Coventry Cathedral Ruins

The Coventry Cathedral Ruins are the remnants of the second Cathedral to serve Coventry, the first being demolished in 1539 due to Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries. The second, known as the Church of St. Michael’s, was built before this but it was designated as a Cathedral much later in 1918. At 90 metres high, the spire is the tallest structure in Coventry and it is also the third tallest Cathedral Spire in England, after Salisbury Cathedral and Norwich Cathedral. The spire is also home to 12 bells, and there are 181 steps to walk up to get to the panoramic views of Coventry which can be seen from the top. On the main floor of the ruins, there are numerous memorials, one of the most prominent being the Charred Cross which is where the altar used to be. Near to this is the Coventry Blitz Museum which is accessible in what used to be known as St. Michael’s Hall, situated below the altar. Some of the stained glass is still present in some of the former windows of the cathedral too. Another prominent memorial is the Reconciliation statue, installed in 1977 in the former nave of the Cathedral. Due to similar bombing campaigns employed by the Allies towards the end of the Second World War, the people of Coventry established links with some German cities such as Dresden and Kiel, of which the Cathedral gifted the city of Kiel a cross. The Coventry Cross of Nails was employed as a symbol of Peace and Reconciliation, the original cross was made out of three large nails which were salvaged from the roof of the cathedral after the bombing.