Whatever your main reason for coming to Coventry Cathedral, there are many more. So allow a little extra time if you can: it'll be well spent.
Beautifully designed for services of worship and celebration, the unique nature of Coventry Cathedral gives us brilliant spaces for theatres shows, music concerts, art exhibitions and more. All on top of the wonder of the spaces themselves, their permanent works of art and many symbols of friendship, transformation and reconciliation.
Click on the links below to learn more about things to see and do at Coventry Cathedral.
(Looking for events and shows? Click here)
1. The Ruins
The Ruins are the remains of a medieval parish church. Hit directly by several incendiary bombs, the Cathedral burned with the city on the 14th November 1940.
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2. Tower Climb and Shop
Soaring over 100 metres high, this Gothic masterpiece survived the bombing and is now the third-tallest in England.
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3. The New Cathedral
Sir Basil Spence’s 1962 masterpiece embodies both the stark and the beautiful, to powerful effect.
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4. Tapestry of Christ in Glory
Designed by Graham Sutherland, this impressive tapestry was woven by hand on a 500 year old loom and was at one point the largest continuously woven tapestry in the world.
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5. Chapel of Unity
The principle of a Chapel of Unity binding the Church of England and the Free Churches together for Christian service in Coventry was born out of the sufferings of war and the ecumenical enthusiasm of the church leaders.
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6. Chapel of Christ in Gethsemane
This quiet, small chapel serves as a reminder of suffering and a place of prayer and contemplation, away from the focal point of the Cathedral.
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7. Baptistery Window
The masterpiece created by John Piper is made of 198 brightly coloured glass panels and measures 26 metres high.
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8. West Screen
The impressive large glass ‘west’ screen was designed and hand engraved by John Hutton over the course of 10 years, and features 66 figures depicting saints and angels.
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9. Chapel of Christ the Servant
Also known as the Chapel of Industry, because the surrounding buildings used all to be industrial
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10. The Nave
As well as housing the stunning Baptistery window, the Nave features five pairs of 25 metre high windows which reflect man's journey through life.
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11. John Laing Centre
Recently opened the John Laing Centre is primarily used for educational purposes.
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12. Chapter House
Not normally open to visitors, the Chapter House is used for film screenings.
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13. St. Michael's House
St. Michael's House is an early 18th. century townhouse which was rebuilt and restored after extensive bomb damage.
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14. Millennium Chapel
Home to a replica of the poignant Stalingrad Madonna, this chapel was created in 1990 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Coventry Blitz.
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15. St. Michael's Gallery
A treasure trove of Cathedral history, with fascinating artefacts from both the old and new Cathedrals.
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16. Unity Lawn
Providing a place to pause and be still, right in the heart of the city, for the public and visitors alike.
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17. Queen's Steps
The Queen's steps follow the route that the Queen took in 1956 when she laid the foundation stone of the New Cathedral.
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18. Lady Chapel
Nestled at the foot of Christ in Glory, the Lady Chapel provides a more intimate space for prayer and reflection.
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19. Provost Vestry
The Provost Vestry is used by clergy to robe, and for private meetings, and is not normally open to the public.
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20. Cathedral Organ
We have a whole page dedicated to our amazing organ including its history and how and when to hear it played.
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22. Blitz Museum
Travel back to wartime Coventry and learn all about life in the 1940s in our Blitz Museum. Located in the corner of the Cathedral Ruins, the Blitz Museum is a treasure trove of 1940's memorabilia and artefacts. Visitors will learn more about the Coventry Blitz on 14th November 1940 in our period school room, and will then travel through a typical house of the time and learn more about life in this era from one of our friendly and knowledgeable volunteers. Find out more about visiting the Blitz Museum
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The original Cathedral of St Michael was built between the late 14th and 15th centuries and was destroyed in the 1940 blitz on Coventry.
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Standing in unity next to the old cathedral, radiating both continuity and creativity
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Coventry Cathedral is recognised internationally as a centre of peace and reconciliation, we thank the Coventry Lord Mayor's Committee for Peace and Reconciliation for creating the Peace Trail guide for Coventry, with 13 of the destinations featured right here at the Cathedral.
Read more“You must visit Coventry Cathedral before anywhere else in the West Midlands. It is wonderful.”
