THE ANCIENT CITY OF COVENTRY
Coventry started out as a Bronze Age settlement in the centre of what is the bowl shape of the city. This environment which included at the time, lakes and large rivers, mild weather and surrounding forest provided the conditions for human habitation. There was plenty of food and water along with materials to build shelter.
Coventry predates its neighbouring cities of Birmingham and Leicester. It is widely agreed by historians that the first significant settlement grew around a Saxon nunnery Circa 700 AD by St Osburga.
Coventry's name is thought to have originated from a Saxon called Cofa. This character marked his boundary with a tree and so the name Cofantreo emerged. Over time this spelling evolved into cofastree , Coventria, Coventrev, Covintry and eventually Coventry.
Coventry was granted a royal "Charter of Incorporation" in 1345 by King Edward III which was the first municipal charter of its kind in England. Coventry was now a City.
Coventry became the fourth largest and best defended city in England and was only surpassed in size and wealth by York, Bristol and London. In 1451 Coventry was granted County status by King Henry VI in gratitude for offering him safety from an uprising by the men of Kent. "The County of the City of Coventry" would carry this status until 1842. Coventry then returned to the County of Warwickshire.
Due to mental illness suffered by King Henry VI, his wife Queen Margaret effectively took charge and moved the Royal Court to Coventry. She felt that the heavily protected city with its town wall and fortifications was the safest place to be.
Coventry was now the seat of power and effectively, the Capital City of England. This was to last until 1461.
Coventry's wealth came from agriculture and this evolved into the textile industry. Indeed the city's suburbs are made up of villages and areas such as Allesley, Earlsdon, Longford, Keresley, Tile Hill and other areas still have a village feel about them.
As the centuries passed the city was to become world famous for watch making, cycle manufacture, motor cycles, motor vehicles, machine tools, armaments, aircraft manufacture and telecommunications. The city became a magnet for migrants from all over the UK and the world. Today many people in Coventry have ancestral roots outside of Coventry .
At the peak of Coventry's boom times the population was close to 370,000 in the 1970's.
Coventry still has many working farms in the city boundary and it only takes a 15 minute drive from the city centre to see fields with grazing sheep and cattle. The city has beautiful green space and the Royal Agricultural Society of England is based at the National Agricultural Centre in Stoneleigh, where the river Sowe joins the river Avon as it flows on towards Warwick and Stratford upon Avon.
There is a threat to this wonderful green space however. Central government and local government want to build 30,000 dwellings on the farm fields and green belt in and around Coventry. Local protest groups are growing and gaining strength. There are fears that the city is in danger of becoming just a part of an urban sprawl stretching from Cannock Chase moorland to the north of Birmingham to South of Rugby. The people in power seem to be very determined to accomplish this.
Today the population is about 320,000 although nobody knows for sure, and the city is now the second largest in the Midlands, the 9th largest in England and the 11th largest in the UK.
Coventry as a City of Peace and Reconciliation
Coventry is known as the ‘city of peace and reconciliation' because of the world-famous mission and ministry for reconciliation of Coventry Cathedral, whose 50th anniversary coincides with The Olympic Games in 2012. The City, Coventry University and the newly refurbished Herbert Art Gallery all have peace themes alongside the Cathedral. The Herbert Gallery will host an interactive exhibition on a universal theme of ‘peace and reconciliation'. The approach will be international and non-sectarian: reflecting the interests of international visitors and also of Coventry's diverse population. Meanwhile Coventry Cathedral is undergoing a major restructuring of its visitor experience and facilities to prepare for its Jubilee year in 2012. The theme of the Jubilee is ‘peace and reconciliation'. It is anticipated that senior members of the UK Royal Family and dignitaries from many other countries will attend services at the Cathedral in 2012.
There are two universities in Coventry, The University of Warwick and Coventry University. Both universities are growing and bring thousands of students to the city.
For a detailed history of Coventry visit HISTORIC COVENTRY.
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