View source for Coventry

{{Short description|Cathedral city in the West Midlands, England}}
{{about|the city in England}}
{{Use British English | date = July 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Coventry
| settlement_type    = [[City status in the United Kingdom|City]] and [[metropolitan borough]]
<!-- images and maps --------------->| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
| border           = infobox
| total_width      = 290
| image_style      = Coventry city centre
| perrow = 1/2/2/2
| image1 = Coventry City Centre (2020) cropped a bit.jpg
| caption1 = Coventry city centre
| image2 = Coventry_Cathedral_2018.jpg
| caption2 = [[Coventry Cathedral|Cathedral]]
| image3 = Whittle Arch.jpg
| caption3 = [[Whittle Arch]] 
| image4 = The Council House, Coventry (Cropped).jpg
| caption4 = [[Council House, Coventry|Council House]]
| image5 = Coventry_Transport_Museum_(1).jpg
| caption5 = [[Coventry Transport Museum|Transport Museum]]
| image6 = Site of Spon Gate (geograph 7030634).jpg
| caption6 = [[Spon Street]]
| image7 = The Upper Precinct (geograph 7197058).jpg
| caption7 = The Precinct
 }}
| imagesize          = 280px
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = Coventry city flag.svg
| flag_size          = 130px
| image_blank_emblem = Coat of Arms of Coventry City Council.svg
| blank_emblem_size  = 90px
| blank_emblem_type  = Coat of arms
| image_map          = Coventry UK locator map.svg
| map_caption        = Shown within the [[West Midlands (county)]]
| pushpin_map        = UK England#UK#Europe
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within England##Location within the United Kingdom##Location within Europe
| pushpin_relief     = 1
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Sovereign state]]
| subdivision_name   = United Kingdom
| subdivision_type1  = [[Countries of the United Kingdom|Country]]
| subdivision_name1  = England
| subdivision_type2  = [[Regions of England|Region]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Ceremonial counties of England|Ceremonial county]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]]
| subdivision_type4  = [[Historic counties of England|Historic county]]
| subdivision_name4  = [[Warwickshire]]
| subdivision_type5  = Administrative HQ
| subdivision_name5  = [[Council House, Coventry|Council House]]
| government_type    = [[Metropolitan borough]]
| governing_body     = [[Coventry City Council]]
| leader_title       = [[Executive arrangements#Leader and cabinet|Leadership]]
| leader_name        = [[Local Government Act 2000#Options for council executive forms|Leader and cabinet]]
| leader_title1      = [[List of mayors of Coventry|Lord Mayor]]
| leader_name1       = Mal Mutton<ref>{{cite web |title=Lord Mayor of Coventry |url=https://www.coventry.gov.uk/lord-mayor/lord-mayor-coventry |website=Coventry City Council |access-date=20 November 2023}}</ref>
| leader_title2      = [[Leader of the Council|Council Leader]]
| leader_name2       = George Duggins [[Labour Party (UK)|(L)]]
| leader_title3      = [[Chief executive (head of government)|Chief Executive]]
| leader_name3       = Julie Nugent
| leader_title4      = [[List of MPs elected in the 2024 United Kingdom general election|MPs]]
| leader_name4       = [[Mary Creagh]] [[Labour Party (UK)|(L)]]<br />[[Taiwo Owatemi]] [[Labour Party (UK)|(L)]]<br />[[Zarah Sultana]] [[Independent politician|(Ind)]]
| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = 1043
| founder            = [[Leofric, Earl of Mercia]]
| area_total_km2     = 98.64
| coordinates        = {{coord|52|24|29|N|1|30|38|W|region:GB_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| population_total   = 345,324<ref name="census2021">{{cite web |title=Coventry Local Authority 2021 Census Area Profile|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021/report?compare=E08000026|website=Office for National Statistics |access-date=10 December 2023}}</ref>
