Coventry

Coventry is a metropolitan district in the West Midlands centred on the city of Coventry. The layout mixes a medieval core with post-war reconstruction: the ruins of the 14th-century cathedral sit beside the 20th-century replacement, and timber-framed buildings salvaged and re-erected on Spon Street survive within the rebuilt centre. The cityscape records the impact of the 1940 bombing raids; some streets and public buildings date from the immediate reconstruction period that followed.

Industry and transport shape the district. Coventry has a long history in vehicle and cycle manufacture, reflected in the Transport Museum’s collections and in surviving factory sites. The A4053 ring road encircles the centre and the River Sherbourne runs through parts of the city, passing below streets in culverts before reaching open water. The University of Warwick campus lies to the south of the urban core and the council area includes both dense neighbourhoods and suburban edges, with civic services, theatres and markets serving the city and adjoining communities.