Coventry

Coventry, a large metropolitan city in the West Midlands region of England, is known for the Coventry Cathedral and a place of peace. Each year, Coventry holds an annual month of peace. It is also known for being located the farthest from the English coastline than any other English city.

You'll want to visit Coventry Cathedral, the largest tourist attraction in Coventry. The building actually consists of several structures, some of which are just shells of the original building. The original building, now a ruin, was built in the late 14th centuary, and in it's day was the largest parish church in England. It was bombed by the German Luftwaffe in 1940, and now, only the tower, spire and outer wall remain. Services are still sometimes performed in these ruins. A new cathedral was built in 1962 next to the old one. Inside is a stained glass window which occupies the full height of one wall, and the famous Christ in Glory tapestry by Graham Sutherland.

Coventry is also known as a city of cars, and another major tourist attraction to visit is the Coventry Transport Museum which has the largest collection of British designed road vehicles in the world. Outside the museum is the "Whittle Arch", two huge metal arches commemorating Frank Whittle, the Royal Air Force officer who invented the jet engine. Once inside the museum, you can see the Thrust2 and the ThrustSSC which are jet powered world speed record-breaking cars. The Thrust2 was a jet propelled car and reached a top speed of 633 miles per hour in 1983. The ThrustSSC -- which stands for 'super sonic car' and reached 763 miles per hour in 1997. These 'cars' actually look nothing like cars, but like jet planes. The entire exhibit is impressive and you can't beat the price: free.

There are many other places to visit for the history seeker. Kenilworth Castle, in neighboring Kenilworth, is one of the largest ruins in England. Calling it a ruin doesn't give credit to this impressive place. Most of the walls are still standing, and it is still possible to see the immensity of original castle. The gardens outside are beautifully manicured tudor gardens, complete with a living maze you can get lost in. Kenilworth castle is also very facilitating to children. Admission for adults is £4.95 for adults and £2.50 for children.

Coventry also has plenty of sports entertainment venues. They have a football club, a hockey team, a basketball team and a rugby team as well as a speedway, ice skating and horse racing.

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See a Map of Coventry