| population_metro   = 651,600<ref name="appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu">{{cite web |url=http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/data/database/-/data.general.urb |title=Population on 1 January by age groups and sex – functional urban areas |access-date=5 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629143322/http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/data/database/-/data.general.urb |archive-date=29 June 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| population_demonyms = Coventrian<br />Coventarian
| timezone           = [[Greenwich Mean Time]]
| utc_offset         = +0
| timezone_DST       = [[British Summer Time]]
| utc_offset_DST     = +1
| population_as_of         = 2021
| population_density_km2   = 4,390
|<!-- demographics (section 1) -->
| demographics_type1      = Ethnicity <span style="font-weight:normal;">([[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]])</span>
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="2021 Nomis">{{NOMIS2021|id=E08000026|title=Coventry Local Authority|access-date=19 June 2025}}</ref>
| demographics1_title1    = [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|Ethnic groups]]
| demographics1_info1     =
 {{Collapsible list
 | 65.2% [[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]
 | 18.7% [[British Asians|Asian]]
 | 9% [[Black British people|Black]]
 | 3.4% [[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|Mixed]]
 | 3% [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|other]]
 | 0.7% [[Arabs in the United Kingdom|Arab]]
 }}
<!-- demographics (section 2) -->
| demographics_type2      = Religion <span style="font-weight:normal;">(2021)</span>
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="2021 Nomis"/>
| demographics2_title1    = [[Religion in England|Religion]]
| demographics2_info1     = 
 {{Collapsible list
 | 46.6% [[Religion in England#Christianity|Christianity]]
 | 31.6% [[Irreligion in the United Kingdom|no religion]]
 | 11.1% [[Islam in England|Islam]]
 | 5.3% [[Sikhism in England|Sikhism]]
 | 4.3% [[Hinduism in England|Hinduism]]
 | 0.6% [[Religion in England|other]]
 | 0.4% [[Buddhism in England|Buddhism]]
 | 0.1% [[History of the Jews in England|Judaism]]
 }}
| postal_code_type   = Postcode
| postal_code        = [[CV postcode area|CV]]
| area_code          = 024
| blank_name         = [[ISO 3166-2:GB|ISO 3166-2]]
| blank_info         = GB-COV
| blank1_name        = [[ONS coding system|ONS code]]
| blank1_info        = 00CQ (ONS)<br />E08000026 (GSS)
| blank2_name        = [[British national grid reference system|OS grid reference]]
| blank2_info        = {{gbmappingsmall|SP335785}}
| blank3_name        = [[Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics|NUTS]] 3
| blank3_info        = UKG33
| website            = {{URL|https://coventry.gov.uk}}
| module             = {{infobox mapframe
|zoom=9}}
| footnotes          = Click the map for an interactive fullscreen view
| official_name      = City of Coventry
 | parts_type               = Areas of the city
 | p1                       = [[Alderman's Green]]
 | p2                       = [[Allesley]] (Parish)
 | p3                       = [[Ash Green, Warwickshire|Ash Green]]
 | p4                       = [[Ball Hill]]
 | p5                       = [[Bannerbrook Park]]
 | p6                       = [[Bell Green]]
 | p7                       = [[Binley, Coventry|Binley]]
 | p8                       = [[Bishopsgate Green]]
 | p10                      = [[Brownshill Green]]
 | p11                       = [[Canley]]
