Coventry Cathedral Church

Address: 3 Priory St, Coventry CV1 5FB, United Kingdom

Website: https://www.coventrycathedral.org.uk/

Hours: Daily 9:30am-5:00pm (may vary for services)

Admission: Cathedral entry free; tower and exhibitions may request donations or have modest fees (varies)

Coventry Cathedral refers to the adjacent pair of ecclesiastical structures in Coventry: the ruins of the medieval Gothic cathedral (St Michael) and the modern replacement cathedral built beside it. The medieval building was heavily damaged by bombing in 1940 and its ruined nave has been retained as a memorial.

The new cathedral, designed by architect Basil Spence and completed in the mid-20th century, stands beside the ruins and is celebrated for its modernist design and integrated artworks. The two buildings together form a site of commemoration and active worship, linking a preserved ruin with a functioning 20th-century church.

The cathedral complex lies close to Coventry city centre in the West Midlands and is a short walk from the city railway station and other urban amenities.

• Destruction and memorial: The medieval cathedral was largely destroyed in the Coventry Blitz of 1940, and the ruins were conserved as a wartime memorial
• Rebuilding and art: The adjacent 20th-century cathedral was built as a modern replacement and was consecrated in the early 1960s; it is notable for its modernist architecture and artworks

What to See#

• Ruins of the old cathedral: The ruined nave of the medieval cathedral has been preserved as a roofless memorial and is accessible beside the modern cathedral complex
• New cathedral (St Michael): The modern cathedral, designed by Basil Spence and completed in the mid-20th century, contains notable modern art commissions integrated into the liturgical space

Coventry Cathedral is a short walk from Coventry Railway Station (10-15 minutes). Coventry is about 20 minutes by train from Birmingham New Street and well connected by regional rail; local buses and taxis also serve the city center.

• Visit the ruins of the old cathedral and the modern Coventry Cathedral (St Michael's) adjacent to see the post-war architecture and reconciliation art.
• The Cathedral's new building (consecrated in 1962) features works by Graham Sutherland and Jacob Epstein-look for the tapestry of Christ in Glory (a 1962 Sutherland piece) in the new cathedral.
• Combine a visit with the Coventry Transport Museum to contrast the city's industrial and wartime histories.