Lions.
The team has not operated since then.
Ice hockey
The
The
The Coventry Phoenix is the city's only women's team; currently competing in Division One (North) of the British Women's Leagues. There are also several recreational ice hockey teams (male and female) that play in the city.
The Coventry and Warwick Panthers are members of the British Universities Ice Hockey Association. The 'A' team compete in "Checking 1 South", 'B' in "Non-Checking 1 South" and 'C' in "Non-Checking 2 South".
Stock car racing
As with speedway, Stock Car racing ceased in 2017 because of the unavailability of the stadium.
Cricket
The city's current leading cricket clubs are Standard Cricket Club and Coventry and North Warwickshire Cricket Club. Both clubs are competing in the Premier division of the Warwickshire Cricket League as of 2019, where Standard Cricket Club were Runners up in 2018.
Historically,
Athletics
The
- Basil Heatley; former world record holder for the marathon and silver medalist in the 1964 Summer Olympics.
- David Moorcroft; Gold medalist in the 1500m at the 1978 Commonwealth Games and in the 5000m at the 1982 Commonwealth Games. He is the former World 5000m record holder and still holds the British 3000m record.
- Marlon Devonish; individually in his senior career, he won Gold for the 200m at the 2003 World Indoor Championship and silver at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. However, he has had great success as a relay runner in the 4 × 100 m, winning gold medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics, 1998 Commonwealth Games, 2002 Commonwealth Games and the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He also won bronze at World and European level at both his distances.
Field hockey
A field hockey club in the city is Coventry & North Warwickshire Hockey Club, which was established in 1895. Based at the Coventry University Sports Ground, the club runs 4 men's and two ladies' sides, as well as a junior section.
The men's first XI currently compete in Midlands Division 1 of the Midland Regional Hockey Association (MHRA), while the ladies' first XI compete in Warwickshire Women's Hockey League Division 1.
Other teams in the city include:
- Sikh Union: Men's 1st XI – (MHRA West Midlands Premier)
- Berkswell & Balsall Common Men's 1st XI – (MHRA East Midlands 1); Women's 1st XI – (Warwickshire Women's Hockey League Division 2)
The University of Warwick field men's teams both in the MHRA and the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) hockey competitions. They compete in MHRA Midlands 2 and in BUCS Midlands 2b. The women's first XI compete in BUCS Midlands 3a. Coventry University men's first XI play in BUCS Midlands 3b, while the women's first XI compete in BUCS Midlands 2a.
Other
In 2005, Coventry became the first city in the UK to host the
Economy
Historically Coventry was the most important seat of ribbon-making in the UK. In this industry it competed locally with Norwich and Leicester and internationally with Saint-Étienne in France.
Coventry has been a centre of motor and cycle manufacturing. Starting with
Although the motor industry has declined almost to the point of extinction, the
The Standard Motor Company opened a car factory at Canley in the south of the city in 1918, occupying a former munitions factory. This site was later expanded and produced Triumph cars after the Standard brand was phased out by BMC during the 1960s. In August 1980, however, it was closed down as part of British Leyland's rationalisation process, although the Triumph brand survived for another four years on cars produced at other British Leyland factories. The closure of the Triumph car factory was perhaps the largest blow to Coventry's economy during the early 1980s economic decline.
The famous London
The manufacture of
Coventry's main industries include: cars, electronic equipment, machine tools, agricultural machinery, man-made fibres, aerospace components and telecommunications equipment. In recent years, the city has moved away from manufacturing industries towards business services, finance, research, design and development and creative industries.
This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of Coventry at current basic prices by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling:[112]
Year | Regional Gross Value Added 1 | Agriculture 2 | Industry 3 | Services 4 |
---|---|---|---|---|
1995 | 3,407 | 3 | 1,530 | 1,874 |
2000 | 4,590 | 3 | 1,873 | 2,714 |
2003 | 5,103 | 2 | 1,529 | 3,572 |
Notes:
- Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
- Includes hunting and forestry
- Includes energy and construction
- Includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured
Redevelopment
Major improvements continue to regenerate the city centre. The Phoenix Initiative, which was designed by MJP Architects, reached the final shortlist for the 2004 RIBA Stirling Prize and has now won a total of 16 separate awards. It was published in the book 'Phoenix : Architecture/Art/Regeneration' in 2004.[113] Further major developments are potentially afoot, particularly the Swanswell Project, which is intended to deepen Swanswell Pool and link it to Coventry Canal Basin, coupled with the creation of an urban marina and a wide Parisian-style boulevard. A possible second phase of the Phoenix Initiative is also in the offing, although both of these plans are still on the drawing-board. On 16 December 2007, IKEA's first city centre store in the UK was opened, in Coventry.[114][115]
On 4 February 2020, it was announced that IKEA's Coventry city centre store was to close the same year due to changing shopping habits and consistent losses at the store.[116]
The River Sherbourne runs under Coventry's city centre; the river was paved over during the rebuilding after the Second World War and is not commonly known. When the new rebuild of Coventry city centre takes place from 2017 onwards, it is planned that river will be re-opened, and a river walk way will be placed alongside it in parts of the city centre.[117] In April 2012, the pedestrianisation of Broadgate was completed.[118]
Media
Radio
Local radio stations include:
- BBC CWR: 94.8 FM
- Capital Mid-Counties (formerly Touch FM): 96.2 FM
- Free Radio Coventry & Warwickshire(formally known as Mercia Sound, Mercia FM and Mercia): 97.0 FM
- Greatest Hits Radio West Midlands: 1359 AM
- Fresh West Midlands: DAB
Written media
The main local newspapers are:
- Coventry Telegraph: a paid for newspaper printed Monday to Saturday, owned by Reach.