 | p12                       = [[Cannon Park]]
 | p13                      = [[Chapelfields, Coventry|Chapelfields]]
 | p14                      = [[Cheylesmore]]
 | p15                       = [[Coundon, Coventry|Coundon]]
 | p16                       = [[Courthouse Green]]
 | p17                       = [[Daimler Green]]
 | p18                       = [[Earlsdon, Coventry|Earlsdon]]
 | p19                       = [[Eastern Green]]
 | p20                       = [[Edgwick]]
 | p21                       = [[Ernesford Grange]]
 | p22                       = [[Finham]] (Parish)
 | p23                       = [[Foleshill]]
 | p24                       = [[Gibbet Hill (University of Warwick)|Gibbet Hill]]
 | p25                       = [[Great Heath]]
 | p26                       = [[Hearsall Common]]
 | p27                       = [[Henley Green]]
 | p28                       = [[Hillfields]]
 | p29                      = [[Holbrooks]]
 | p30                       = [[Keresley]] (Parish)
 | p31                       = [[Little Heath, Coventry|Little Heath]]
 | p32                       = [[Longford, Coventry|Longford]]
 | p33                       = [[Mount Nod]]
 | p34                       = [[Potters Green]]
 | p35                       = [[Radford, Coventry|Radford]]
 | p36                      = [[Spon End]]
 | p37                       = [[Stoke Heath, Coventry|Stoke Heath]]
 | p38                       = [[Stoke Aldermoor]]
 | p39                       = [[Stivichall]]
 | p40                      = [[Tile Hill]]
 | p41                       = [[Toll Bar End]]
 | p42                       = [[Walsgrave]]
 | p43                       = [[Westwood Heath]]
 | p44                       = [[Whitley, Coventry|Whitley]]
 | p45                       = [[Whitmore Park]]
 | p46                       = [[Whoberley]]
 | p47                      = [[Willenhall, Coventry|Willenhall]]
 | p48                       = [[Wood End, Coventry|Wood End]]
 | p49                       = [[Wyken]]
}}
'''Coventry''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=en-uk-Coventry.ogg|ˈ|k|ɒ|v|ən|t|r|i}} {{respell|KOV|ən|tree}}<ref>{{cite book |title= Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary |editor1-last= Roach |editor1-first= Peter |editor2-last= Hartman |editor2-first= James |editor3-last= Setter |editor3-first= Jane |editor4-last= Jones |editor4-first= Daniel |editor4-link= Daniel Jones (phonetician) |year= 2006 |publisher= CUP |location= Cambridge |edition= 17th |isbn= 978-0-521-68086-8 |url-access= registration |url= https://archive.org/details/englishpronounci00dani }}</ref> or rarely {{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ʌ|v|-}} {{respell|KUV|-}})<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/Coventry |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423174905/https://www.lexico.com/definition/Coventry |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 April 2021 |title=Coventry |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> is a [[City status in the United Kingdom|cathedral city]] and [[metropolitan borough]] in the [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]] county, in [[England]], on the [[River Sherbourne]]. Coventry had been a large settlement for centuries. Founded in the early [[Middle Ages]], its city status was formally recognised in a charter of 1345.<ref>[http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT3/H6/CP40no764/aCP40no764fronts/IMG_0630.htm Coventry city charter in Latin], aalt.law.uh.edu. Accessed 11 December 2022.</ref> The city is governed by [[Coventry City Council]], and the [[West Midlands Combined Authority]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wmca.org.uk/who-we-are/ | title=Who we are }}</ref>

