Upon arriving, we asked our friends if they had any recommendations for things to do in Coventry.
All of their suggestions involved leaving the city.
An ominous beginning to our stay in the city, to be sure. Still, assured there was nothing fun here, we were determined to find some cool things to do in Coventry. It’s one of those UK city’s that just doesn’t get much love, and so feels a bit off the beaten track. Just our kind of place.
Not gonna lie, as I was feeling quite ill, we didn’t end up doing much research and literally just wandered into a few museums and other Coventry attractions. Turns out there are quite a few fun things to do in Coventry – plus interesting historical sites and an incredibly important dark tourism site.
Getting to Coventry
Coventry is an easy bus trip (around 2.5 hours) or train ride (1 hour for express or an hour 40 minutes for standard) from London, and makes a great day trip.
We, however, made our way to Coventry from the Isle of Wight via Portsmouth. Our bus left Portsmouth at 4pm, but we took the 9am ferry off the island because the cost went up exponentially after that. The morning we left, the weather was storming, and we got onto the ferry soaking wet. And, genius that I am, I forgot my shoulder bag with debit cards, iPod, chocolate and eyedrops (crucial) in Jeremy’s parents’ car.
Can you tell I’m a seasoned traveller?
The bus ride up was miserable, but at least we made it! And within 24 hours, both Jeremy and I became struck down by a cold.
Needless to say, Jeremy coughed and sputtered for a few days and was more or less [shakily] back on his feet. I, on the other hand, spent our entire time in Coventry (and still going) feeling like I was drowning in mucus and struggling to move.
We’ve gotten very little work done as of late. And that involves seeing much of anything.
But never fear, I care about you, dear readers, so I diligently dragged myself out of bed for half a day to explore and document as many Coventry attractions as possible. And thankfully, there is only a little more than a day’s worth of things to do in Coventry, so we managed to fit most of it in. We didn’t order things properly, though, so learn from our mistakes. If you’re getting a late start (we made it in around 11:30), don’t start with the places that close at 5, and end with those that end at 4! Now, without further ado here are our recommendations for all the wonderful and fun things to do in Coventry!
FYI: Since I’m ill as fuck, Jeremy contributed a few of these. His contributions are in blue.
I Think I’ve Heard of Coventry, Tell Me More
Coventry’s history sounds a bit like a thriller. The city is important in British history because it suffered one of the worst blitzes by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) during WWII. It is debated whether Coventry was essentially sacrificed. Shortly after Alan Turing and his team broke the Enigma Code at Bletchley Park, the British government received an encoded radio message that there would be a bombing on November 14, 1940.
This much is certain. However, from there the accounts differ. Some head members of Ultra (the secret government group intercepting the messages) claim Churchill was aware the location was Coventry, while others dispute whether the actual location was known. The belief is that if Churchill was aware Coventry would be bombed, he could do nothing, as this would risk the Germans becoming aware that the British already broke the code. William Stephenson, Commander in Chief of Allied Intelligence during the war, falls in the ‘he knew’ camp, and states that Churchill told him ‘It aged me 20 years to let Coventry burn.’
Not ringing any bells?
Well Coventry is also the city that Lady Godiva rode a horse naked through to protest the strict taxation laws her husband imposed on his tenants.
Oh, and the city was voted to be the UK City of Culture in 2021.
Dark Tourism Things to do in Coventry
Exploring the Ruins of Coventry Cathedral
As a dark tourist, visiting the Old Coventry Cathedral was top on my list of things to do in Coventry do. In fact, it was by far the biggest draw for both Jeremy and me.
During the Coventry Blitz, the cathedral was the first thing to be bombed. Due to its size and height, it made for an easy target to overhead enemy planes.
As we approach the Old Coventry Cathedral from the west entrance, I am surprised to see an open space. Before us, lay the basic foundation of a cathedral, but the inside appeared completely hollowed out. Interestingly, the church tower remains intact.
Jeremy and I walked around the grounds in silence. Throughout the grounds, benches have been installed for visitors to sit and reflect. Inside the tower is a small, but comprehensive museum dedicated to the Blitz. In the museum, visitors can see photos of life before the Blitz, hear stories from volunteers, and learn more about the Cathedral’s history. Museum costs £1 for everyone.
We heard the views from the tower were exceptional. Unfortunately, mucus still strangled my lungs, so trekking up several flights of stairs was out of the question. Luckily Jeremy stepped up. Literally. And I’ve gotta say, after seeing the photos, I’m glad I didn’t bother, because they’re surprisingly unimpressive. To be fair, the view itself is fine. It’s just that there’s nothing to see. Coventry, it turns out, is remarkably dull from overhead. Still keen to see it? Cost is £4, or £2 for U18s. It typically closes at 4, rather than 5 like the rest of the cathedral so plan accordingly.
