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Published: July 25th 2019
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Chikyu no Arukikata (Japanese Globe-Trotter Travel Guidebook) shows a beautiful photo of Coventry Cathedral. Looking at the photo closely, it looks as though two buildings had been merged – the ruined one on the left and the modern one on the right – these two contrast buildings made me interest in visiting Coventry.
We had heard that Virgin train, high speed train, would take us to Coventry; we paid quite a lot of money for its journey. The high speed train was punctual and offered us comfortable journey, and brought us to the destination just after the lunch time on 18 July. The spire of Coventry Cathedral was visible from the station. Following signs, we walked towards the cathedral.
As a picture shown Chikyu no Arukitaka, cobbled streets and all the buildings around the Cathedral looked very historic and well-preserved and were shown great contrast with modern concrete buildings around the station and shopping district and Coventry University.
We firstly set foot on the ruined medieval cathedral site. Like other medieval monasteries, this 14
th century cathedral experienced the dissolution as a result of Henry VIII’s reformation in the mid 16
th century, but
this cathedral was re-built to its former glory at the beginning of the 20
th century. However, Coventry had a large number of military factories and the cathedral and the town were largely burnt and destroyed by air-raids in 1940. The ruined cathedral was remained as a memory of the war. By strolling through the nave on the ruined cathedral and looking at damage – smashed windows, loss of columns ruined reliefs on the fringes, we could see horrors and cruelty of countless air-raids in November 1940. This ruined cathedral was as equivalent as Hiroshima’s atomic bomb Hall; we saw the bronze sculpture of ‘reconciliation’, which was donated by the city mayor of Hiroshima.
We then moved to Coventry Cathedral, which was newly built in 1950s alongside the ruined one. We learned that construction of the 1950s cathedral was used the same local stone, dark-red bricks, as the previous medieval cathedral. The modern cathedral possessed a wealth of artworks and fascinating interior – West Glass Screen with figures of the Old Testaments, Evangelists, and Saints associated with the British Isles; the mighty tapestry designed by Graham Sutherland; the rainbow coloured baptistery window; the irregular shapes of the altar
Coventry Cathdral
Mark was standing on the back of ruined cathedral and modern cathedral. cross designed by Geoffrey Clarke; and the Chapel of Christ in Gethsemane.
Afterwards, we walked down the steps and took photos of two contrast buildings: ruined cathedral and the modern cathedral.
Next, we visited Herbert Art Gallery & Museum on the southeast of the cathedral. Herbert Art Gallery & Museum housed a wealth of archaeological collections and treasures from Prehistory to Tudor & Stuart periods and extensive collections of objects – everything from photographs to coins and medals, domestic items and furniture – which charts the history and development of Coventry. I found it interesting to see collections and documents related to George Elliot. We then went upstairs and looked around exhibition rooms for visual arts collection. We saw Old Masters including Elizabethan portraits and huge paintings of Bacchus and fascinating collections of British Life and Landscape – we saw the works by LS Lowry, Stanley Spencer, David Bombery and Paul Nash, Henry Moore, David Hockney and Prunella Crough. We also enjoyed seeing historic paintings of Godiva and exhibitions of Peace and Reconciliations.
Afterwards, we went to St Mary’s Guildhall on the narrow, winding lanes of Coventry’s historic Cathedral Quarter. Looking
at exterior and interior of the overall building complex, I can claim that this medieval building was one of the finest, best -preserved one in Britain. We were shown several rooms and amazed at conditions of medieval hall and rooms – we saw very well-preserved 15
th century stained glass and 15
th century tapestry and very atmospheric timber roof in the Great Hall, which was said that hosted King Henry VI’s court during the War of Roses and a stage of William Shakespeare, and provides a venue for wedding reception at present days. I learned that this guildhall was first built between 1340 and 1342, and enlarged and altered over the period of the time. Despite the concentrated air-raids attacks of November 1940, this guildhall miraculously survived, together with the fact that all the historic decorations – stained glass, tapestry, carved wooden bosses – had been stored for safety. A lot of restoration was carried out after the Second World War.
We then visited Holy Trinity Church. This church had a stunning medieval painting of the Last Judgement.
Mark found that a statue of lady Godiva standing on the square of the shopping district and
Spon Street
These timber-framed buildings were built by weavers in the medieval period. several medieval buildings on Spon Street. We walked through the shopping district and reached Spon Street. Like Cotswolds villages, Coventry gained wealth through weaver industry. There were a lot of distinctive timber-framed buildings on Spon Street; these buildings have been converted into restaurants, jewellery shops and are attracting to local people and tourists.
Finally, we went back to the shopping district. We found Oxfam bookshop. I bought one of the classic books, ‘Redgauntlet’ by Sir Walter Scott, which describes history of England and Scottish border.
With the terminal of high speed train, there were a lot of stylish modern buildings around the station. Coventry showed mixture of well-preserved medieval buildings and newly designed modern buildings.
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