[[Historic counties of England|Formerly]] part of [[Warwickshire]] until 1451, and again from 1842 to 1974, Coventry had a population of 345,324 at the 2021 census,<ref name="census2021"/> making it the tenth largest city in England and the 13th largest in the United Kingdom.<ref>[[List of English districts by population]] based on [https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/mid2018 ONS mid-year population estimates for 2018] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008104805/https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/mid2018 |date=8 October 2019 }}: Coventry is the '''9th'''-largest city by population in England and the '''11th'''-largest city in the UK proper with a 2018 mid-year estimated population of 366,785 (and a 2011 Census population of 316,915). This is after '''London''' (1st: 8,908,081), '''Birmingham''' (2nd: 1,141,374), '''Leeds''' (3rd: 789,194), '''Glasgow''' (Scotland) (4th: 626,410), '''Sheffield''' (5th: 582,506), '''Manchester''' (6th: 547,627), '''Bradford''' (7th: 537,173), '''Edinburgh''' (Scotland) (8th: 518,500), '''Liverpool''' (9th: 494,814), '''Bristol''' (10th: 463,405), '''Coventry''' (11th: 366,785). (This is followed by '''Cardiff''' (Wales) (12th: 364,248) and '''Leicester''' (13th: 355,218).)</ref>

It is the second largest city in the [[West Midlands (region)|West Midlands region]], after [[Birmingham]], from which it is separated by an area of [[Green belt (United Kingdom)|green belt]] known as the [[Meriden Gap]]; and is the third largest in the wider [[Midlands]] after Birmingham and [[Leicester]]. The city is part of a larger [[conurbation]] known as the [[Coventry and Bedworth Urban Area]], which in 2021 had a population of 389,603.<ref name="citpopCovBed">{{cite web |title=United Kingdom: Urban Areas in England |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/cities/englandua/?cityid=7136 |publisher=Citypulation |access-date=14 September 2022}}</ref>

Coventry is {{convert|19|mi|km}} east-south-east of [[Birmingham]], {{convert|24|mi|km}} south-west of Leicester, {{convert|10|mi|km}} north of [[Warwick]] and {{convert|94|mi|km}} north-west of [[London]]. Coventry is also the most central city in England, being only {{convert|12|mi|km}} south-west of the country's geographical centre in [[Leicestershire]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://distancecalculator.globefeed.com/UK_Distance_Result.asp?fromplace=Lindley%20Hall%20Farms%2C%20Nuneaton%2C%20UK&toplace=Coventry%2C%20UK&dt1=ChIJ8ecOmp1Rd0gRRQSdOHqG91o&dt2=ChIJtyJuZVGxcEgRiQZPVvVg9gQ&sr=dc | title=Distance between Lindley Hall Farms, Nuneaton, UK and Coventry, UK (UK) | access-date=17 October 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018003100/https://distancecalculator.globefeed.com/UK_Distance_Result.asp?fromplace=Lindley%20Hall%20Farms%2C%20Nuneaton%2C%20UK&toplace=Coventry%2C%20UK&dt1=ChIJ8ecOmp1Rd0gRRQSdOHqG91o&dt2=ChIJtyJuZVGxcEgRiQZPVvVg9gQ&sr=dc | archive-date=18 October 2018 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-leicestershire-22901222 | title=Plaque marks new centre of England | work=BBC News | access-date=17 October 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111103954/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-leicestershire-22901222/new-centre-of-england-marked-in-fenny-drayton | archive-date=11 November 2018 | url-status=live }}</ref>

Coventry became an important and wealthy city of national importance during the [[Middle Ages]]. Later it became an important industrial centre, becoming home to a large [[bicycle]] industry in the 19th century. In the 20th century, it became a major centre of the [[British motor industry]]; this made it a target for German [[The Blitz|air raid]]s during the [[Second World War]], and in November 1940, much of the historic city centre was destroyed by a [[Coventry Blitz|large air raid]].

The city was rebuilt after the war, and the motor industry thrived until the mid-1970s. However, by the late 1970s and early 1980s, Coventry was in an economic crisis, with one of the country's highest levels of unemployment due to major plant closures and the collapse of the respective local supply-chain. In recent years, it has seen regeneration and an increase in population. The city also has three universities: [[Coventry University]] in the city centre, the [[University of Warwick]] on the southern outskirts and the smaller [[Private university|private]] [[Arden University]] with its headquarters close to [[Coventry Airport]]. In addition, Coventry was awarded [[UK City of Culture]] for 2021.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42272675|title=UK City of Culture 2021: Coventry wins|date=7 December 2017|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|access-date=7 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207193837/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42272675|archive-date=7 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=LLoyd|first=Matt|date=27 July 2020|title=Inspirational film launches new City of Culture brand|url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/inspirational-film-charting-coventrys-history-18664093|access-date=18 August 2020|website=CoventryLive|archive-date=30 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730053136/https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/inspirational-film-charting-coventrys-history-18664093|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Uncommon's modular Coventry City of Culture identity references the city's brutalist history|url=https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/uncommon-coventry-city-of-culture-identity-graphic-design-280720|access-date=18 August 2020|website=itsnicethat.com|archive-date=6 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806222740/https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/uncommon-coventry-city-of-culture-identity-graphic-design-280720|url-status=live}}</ref>

==History==
<!-- NOTE: this is intended to be a summary of Coventry's history. Please put detailed history in the main History of Coventry article -->
{{Main|History of Coventry}}

