Coventry
- For alternative meanings see: Coventry (disambiguation)
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. Coventry is the ninth largest city in England with a population of 304,746 (2002 estimate).
Coventry is famous for its involvement in the British motor industry, its Cathedral and the legendary exploits of Lady Godiva.
History
| City of Coventry | |
|---|---|
 Shown within West Midlands | |
| Geography | |
| Status: | Metropolitan borough, City (1345) |
| Region: | West Midlands |
| Ceremonial County: | West Midlands |
| Area: - Total |
Ranked 246th 98.64 km² |
| Admin. HQ: | Coventry |
| Grid reference: | SP333790 |
| ONS code: | 00CQ |
| Demographics | |
| Population: - Total (2003 est.) - Density |
Ranked 15th 304,997 3,092 / km² |
| Ethnicity: | 84.0% White 11.3% S.Asian 1.8% Afro-Carib. |
| Politics | |
| Coventry City Council http://www.coventry.gov.uk/ | |
| Leadership: | Leader & Cabinet |
| Executive: | Conservative |
- The main article is at History of Coventry, the following is a summary
Coventry is traditionally believed to have been established in the year 1043 with the founding of a Benedictine Abbey by Leofric, Earl of Mercia and his wife Lady Godiva. Current evidence suggests that this abbey was probably in existence by 1022, therefore Leofric and Godiva most likely endowed it around 1043. In time, a market was established at the abbey gates and the settlement expanded.
By the 14th century Coventry had become an important centre of the cloth trade, and throughout the middle ages was one of the largest and most important cities in England. Coventry was granted city status in 1345, and later became a county in its own right.
Hostile attitudes of the cityfolk towards Royalist prisoners held in Coventry during the English Civil War is believed to have originated the phrase "sent to Coventry", which in Britain means 'to be ostracised'.
There is another unverified local story which says that Cofa had his enemies and prisoners executed by being hung from the tallest tree on his land, this being known as Cofa's Tree which became corrupted in the word Coventry we now know. Being hung until dead was the penalty for being sent to Cofa's Tree this is why no words are spoken to those "Sent to Coventry" as they are dead and unable to speak.
In the late 19th century Coventry became a major centre of bicycle manufacture, with the industry being pioneered by Rover. By the early 20th century bicycle manufacture had evolved into motor manufacture, and Coventry became a major centre of the British motor industry.
Coventry suffered severe bomb damage during World War II, most notoriously, a massive German air raid on the 14th November 1940, destroyed most of the city centre and Coventry's historic Cathedral.
In the post war years Coventry was largely re-built, gaining a new pedestrianised shopping precinct and a new much celebrated Cathedral. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s Coventry remained prosperous. However the decline of the British motor industry during the 1970s and 80s hit Coventry hard, and in the early 1980s up to 20% of the workforce was unemployed. A hit record about Coventry "Ghost Town" by local band The Specials summed up the situation in the city. In recent years Coventry has largely recovered with newer industries locating in the city.
On March 1, 2003, Coventry was granted Fairtrade City status.
Places of interest
Coventry Cathedral is Coventry's most well known landmark and visitor attraction. The original 14th century cathedral was largely destroyed by German bombing during the war, leaving only the outer walls and spire. The new Coventry Cathedral was opened in 1962 next to the ruins of the old. It was designed by Basil Spence and contains the tapestry, "Christ in Majesty" by Graham Sutherland and the bronze statue of St Michael and the Devil by Jacob Epstein. Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, regarded by some as his masterpiece, was written for the opening of the new Cathedral.
Another major visitor attraction in Coventry is the Coventry Transport Museum in the city centre which has the largest collection of British made road vehicles in the world. The most notable exhibits are the world speed record breaking cars, Thrust2 and ThrustSSC.
The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum is a major art gallery in the city. Just outside Coventry is the Lunt Fort; a reconstructed Roman fort. And nearby is the Midland Air Museum next to Coventry Airport.
Arts and culture
- During the early 19th century Coventry was well known to the famous author George Eliot who was born near Nuneaton. The city was the model for her famous novel Middlemarch (1871).
- During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Coventry was the centre of the Two Tone musical phenomenon, with bands such as The Specials coming from the city.
Venues
Theatre, art and music venues in Coventry include:
- The Warwick Arts Centre: situated at the University of Warwick, Warwick Arts Centre comprises an art gallery, a theatre, a concert hall and a cinema. It is the second largest arts centre in the UK, after London's Barbican.
- The Belgrade Theatre: one of the largest producing theatres in Britain, the 866 seat Belgrade was the first civic theatre to be opened in the UK following World War II.
Sport
Sporting teams include Coventry City (Football), Coventry Rugby Club (Rugby Union), Coventry Blaze (Ice Hockey), Coventry Bears (Rugby League), Coventry Godiva Harriers (Athletics) and Coventry Bees (Speedway).
In football, Coventry City won the FA Cup in May of 1987.
Famous people
Coventry's most famous resident was Lady Godiva, who according to legend, rode through the city naked on horseback (actually, she likely rode the horse bareback, not barenaked), in protest at high taxes being waged on the cityfolk by her husband Leofric. According to the legend, the residents of the city were asked to look away as she rode, but one man didn't and was allegedly struck blind, he became known as Peeping Tom thus originating the term. There is a statue of her in the city centre.