I’m NOT religious, but for me, the Old Cathedral was the showstopper and far and away one of the top Coventry attractions. Walking around the leveled grounds and trying to picture what used to be was humbling. And to me, that is what dark tourism is all about.
Related: What is Dark Tourism?
Location: Priory St, Coventry CV1 5RN, UK
Cost: Free for the ruins; The Blitz Museum is £1 for everyone; The Tower costs £4 for adults and £2 for U18’s
Opening Hours:
– The ruins are open daily between 9:00 and 17:00 (For the purposes of safety the Ruins are normally locked at dusk during Winter).
– The Blitz Museum is open 9 to 5 from mid-February to early November, but is not available to regular visitors if there are school children visiting.
– The Tower is open 10-4 Monday to Saturday, and 12-3 on Sunday, but may me closed due to events or poor weather, so if travelling far to visit, please confirm it is open by calling the Cathedral on 02476 521248.
Lidice Memorial
Lidice, Coventry’s sister city in the Czech Republic, was razed to the ground following the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich. A memorial plaque was erected in Coventry city centre to honour the victims.
Anyone interested in dark tourism or Coventry’s historical things to do, should stop and pay their respects.
Unfortunately we missed this one because we didn’t know it existed!
Location: 98-100 Lower Precinct, Coventry CV1 1DX (outside of TJ Hughes)
Cost: Free!
Opening Hours: 24 Hours
So, How Does it Measure Up?
Well, I’ll say one thing for Coventry, if you’re interested in things to do with the Blitz, you’ve come to the right place. Many of the Coventry attractions we visited had their own section on the effects and aftermath of the Blitz.
Oh, and nearly all the things to do in Coventry are free!
5 More Fun & Historical Things To Do in Coventry
Moving Forward and Embracing the New Coventry Cathedral
The newest incarnation of Coventry Cathedral is almost as different as possible from the original. Situated twenty feet from the ruins of the old building, the currently active cathedral is connected to it’s predecessor via a covered staircase. What would be a wall separating the two areas is instead a huge, engraved window, ensuring each cathedral is always in view of the other. Additionally, the newer structure is made from the same style of brick as the ruins, further tying together the past and present histories of the city.
As we entered the new building I was struck by an atmosphere of awe. Something about the space inside the nave lent itself to a powerful silence. It may seem strange, but even with a roof the new cathedral felt bigger than the open topped ruins! The vastness is emphasised by the huge tapestry of Jesus above the altar at the far end of the nave. Named “Christ in Glory”, it was created by Graham Sutherland and once thought to be the largest tapestry in the world (sadly, it isn’t).
As I walked down the length of the cathedral, the tapestry loomed ever higher. Reaching the alter, I could appreciate the full scale of the work involved. But when I turned around, the cathedral revealed one of its most beautiful secrets.
Facing south, you see the stained glass windows which are deliberately obscured from view when facing the altar. It’s a gorgeous revelation, and testament to the amount of thought that went into the design of the building. It must have chimed with the masses as well, because in the 1990s a national poll saw Coventry cathedral voted the nation’s favourite 20th century building!
Location: Priory St, Coventry CV1 5FB (literally across from the old Cathedral)
Cost: Free! Donations welcome.
Opening Hours: The New Coventry Cathedral is open Monday to Saturday between 10:00 and 17:00; Sundays from 12 noon (after the 10.30 morning service which visitors are welcome to attend) until 16:00. If religion is your thing, check their website for prayer times, but also events such as concerts.
Old vs New Architecture
If you are a history or architecture buff – or just looking to get some exercise on a sunny day – one of our top recommendations for things to do in Coventry is just wander the streets and admire the contrast of old vs new architecture.
There are only a small handful of streets in Coventry that suffered no damage during the Blitz. Instead, most were leveled almost entirely. After the war, many cities destroyed by the Germans chose to rebuild everything to match the former structures. Coventry, however, decided to “look to the future” and rebuilt using modern (1950s) design. Although innovative for the time, Coventry ended up feeling oddly more dated than many cities still sporting entirely Victorian era style homes.
In many English cities, you can find the old juxtaposed with the new, but for some reason in Coventry it stood out more than anywhere else I’ve been in England. As we walked through the streets, it was fascinating to see the remains of Victorian era buildings seemingly attached to Avant-Garde and modernist style 1950s apartment blocks.
Location: All over Coventry City Centre
Cost: Free!