===Origins and toponymy===
The [[Roman Britain|Romans]] founded a large [[fort]] on the outskirts of what is now Coventry at [[Baginton]], next to the [[River Sowe]]; it has been excavated and partially reconstructed in modern times and is known as the [[Lunt Fort]]. The fort was probably constructed around AD 60 in connection with the [[Boudican revolt]] and then inhabited sporadically until around 280 AD.<ref name="Lunt UoW">{{cite web |title=The Development and History of Lunt Fort |url=https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/classics/warwickclassicsnetwork/romancoventry/resources/lunt/development/ |publisher=University of Warwick |access-date=4 September 2022}}</ref>

The origins of the present settlement are obscure, but Coventry probably began as an [[Anglo-Saxon]] settlement. Although there are various theories of the origin of the name, the most widely accepted is that it was derived from ''Cofa's tree''; derived from a Saxon landowner called ''Cofa'', and a tree which might have marked either the centre or the boundary of the settlement.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=11–14}}

===Medieval===
[[File:St Mary's guildhall, Bayley Lane - geograph.org.uk - 886437.jpg|thumb|upright|[[St Mary's Guildhall]], dating from the 14th century, one of the surviving medieval buildings in Coventry]]

Around {{circa| AD&nbsp;700}} a Saxon nunnery was founded here by [[St Osburg's Church, Coventry|St Osburga]],<ref>[http://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/history/history.php#arden Coventry's beginnings in the Forest of Arden] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120101003627/http://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/history/history.php#arden |date=1 January 2012 }} Retrieved 29 September 2008</ref> which was later left in ruins by [[Canute the Great|King Canute]]'s invading [[Danes (Germanic tribe)|Danish]] army in 1016.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=11–14}} [[Leofric, Earl of Mercia]] and his wife [[Lady Godiva]] built on the remains of the nunnery and founded a [[Order of Saint Benedict|Benedictine]] [[monastery]] in 1043 dedicated to St Mary.<ref>{{harvnb|Fox|1957|p=3}}</ref><ref>[http://www.coventrycathedral.org.uk/History.html The history of Coventry Cathedral on the cathedral's website] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014182646/http://www.coventrycathedral.org.uk/History.html |date=14 October 2008 }} Retrieved on 28 September 2008</ref> It was during this time that the [[Lady Godiva#Legend|legend]] of Lady Godiva riding naked on horseback through the streets of Coventry, to protest against unjust taxes levied on the citizens of Coventry by her husband, was alleged to have occurred. Although this story is regarded as a myth by modern historians, it has become an enduring part of Coventry's identity.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=16–20}}

A market was established at the abbey gates and the settlement expanded. At the time of the [[Norman Conquest]] in 1066, Coventry was probably a modest sized town of around 1,200 inhabitants, and its own [[Minster (church)|minster]] church.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=11–14}}

[[Coventry Castle]] was a [[motte and bailey castle]] in the city. It was built in the early 12th&nbsp;century by [[Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester]]. Its first known use was during [[The Anarchy]] when [[Robert Marmion (died 1144)|Robert Marmion]], a supporter of [[Stephen, King of England|King Stephen]], expelled the monks from the adjacent [[St Mary's Priory and Cathedral|priory of Saint Mary]] in 1144, and converted it into a fortress from which he waged a battle against the castle which was held by the Earl. Marmion perished in the battle.<ref>Davis, R. H. C., and Robert Bearman. "An Unknown Coventry Charter." The English Historical Review, vol. 86, no. 340, 1971, pp. 535. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/562717 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190824165206/https://www.jstor.org/stable/562717 |date=24 August 2019 }}.</ref> It was demolished in the late 12th&nbsp;century.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=28–34}} [[St Mary's Guildhall]] was built on part of the site. It is assumed the name "Broadgate" comes from the area around the castle gates.

