Coventry Cathedral Church of St Michael, on Priory Street in the city centre, is one of the most distinctive religious buildings in Britain. The cathedral that stands today was consecrated on 25 May 1962, designed by architect Basil Spence and built alongside the shell of its medieval predecessor, which was gutted by German bombing in November 1940. The juxtaposition of the ruined old cathedral and the new building is deliberate – the two structures are treated as a single whole, with the ruins left open to the sky as a permanent memorial to the destruction of war.
The Building and Its Architect
Basil Spence won the commission through an open competition in 1951, and his design was considered bold and unconventional for its time. The new cathedral is constructed largely from pink sandstone quarried in Scotland, and its interior is immediately striking. A huge tapestry by Graham Sutherland dominates the far wall, and a baptistry window of stained glass fills the building with colour. The building holds a Grade I listed status, recognising its architectural and historic importance at the highest level.
Visiting Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral is open to visitors and is fully wheelchair accessible, making it one of the more welcoming heritage sites in the city. The ruins of the old St Michael’s Cathedral can be explored alongside the new building, and the famous Cross of Nails – fashioned from nails salvaged from the burned roof timbers – has become a widely recognised symbol of reconciliation. The cathedral is a short walk from Coventry railway station and sits close to the city’s main shopping and cultural quarter. More information is available through the cathedral’s official website.