- Coventry Observer
Television news
The city is covered on regional TV News by:
- BBC Midlands Today: run by the British public service broadcaster.
- ITV News Central
Digital-only media
- HelloCov: an online news website founded in 2018.[119]
- Coventry Times
Public services
Emergency services
Coventry is covered by West Midlands Police, the West Midlands Fire Service and the West Midlands Ambulance Service.
Healthcare
Healthcare in Coventry is provided primarily by the National Health Service (NHS); the principal NHS hospital covering the city is the University Hospital Coventry, which was opened in 2006 as a 1,250 bed 'super hospital', funded by a private finance initiative (PFI) scheme.[120]
Electricity
Electricity was first supplied to Coventry in 1895 from Coventry power station off Sandy Lane adjacent to the canal (now Electric Wharf). A larger 130 MW power station was built at Longford in 1928, this operated until 1976, and was subsequently demolished.[121]
Waste management
Coventry has an
- Many areas of Coventry have kerb-side plastic, metal (tins and cans), and paper recycling. Garden-green rubbish is collected and composted.
- Waste materials can be taken to the recycling depot, which is adjacent to the incineration unit.
- There are recycling points throughout the city for paper, glass recycling and metal / tin can recycling.
In October 2006, Coventry City Council signed the
Transport
Road
Coventry is near the M1, M6, M40, M45 and M69 motorways. The M45, which is situated a few miles to the south-east of the city, was opened in 1959 as a spur to the original section of the M1 motorway, which linked London with the Midlands. This was, in effect, the first motorway to serve Coventry, as the section of the M6 north of the city did not open until 1971 and the M69 between Coventry and Leicester opened five years later. The M40, which is connected to the city via the A46, is 12 miles (19 kilometres) south of the city centre, south of Warwick and gives the city's residents an alternative dual carriageway and motorway route to London.
It is served by the A45 and A46 dual carriageways. The A45 originally passed through the centre of the city, but was re-routed in the 1930s on the completion of the Coventry Southern Bypass, with westbound traffic heading in the direction of Birmingham and eastbound traffic in the direction of Northampton. The A46 was re-routed to the east of the city in 1989 on completion of the Coventry Eastern Bypass, which directly leads to the M6/M69 interchange. To the south, it gives a direct link to the M40, making use of the existing Warwick and Kenilworth bypasses.
Coventry has an inner
Railway
Avanti West Coast operate fast inter-city services to London, other cities in the West Midlands, north-west England (
Light rail
A light rail system is planned for Coventry, known as Coventry Very Light Rail. The first vehicle came off the production line in March 2021 and the first line, to University Hospital Coventry, is proposed to be operational by 2024.[124]
Bus
Bus operators in Coventry include
Coventry is set to receive 130 electric buses by 2023 and aims to have all of its buses powered by electricity by 2025.[126]
Air
The nearest major airport is Birmingham Airport, some 11 miles (18 km) to the west of the city. Coventry Airport, located 5 miles (8 km) south of the city centre in Baginton, is now used for general aviation only.
Water
The Coventry Canal terminates near the city centre at Coventry Canal Basin and is navigable for 38 miles (61 km) to Fradley Junction in Staffordshire.