The Bishops of [[Anglican Bishopric of Lichfield|Lichfield]] were often referred to as the Bishops of Coventry and Lichfield, or Lichfield and Coventry (from 1102 to 1541), and in the medieval period Coventry was a major centre of pilgrimage of religion.<ref>{{cite web |last=Berry |first=Karen |title=Coventry's history |url=https://www.coventry.gov.uk/local-history-heritage/coventrys-history |access-date=7 June 2024 |website=Coventry City Council }}</ref> The [[Benedictines]], [[Carthusians]], [[Carmelites]] and [[Franciscans]] all had religious houses in the city of Coventry. The [[Carthusians|Carthusian]] Priory of St Anne was built between 1381 and 1410 with royal patronage from [[Richard II of England|King Richard II]] and his queen [[Anne of Bohemia]]<ref>{{cite web |title=The story of Charterhouse |url=https://www.historiccoventrytrust.org.uk/visit/charterhouse/the-story-of-charterhouse/ |access-date=7 June 2024 |website=Historic Coventry Trust }}</ref> Coventry has some surviving religious artworks from this time, such as the [[doom painting]] at [[Holy Trinity Church, Coventry|Holy Trinity Church]] which features Christ in judgement, figures of the resurrected, and contrasting images of Heaven and Hell.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Doom painting – Medieval Coventry |url=https://medievalcoventry.co.uk/doom_painting/ |access-date=7 June 2024 }}</ref>

By the 13th&nbsp;century, Coventry had become an important centre of the cloth trade, especially blue cloth dyed with [[woad]] and known as [[Coventry blue]].<ref>{{cite web |title=First 'Coventry Blue' to be revealed at historic Weaver's House |url=https://coventryobserver.co.uk/news/first-coventry-blue-to-be-revealed-at-historic-weavers-house/ |access-date=15 September 2024 |website=Coventry Observer }}</ref> Throughout the [[Middle Ages]], it was one of the largest and most important cities in England, which at its Medieval height in the early 15th century had a population of up to 10,000, making it the most important city in the [[Midlands]], and possibly the fourth largest in England behind [[London]], [[York]] and [[Bristol]].<ref name="CovasCounty">{{cite web |title=Coventry as a County |url=http://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/history/history.php#county |publisher=Historic Coventry |access-date=10 September 2022}}</ref> Reflecting its importance, in around 1355, work began on a defensive [[History of Coventry#City walls|city wall]], which, when finally finished around 175 years later in 1530, measured {{convert|2.25|mi}} long, at least {{convert|12|ft}} high, and up to {{convert|9|ft}} thick, it had two towers and twelve gatehouses. Coventry's city walls were described as one of the wonders of the late Middle Ages.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=51, 110–111}} Today, Swanswell Gate and Cook Street Gate are the only surviving gatehouses and they stand in the city centre framed by [[Lady Herbert's Garden]].<ref>{{cite web |title=City Gates and Lady Herbert's Garden |url=https://www.historiccoventrytrust.org.uk/visit/city-gates/ |access-date=7 June 2024 |website=Historic Coventry Trust }}</ref>

