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Nearly a third of a million people live within the city of Coventry, making it England's ninth largest city. Coventry is situated to the north-east of Birmingham in the West Midlands. The city is almost completely surrounded by the county of Warwickshire and is just 11 miles away from Warwick.
The city is believed to have sprung up around a Benedictine monastery founded in the 11th century by the Earl of Mercia. His wife, Lady Godiva, has since become a legendary character and one of the most famous Coventrians of all time, having rode through the streets of the city naked on horseback in protest at high taxes.
The market which grew up around the abbey went on to become a bustling mercantile hub and so the town flourished.
During the industrial revolution Coventry became a major centre for textile production and later on watch and clock manufacture.
Around the turn of the 20th Century, Coventry made a name for itself in first bicycle then automobile manufacture; with such pioneers as Rover plying their trade from the city's industrial district Coventry became an important player in the British motor industry until its decline in the 70s.
During World War II, Coventry's high concentration of manufacturing plants which were providing a huge contribution to the war effort made it a major target for the German Luftwaffe air raids. Coventry suffered some of heaviest bombing among British cities and much of the city centre was destroyed including parts of the St. Michael's Cathedral . A new cathedral was built next to the ruins of the old one and opened in 1962. This and other major redevelopment projects reshaped the city giving it its modern look.
The city has a history of car and motorcycle manufacturing dating back over 100 years. More recently the vehicle manufacturing industry has declined, but Jaguar still has its headquarters in the city and Peugeot also has a plant in Ryton on the outskirts.
Major attractions include the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, the Lunt Fort, a reconstructed Roman fort, the Midland Air Museum and the Belgrade Theatre.
Read more about Coventry in the About Coventry section.
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