subject: Coventry Through The Ages - An Ancient City [print this page] Coventry is a very large town in England and is one of the largest cities in the Midlands. This city is the farthest from any of the coasts in the country and is not considered a core cities group because it is too close to Birmingham. This town was the first to twin with another city. Coventry was twinned with what is now known as Volgograd.
The history of Coventry far predates the history of any other nearby city. It is though that the geology of the area was very favorable for settlement as the bowl shape of the city center and the abundant water and food nearby was very favorable. The surrounding soil is very fertile and good for agriculture and there were plenty of forest and woods for hunting.
There was once a roman settlement as well as a Saxon nunnery and Benedictine monastery. Eventually a market occurred at the abbey gates and the settlement began to grow. Coventry was very important in the cloth trade during the Middle Ages and was considered one of the most important spots in England. During the 18th and 19th century Coventry has one of the three watch and clock manufacturers in England. This industry was prosperous until the Swiss became prominent.
Several bicycles were invented in Coventry and their production eventually lead to the development of motor vehicles. At one time there were over 100 different car producers in the area that had processing plant in Coventry. The last car manufacturer closed its doors in 2006 but many car companies still have headquarters in Coventry.
A popular tourist attraction in town is St. Michael's Cathedral and it is also one of the best known landmarks. Much of the cathedral was destroyed during bombing raids in World war II but a few sections of the cathedral can still be seen, mainly the spire and outer wall. There is a new Coventry Cathedral located right next to the ruins, designed by Basil Spence.
The Coventry Transport Museum is another popular tourist destination as this contains the largest collection of road vehicles that were all made in England. The museum holds several world speed record breaking cars. In the center of the city is the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum and is found in a reconstructed Roman fort.
Coventry is referred to in many famous works of drama and literature. George Eliot modeled her novel Middlemarch off of Coventry. The Coventry carol is named after the city and this carol was performed in on to the Coventry Cycle Mystery Plays. Coventry also has many venues for the arts such as the Warwick Arts centre and the Belgrade Theatre.