Accent
Origins
Coventry in a linguistic sense looks both ways, towards both the 'West' and 'East' Midlands.[127] One thousand years ago, the extreme west of Warwickshire (what today we would designate Birmingham and the Black Country) was separated from Coventry and east Warwickshire by the forest of Arden, with resulting inferior means of communication.[127] The west Warwickshire settlements too were smaller in comparison to Coventry which, by the 14th century, was England's third city.[127] Even as far back as Anglo-Saxon times Coventry—situated as it was, close to Watling Street—was a trading and market post between King Alfred's Saxon Mercia and Danelaw England with a consequent merging of dialects.[128]
Coventry and Birmingham accents
Phonetically the accent of Coventry, like the perhaps better known accent of Birmingham, is similar to Northern English with respect to its system of short vowels. For example, it lacks the BATH/TRAP (Cov. /baθ/, Southern /bɑːθ/) and FOOT/STRUT (Cov. /strʊt/, Southern /strʌt/) splits.[128] Yet the longer vowels in the accent also contain traces of Estuary English such as a partial implementation of the London diphthong shift, increasingly so amongst the young since 1950. We also see other Estuary English features, such as a /l/-vocalisation whereby words such as 'milk' come to be pronounced as /mɪʊk/.[128] However, the distinction between Coventry and Birmingham accents is often overlooked. Certain features of the Birmingham accent (e.g. occasional tapping of prevocalic /r/ in words such as 'crack') stop starkly as one moves beyond Solihull in the general direction of Coventry, a possible approximation of the 'Arden Forest' divide perhaps. In any case, Coventry sits right at a dialectal crossroads, very close to isoglosses that generally delineate 'Northern' and 'Southern' dialects, exhibiting features from both sides of the divide.[128]
Coventry accent on television
The BBC's 2009 documentary The Bombing of Coventry contained interviews with Coventrians. Actress Becci Gemmell, played Coventry character Joyce in the BBC drama Land Girls.[129]
Honours
A
Education
Universities and further education colleges
Coventry has two universities; Coventry University is situated on a modern city centre campus while the University of Warwick lies 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometres) to the south of the city centre. The University of Warwick is one of only five universities never to have been rated outside the top ten in terms of teaching excellence and research and is a member of the prestigious Russell Group. The university won the BBC TV University Challenge trophy in April 2007 and April 2021. Coventry University is one of only a handful of universities to run a degree course in automotive design, which is in its Coventry School of Art and Design.
Coventry also has three further education colleges within city boundaries,
Schools
Many of the secondary schools in and around Coventry are specialist colleges, such as
Coventry has a variety of schools: Two of the oldest secondary schools being President Kennedy School founded in 1966 and located in the north-west of Coventry (currently undergoing rebuilding work) and Sidney Stringer Academy which is located in the centre of the city. It is a co-educational school and has moved into a larger building costing £28 million.[131]
The Coventry School Foundation comprises the independent schools King Henry VIII School and Bablake School together with King Henry VIII Preparatory School.
The Woodlands Academy and Tile Hill Wood School were the last remaining single sex schools in the city, serving boys and girls respectively. These schools merged onto the Tile Hill Wood site in 2016 before officially being rebranded as West Coventry Academy in 2017. Both Woodlands and Tile Hill shared a joint sixth form along with The Westwood Academy called West Coventry Sixth Form, but in 2018 Westwood left the sixth form and it now operates under the name West Coventry Academy Sixth Form.
The Westwood Academy, which is a Technology College, is close to the University of Warwick. It is the only school in Coventry that is a CISCO Academy and has links with other educational establishments, industry and the local community.
Sherbourne Fields School is an educational school for young people with disabilities and is located in the Coundon area.[citation needed] It opened in the 1960s.
Notable people associated with Coventry
History and politics
Coventry is well known for the mythical 11th century exploits of Lady Godiva who, according to legend, rode through the city naked on horseback in protest at high taxes being levied on the cityfolk by her husband Leofric, Earl of Mercia. Contemporary historians do not dispute that lady Godiva was a real figure, however this event is considered mythical.[132] The residents of the city were commanded to look away as she rode, but one man did not and was allegedly struck blind. He became known as Peeping Tom thus originating a new idiom, or metonym, in English. There is a Grade II* listed statue[133] of her in the city centre, which for 18 years had been underneath a Cathedral Lanes shopping centre canopy, removed in October 2008.[134] There is also a bust of Peeping Tom looking out across Hertford Street shopping precinct, and overlooking Broadgate and the statue of Godiva is a clock where, at every hour, Lady Godiva appears on her horse while being watched by Peeping Tom.
The Labour politician
Science, technology and business
Coventry has been the home to several pioneers in science and engineering. Samuel Courtauld and Co Ltd's director H.G. Tetley chose Foleshill in Coventry in 1904 as the site of the world's first man-made fibre factory which produced an "artificial silk" later known as
The arts
The Shakespearean actor
Notable musicians originated in Coventry, including
Record producer
The fashion model Neelam Gill is also from Coventry.
Sports
Notable Coventrians in sports include
Boxer Errol Christie grew up in Coventry.
Freedom of the City
The following people, military units and organisations and groups have received the Freedom of the City of Coventry.
Individuals
- Alfred Robert Grindlay: 15 November 1962
- Mo Mowlam: 1999.
- Lord Bhattacharyya: 1 October 2015.
- Ratan Tata: 1 October 2015.
Military units
- HMS Diamond, RN: 16 October 2014.[142]
Organisations and Groups
- The University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust: 14 July 2022.[143][144][145][146][147][148][149]
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Coventry
- Grade II* listed buildings in Coventry
- Healthcare in West Midlands
- Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Coventry
- Send to Coventry
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Bibliography
- Walters, Peter (2019). The Little History of Coventry. History Press Limited. ISBN 978-0-7509-8908-4.
Further reading
- Smith, Albert, and David Fry (1991). The Coventry We Have Lost. 2 vols. Berkswell: Simanda Press, 1991, 1993. ISBN 0-9513867-2-7.
External links
- Coventry City Council
- Coventry at Curlie
- Historic Coventry