Opening Hours: 24 Hours (best during daylight)
Get pulled into the city’s history at The Herbert Museum
There is a ridiculous amount of information squeezed into this relatively tiny museum. The Herbert itself isn’t that small. The bottom floor is a museum about Coventry, while upstairs (I think) are some art collections and special exhibits.
We arrived at 3:15, so we did not have time see the art. Granted, we rushed through the first floor a bit quicker than is normal for us in a museum, but after the Museum of Transportation in the morning, my brain, still swimming in illness, prevented me from taking in much new information. I recommend it, though! But if you want to see some art, plan better than us! On the plus side, getting in and out quite quickly meant that we managed to get to St Mary’s Guildhall with 10 minutes to have a quick wander.
My favourite part of the Herbert Museum was all about the history of immigration in Coventry. Did you know two thirds of Coventry’s population was born outside of the UK? Mass immigration to the city began in the 50s and 60s following a call from the government to help rebuild the city and join the NHS. Immigrants came from all over the world. Today it is a safe haven for refugees and asylum seekers.
Jeremy loved that this was one of the more interactive Coventry attractions. He played with masks and helmets, opened drawers, listened to sound recordings and wove a tapestry. They also had chainmail, but we’re weak and couldn’t get it over our heads.
Location: Jordan Well, Coventry, CV1 5QP
Cost: Free!
Opening Hours: The Herbert is open year round; Monday – Saturday: 10.00am – 4.00pm; Sunday: 12.00pm – 4.00pm. Please check their website for special events and exhibitions, as well as specific opening times to see the Herbert Archives.
See really cool old stuff at St Mary’s Guildhall
To the other side of the old cathedral ruins is this [fully intact] medieval building. Being the geniuses that we are, Jeremy and I didn’t plan accordingly and only made it in the last 10 minutes, so didn’t get to fully appreciate the building.
What were we doing, you ask?
Well, aside from the Herbert Museum, it turns out there was a university registration day happening around the corner. And since Jeremy and I both look quite young, we decided to take advantage of this fact. We spent a good 20 minutes walking through the stalls trying to get free nibbles. But either we were in the wrong area, or Coventry University’s registration days suck. By comparison, the registration days at UEA (where we both went to uni) were full of freebies, including pizza literally shoved into your face.
Anyway, visit St. Mary’s Guildhall. Supposedly it’s one of the nicest guildhalls in the country, with an impressive collection. The tapestry, which we did see, dates back at least 500 years, and was indeed impressive!
We also ran into a tour being led by a bubbly man dressed up as a friar.
Oh, and there is an undercroft cafe – much like the one listed in our dark tourism in London guide. But as we arrived just before the Guildhall closed, this was sadly already closed for the day. Which is a shame, because pretty sure hanging out in an undercroft cafe is one of the coolest things to do in Coventry!
Location: Bayley Lane, Coventry, CV1 5RN
Cost: Free, but donations for upkeep are most welcome!
Opening Hours: The Guildhall has a specific open season. Please check their website for the dates and plan accordingly. However, the cafe is open year round Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 16:00. As the cafe and Guildhall are occasionally closed due to events, please contact them to confirm that they are open if travelling a long distance.
Learn the fascinating history of bicycles at the Coventry Transport Museum
Straight out of the bus station, across a large open courtyard, lies the Coventry Transport Museum. While not a small building, I did not expect there to be quite so many exhibits inside. The place is massive! Definitely set aside a decent amount of time to peruse because this was one of our favourite Coventry attractions!
Originally housed in the Herbert Art Museum, the Transport Museum opened in 1980 when they ran out of space for the increasingly large collection. On top of books, photographs and automobilia, there are hundreds of vehicles from the last 150 years. I’m not really a petrolhead, but even I was drawn in by how well the material was presented.
The exhibits were inventively displayed, with original models, pictures, videos, period artwork and information on almost every individual piece. The place was so expertly put together, there was even a Japanese film crew making a documentary! They were moving at the same pace as us to begin with. We tried not to get in their way, but we probably feature in the background of a lot of shots.
More than just reading
What makes this experience one of our favourite things to do in Coventry are the interactive exhibits (because I like to learn as a 5-year-old; it’s more fun). Among the notable attractions were:
– An animated wall, featuring portraits of the most influential transport developers, engineers and entrepreneurs. Activating each face starts them talking about how they changed the transport landscape of the UK. Each speech is delivered in character, and accompanied by an animation.
– A match-the-silhouette to the aeroplane game from the World War II era section. Different shadows pass overhead and you have to correctly identify them as friend or foe based on their shape. We enjoyed playing against each other, but it must have been terrifying during the blitz to look up and recognise an enemy bomber!
