Coventry – the City
Aline writes: Coventry Cathedral is not the only church in Coventry – there are several other notable churches, as well as church ruins from Saxon times. For example, The Holy Trinity Church stands close to the cathedral – the first mention of this church is in 1113. It’s quite nice inside, but the most amazing thing is the medieval Doom painting (from the 1430’s), up on the arch near the roof. It was rediscovered in the 1800’s, and was restored in 2002. It’s quite far away, so this is the best picture we could get. Click on it to see a bigger version.
There are also excavations of a major Saxon church, and an undercroft of a Benedictine priory where they have found some bookbinding materials. This church was probably destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries during the 16th century. Henry VIII has a lot to answer for!
Earl Leofric and his wife Lady Godiva founded this priory church sometime around 1020. Yes, she of the famous naked ride. There is a statue of her in the town square.
And lest you think that Coventry is all churches, here is a little toy museum we visited. This was typical of little English museums. It was in a small historic building (this is the gatehouse to an old religious site), informal (the door was unlocked with no attendant – we turned on the lights and looked around. When we got upstairs, a man peeked his head around a curtain and asked us to turn of the lights when we were done), and eclectic. Ah, childhood memories!
Coventry also has a street of medieval building undestroyed by the bombing. Here is one nice example.
Finally there was a beautiful medieval guildhouse just up the street from the cathedral.
Here is the inner courtyard.
And we ate lunch in the undercroft.
Bill adds: While Aline went to an art museum, I went to the British Automotive Museum. Before the war, Coventry was home to numerous automobile manufacturers. The museum houses many examples of these, from old cars like these.
To new ones like one of the land speed record holders.
But my favorite part of the museum held a collection of bicycles. The earliest was this Hobby Horse (yes, that's where we get the phrase from) invented by a German forester named Baron Von Drais in 1818. It was used by wealthy people to parade in parks with. To operate it, you sat on the saddle to the left, draped your chest over the long padded bar, and steered with the the little wooden bar in the middle. As it had no pedals and chain connecting to either wagon wheel, you simply scooted with a skating motion. With practice you could move at nearly the same speed as if you were walking. Yes, well, perhaps this was used by wealthy people whose ancestors had married each other's cousins. And now I know why there's such an implication of the ridiculous about riding one's hobby horse.
There are also excavations of a major Saxon church, and an undercroft of a Benedictine priory where they have found some bookbinding materials. This church was probably destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries during the 16th century. Henry VIII has a lot to answer for!
Earl Leofric and his wife Lady Godiva founded this priory church sometime around 1020. Yes, she of the famous naked ride. There is a statue of her in the town square.
And lest you think that Coventry is all churches, here is a little toy museum we visited. This was typical of little English museums. It was in a small historic building (this is the gatehouse to an old religious site), informal (the door was unlocked with no attendant – we turned on the lights and looked around. When we got upstairs, a man peeked his head around a curtain and asked us to turn of the lights when we were done), and eclectic. Ah, childhood memories!
Coventry also has a street of medieval building undestroyed by the bombing. Here is one nice example.
Finally there was a beautiful medieval guildhouse just up the street from the cathedral.
Here is the inner courtyard.
And we ate lunch in the undercroft.
Bill adds: While Aline went to an art museum, I went to the British Automotive Museum. Before the war, Coventry was home to numerous automobile manufacturers. The museum houses many examples of these, from old cars like these.
To new ones like one of the land speed record holders.
But my favorite part of the museum held a collection of bicycles. The earliest was this Hobby Horse (yes, that's where we get the phrase from) invented by a German forester named Baron Von Drais in 1818. It was used by wealthy people to parade in parks with. To operate it, you sat on the saddle to the left, draped your chest over the long padded bar, and steered with the the little wooden bar in the middle. As it had no pedals and chain connecting to either wagon wheel, you simply scooted with a skating motion. With practice you could move at nearly the same speed as if you were walking. Yes, well, perhaps this was used by wealthy people whose ancestors had married each other's cousins. And now I know why there's such an implication of the ridiculous about riding one's hobby horse.
posted by Bill | 1:28 PM
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