Other famous people from Coventry include Frank Whittle the co-inventor of the jet engine, the poet and novelist Philip Larkin, the actors Nigel Hawthorne and Clive Owen, the record producer Pete Waterman, Jason John (also known as Jason Herbert) of the boy group Big Fun, the athelete David Moorcroft and the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup winners Neil Back and Danny Grewcock. Jerry Dammers writer of the song "Free Nelson Mandela". Hazel O'Connor, a pop star and actress of the early 1980s.
The politician Mo Mowlam grew up in Coventry, and the inventor James Starley lived in the city for most of his life.
Joseph Paxton, the designer of the Crystal Palace, was a Member of Parliament for the city from 1854 to 1865.
Two Tone ska bands The Specials and The Selecter are both from Coventry - one of The Specials' best known hits, Ghost Town was written about the city.
The city's list of more infamous individuals includes porn star Debee Ashby, who achieved notoriety during 1983 when she appeared nude with her mother in an adult magazine.
Economy
Coventry has long been a centre of motor and cycle manufacturing, dating back from 1896, the car and cycle industry has been a strong centre point for this town. Starting out with some less familiar names such as Coventry Motette, Great Horseless Carriage Co, Swift and more familiar names like Humber, Riley and Daimler and the Triumph motorcycle having its origins in 1902 in a Coventry factory. Although the motor industry has declined, the Jaguar company has its headquarters and a factory in the city, and a large Peugeot car factory is located in Ryton just outside the city. The famous London black cab taxis are also produced in Coventry by LTI
Coventry's main industries include: cars, electronic equipment, machine tools, agricultural machinery, man-made fibres, aerospace components and telecommunications equipment.
Coventry is becoming increasingly important as a university city, being the home of the University of Warwick and Coventry University.
Transport
Coventry is near the M6, M69 and M40 motorways. It is also served by the A45 and A46 roads.
For rail, Coventry railway station is served by the West Coast Main Line, and has regular rail services between London and Birmingham (and stations beyond). It is also served by railway lines to Nuneaton via Bedworth. There is a line linking it to Leamington Spa and onwards to the south coast. Bus services in Coventry are operated by Travel West Midlandsand Stagecoach.
The nearest major airport is Birmingham International Airport, some 10 miles (16km) to the west of the city. Coventry has its own airport, Baginton, which is largely a freight airport. However, since 2004, Thomsonfly have been operating commercial scheduled flights from Baginton to various European destinations.
The Coventry Canal terminates in the city centre.
Politics
Traditionally a part of Warwickshire (although it was a county in its own right for 400 years), Coventry became an independent county borough in 1889 and later a metropolitan district of the West Midlands county in 1974. In 1986 the West Midlands County Council was abolished, and Coventry became administered as an effective unitary authority.
Unlike other towns in the West Midlands, Coventry is still strongly associated with its traditional county, Warwickshire. This may be because of its geographical location, forming a large protrusion into the county.
Coventry is administered by Coventry City Council. The city is divided up into 18 Wards each with three councillors. Coventry has long been a stronghold of the Labour Party, the city council was for years described as a "one party state", but currently the city council is Conservative controlled.
Certain local services are provided by West Midlands wide agencies including the West Midlands Police, the West Midlands Fire Service and the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (Centro) which is responsible for public transport.
However, in 2004 Coventry's ambulance service was moved from the West Midlands Ambulance Service to the newly created Coventry and Warwickshire Ambulance Service.
Coventry is represented in Parliament by three MPs all of whom are Labour. These are:
- Bob Ainsworth - (Coventry North East)
- Jim Cunningham - (Coventry South)
- Geoffrey Robinson - (Coventry North West)
Nearby places
- Nearby towns: Bedworth, Rugby, Solihull, Kenilworth, Leamington Spa, Warwick, Nuneaton.
- Nearby cities: Birmingham, Leicester, Lichfield.
Twin cities
Coventry was the first ever city to 'twin' with another city and hence began the now common worldwide practice of twinning. It started after World War II when Coventry twinned with Dresden as an act of peace and reconcilliation, both cities having been heavily bombed during the war.
Coventry is now twinned with 26 places across the world:
- In the United States: Coventry, Connecticut - Coventry, New York - Coventry, Rhode Island
- Arnhem, Netherlands
- Belgrade, Serbia
- Bologna, Italy
- Caen, France
- Cork, Republic of Ireland
- Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
- Dresden, Germany
- Dunaujvarosd, Hungary
- Galati, Romania
- Granby, Quebec, Canada
- Graz, Austria
- Jinan, China
- Kecskemet, Hungary
- Kiel, Germany
- Kingston, Jamaica
- Lidice, Czech Republic
- Ostrava, Czech Republic
- Parkes, New South Wales, Australia
- Saint-Etienne, France
- Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina
- Volgograd, Russia
- Warsaw, Poland
- Windsor, Ontario, Canada
References
- Coventry: History and Guide, by David McGrory (1993) ISBN 0750901942
- A History of Warwickshire, by Terry Slater (1981) ISBN 0850334160
- Some of the below websites were used as reference.