– The “blitz experience”: an area with dioramas of scenes from the bombing of Coventry during WWII. There are mannequins, flashing lights and sound effects that play every 15 minutes. Due to the nature of the material, the section is optional and there are warnings of its sensitive nature. We hung out in it for half an hour…
Did you know?
The bicycle used to be called a velocipede. Okay, granted, it was a bit of a different design, but velocipede is an awesome word and we shall be using it henceforth!
The bicycle actually contributed to a more progressive view of women in the UK. During the Victoria era, the law required women wear long skirts and corsets to ride bikes in keeping with the standard dress of the time.
Women who rode bicycles, however, insisted on wearing suitable clothing (understandable!). This became known as the “rational dress movement.”
Initially, both men and other women considered this unacceptable as women cycling was seen as immoral. Even medical professionals advised against women cycling, claiming that it caused infertility, among other things.
But bike pedalling women persisted, and eventually the Bloomer was invented. With more freedom of movement to cycle, women could now travel independent of a male driver. Fashion also continued down the path of development, and eventually the restrictions on women’s clothing rights lessened.
Location: Bayley Lane, Coventry, CV1 5RN
Cost: [Update] As of 30 June 2019, the museum is no longer free. Admission cost for adults is £14, concessions £10.50 and 5-16 year olds £7.00. Coventry residents are eligible for free entry. Check their website for more information and prices (such as family tickets or the 4D Land Speed Record Simulator).
Opening Hours: The Coventry Transport Museum is open every day of the year except December 24-26 and January 1. They are open 10:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:30.
So… Is there food there?
What a totally reasonable question! The truth is, Jermey and I ate every single one of our meals at our friend’s house because the option was there and we wanted to save money. However! While in the city, at the behest of said friends, we did dine at a certain ice cream parlour…
Sprinkles: Ice cream is wonderful. It cures all. Sprinkles serves the best kind of ice cream: gelato. They have plenty of choice if you’re into that kind of thing, and plenty of traditional flavours. Personally, the mint was too milky, but that’s okay because I like fruity gelato, too. Their green apple and watermelon were super tasty and left me happy. Jeremy enjoyed his salted caramel. If you are in the city to visit ANY of the aforementioned Coventry attractions, you may as well drop by seeing as it’s in the middle of them all, nice and conveniently located right next to the bus station. It’s a must, obviously!
Location: Old Fire Station Hales Street | Old Fire Station, Coventry CV1 1JA
Hours: Mon-Fri: 11-23:00; Sat-Sun: 10-00:00
Where to Stay in Coventry
Coventry makes for the perfect day trip, but we would also recommend staying overnight if you can to fit a bit more in and see in more fantastic Coventry attractions. Which means, when you’re not enjoying all the amazing things to do in Coventry you’re going to need somewhere to stay. Jeremy and I were fortunate to be able to stay with friends. However, if you are planning a trip and need a place to stay, here are a few hotels you might want to consider.
Coombe Abbey Hotel: Housed in a 12th-century Cistercian abbey, this gorgeous hotel is the perfect spot for a weekend getaway. Honestly, you might not even want to leave the grounds once you see it. Located a 15 minute drive from Coventry, it’s 500 acres of peace and quiet. Guests can get traditional British afternoon tea in the Garden Bar, and if you stay on the weekend, they host a medieval banquet each week. Rooms come equipped with tea and coffee, private ensuite bathrooms, hair and dryer, satellite TV, WiFi and a view! Prices start at £79.
Ramada Hotel & Suites: Just a 10 minute walk from the Coventry rail station, the Ramada hotel is one of the most centrally and conveniently located accommodations in the city. All the rooms are ensuite with coffee making facilities and A/C. Breakfast is available for an extra cost. Prices start at £59 per night.
The Loft at Coventry: This is a fully serviceable apartment so that you can enjoy the comforts of home while on holiday. The loft has two bedrooms, both with double beds, a full kitchen, two plush leather sofas and even a desk if you need to get some extra work done. There’s even a washing machine available if you plan on staying longer. Teas and coffees and other amenities are provided. Prices start at £100 per night.
Book The Loft at Coventry –> If you’re new to AirBnb & use our link to sign up, you’ll even get £25 off your first booking over £75!
LOOKING FOR MORE TO DO IN ENGLAND OFF THE BEATEN PATH?
– Visiting Crowland: A Hidden Gem in the UK
– East Grinstead Museum: A History of the Town That Didn’t Stare
– Sheffield Street Art Will Knock Your Socks Off!
We also have several travel guides for the cities of London and Norwich.
Have you been to Coventry? Did you check out any of these fun things to do in Coventry? Ever been to a city that’s been almost completely rebuilt? Let us know in the comments!
