Coventry Things to Do

The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum is named after Sir Alfred Herbert, a local industrialist who founded Alfred Herbert Limited, at one time the world's largest machine toolmaking company.

In 1938, Sir Alfred donated £100,000 to the City of Coventry to pay for the construction of an Art Gallery and Museum. Building work started in 1939 on a site on the other side of Bayley Lane from the present building.

At the start of World War II only the basement had been completed and work was stopped.

By the end of World War II the city centre lay in ruins, and work on the gallery was put on hold, although the basement was converted to a temporary art gallery in 1949.

In 1952 new plans were drawn up and on 20th May 1954 Sir Alfred was able to lay the foundation stone of the new building. He also donated a further £100,000 to the scheme.

In 1956 the plans were revised to include a room for science and natural history collections. This was because of a bequest from Alderman JI Bates which gave an additional £34,500 to the scheme. This room was called The Bates Room in his honour.

Sadly Sir Alfred did not live to see the Art Gallery and Museum opened as he died on 5th June 1957 aged 90.

On 9th March 1960 Lady Herbert, his third wife, declared the Art Gallery and Museum open.

Given the history of the Cathedral I feel that, for me, the entrance screen is the most absorbing, symbolic and overpowering aspect of the cathedral. Basil Spence, the architect, saw it as an integral part of his vision. The bombed out cathedral needed to be connected to the new once that decision was made to start again rather than just restore the old.

I believe that he orginally had an idea for a glass screen that could be lowered to allow an open air connection between the old and the new as it would lower into a slot in the ground. I guess that cost, practicality and english weather saw an end to that idea. The screen became a fixed structure and much large - allowing john Hutton to create an artistic masterpiece on saints and angels etched onto vast panes of glass. The saints were picked because they were thought to be the ones that brought christianity to Britain.

Its most imprtant feature is, perhaps, its transpaent nature - old and new can see each other clearly face to face - bombed out shell and the new pheonix rising from the ashes.

Coventry catedral was voted the best loved English building of the 20th century afew years back. It's not hard to see why when the place is so resonant in symbolism connecting it to the momentus events of history of that century.

Coventry, arguably, suffered more than any other city in England during WW2. Much of the inner city was lost to the Luftwaffe. The rebuliding of the cathedral was completed in 1962. This particular chapel draws us back closer to that time as Coventry has become a symbol of forgiveness and reconcilliation since those awful nights in the 1940's where bombr ripped the heart out of wonderful ancient cities right across Europe.

The stained glass of the chapel was provided by a vast range of german churches whilst the floor mosaic was a present from neutral Sweden.

The place also has a strong ecumenical flavour as befits such a theme.

The 'video' i've left a connection to gives a real sense of this spiritual and contemplative place.

Another feature of the 1960's Coventry cathedral is the very fine baptistry window. It was designed by John Piper and features 195 individual stained glass panels that fit into the wall from tip to toe. The modern abstract imagery is somewhat obvious but works very well. There is something very clever about re-interpreting something as quinessentially english as stained glass (yes I know you get it elsewhere but you know what I mean) and bringing it into the 20the century.

The font itself comes from the hillsides around Bethlehem. The water originally came from the River Jordan. Nowadays I thin it just comes out the municipal tap.

There is something very optimistic about this corner of the cathedral and that seems entirely appropriate - baptism is supposed to be about a 'new beginning' and the early 1960's must have also felt like an entirely new beginning after the dark war years and the austerity of the 1950's. Roll on the the Jerusalem.

Coventry cathedral is one of the modern architectural marvels of England. Opened in 1962 it is a concrete masterpiece. If only other buildings of that vintage were built with such care and thought then maybe our cities would not have been blighted with an array of crumbling eyesores.

The centerpiece of the cathedral is a massive tapestry designed by Graham Sutherland. Depicting 'Chirst the King' it hangs behind the high altar, but can be seen right from the moment you arrive at the entrance to the catherdal and look through the glass-fronted entrance.

I remember visting on a school outing many years ago. I'm prettey sure I was told it was the biggest tapestry in the world. I'm sorry to say that a quick look at wikipedia has corrected me on that one.

Some believe that the artist employed a mathmatical device that has been used over the centuries in architecture and art. It is described below :

Luca Pacioli (1445-1517) in his Divina proportione (On Divine Proportion) wrote about the golden section also called the golden mean or the divine proportion:
AMB


The line AB is divided at point M so that the ratio of the two parts, the smaller MB to the larger AM is the same as the ratio of the larger part AM to the whole AB.

There you are...clear as mud. Still it is an awe-inspiring piece of art. Size really does matter.

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The Canal Basin is a lovely waterside area of gift shops, cafe's and commercial dwellings. It is a lovely place to take a stroll around or you can take a longer walk up the towpath and enjoy the beautiful scenery and wildlife before you.

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The Golden Cross is one of the oldest pubs in Coventry, it was built around 1583 and is one of the oldest surviving medieval timber framed buildings in Coventry. Nowadays the pub hosts regular gigs featuring the best local bands from Coventry & Warwickshire.

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In Medieval Spon Street you will find a high concentration of Tudor aged buildings. Many are not original to the street and have been rebuilt there after being saved from demolition in other streets and a preservation order is in place to ensure their survival.

Spon street also has many lovely looking bars and resturants... I had my eye on a lovely looking Indian restaurant but sadly we'd already eaten :-(