Coventry claimed the [[city status in the United Kingdom|status of a city]] by [[time immemorial|ancient prescriptive usage]], and was granted a [[royal charter|charter of incorporation]] and [[coat of arms]] by [[Edward III of England|King Edward III]] in 1345. The motto "''Camera Principis''" (the Prince's Chamber) refers to [[Edward the Black Prince|Edward, the Black Prince]].<ref>{{cite web |date=30 January 2024 |title=Coat of arms (crest) of Coventry |url=https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/wiki/Coventry |access-date=7 June 2024 |website=Heraldry of the World }}</ref> In 1451 Coventry became a [[County of the City of Coventry|county in its own right]], a status it retained until 1842, when it was reincorporated into [[Warwickshire]].<ref>Home Office List of English Cities by Ancient Prescriptive Right, 1927, cited in {{cite book |title=City status in the British Isles, 1830–2002 |last=Beckett |first=J. V. |year=2005 |publisher=Ashgate |location=Aldershot |isbn=978-0-7546-5067-6 |page=12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=16033 |title=The City of Coventry: Local government and public services: Local government to 1451 |access-date=15 January 2009 |work=A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8: The City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick |publisher=British History Online |year=1969 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525093659/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=16033 |archive-date=25 May 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Map of Coventry, cropped from Warwickshire - John Speed Map 1610.jpg|thumb|Map of Coventry by [[John Speed]], published around 1610, showing the street layout and the [[History of Coventry#City walls|city walls]].]]
Coventry's importance during the Middle Ages was such, that on a two occasions a national [[Parliament]] was held there, as well as a number of [[Great Council of England|Great Councils]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Short History – Medieval Coventry |url=https://medievalcoventry.co.uk/short-history/ |access-date=7 June 2024 }}</ref> In 1404, [[Henry IV of England|King Henry IV]] summoned a parliament in Coventry as he needed money to fight rebellion, which wealthy cities such as Coventry lent to him. During the [[Wars of the Roses]], the Royal Court was moved to Coventry by [[Margaret of Anjou]], the wife of [[Henry VI of England|Henry VI]], as she believed that London had become too unsafe. On several occasions between 1456 and 1459 parliament was held in Coventry, including the so-called [[Parliament of Devils]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Coventry's Medieval Timeline (1043–1547) – Medieval Coventry |url=https://medievalcoventry.co.uk/medieval-timeline/ |access-date=7 June 2024 }}</ref> For a while Coventry served as the effective seat of government, but this would come to an end in 1461 when [[Edward IV of England|Edward IV]] was installed on the throne.<ref>{{cite web |title=Coventry the 'Capital City'! |url=http://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/history/history.php#royalcov |publisher=Historic Coventry |access-date=1 September 2022}}</ref>{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=57, 68–69}}

===Tudor period===
[[File:Fords Hospital Almshouse - Coventry.jpg|thumb|Ford's Hospital Almshouse.]]
In 1506 the draper Thomas Bond founded [[Bond's Hospital]], an [[almshouse]] in Hill Street, to provide for 10 poor men and women.<ref>{{cite web |title=History {{!}} Bond's and Ford's Hospital |url=https://bondshospital.org/history/ |access-date=7 September 2024 |website=bondshospital.org}}</ref><ref>[https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol2/pp109-112#h3-0004 "Hospitals: Coventry Pages 109–112 A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 2".] ''British History Online''. Victoria County History. Retrieved 7 September 2024.</ref> This was followed in 1509 with the founding of another almshouse, when the wool merchant William Ford founded [[Ford's Hospital|Ford's Hospital and Chantry]] on Greyfriars' Lane, to provide for 5 poor men and their wives.<ref>Cleary, J. & Orton, M. (1991) ''So long as the world shall endure: the 500 year History of Ford's and Bond's Hospitals''. Coventry Church Charities.</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Culver |first=Ralph |title=Ford's Hospital Coventry |url=https://www.ourwarwickshire.org.uk/content/article/fords-hospital-coventry |access-date=7 September 2024 |website=Our Warwickshire }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Broster |first=Nicole |title=Ford's Hospital – Historic buildings |url=https://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory-record/49568/ford-s-hospital |access-date=7 September 2024 |website=Coventry City Council }}</ref>

Throughout the Middle Ages Coventry had been home to several [[monastery|monastic]] orders and the city was badly hit by [[Henry VIII]]'s [[dissolution of the monasteries]]. Between 1539 and 1542, monasteries, priories and other properties belonging to the [[Whitefriars, Coventry|Carmelites]], [[Greyfriars, Coventry|Greyfriars]], [[Benedictine]]s and [[Carthusian]]s, were either sold off or dismantled. The greatest loss to the city was of Coventry's first Cathedral, [[St Mary's Priory and Cathedral]] which was mostly demolished, leaving only ruins, making it the only English Cathedral to be destroyed during the dissolution. Coventry would not have another Cathedral until 1918, when the parish [[Coventry Cathedral|church of St Michael]] was elevated to Cathedral status, and it was itself destroyed by enemy bombing in 1940. Coventry therefore has had the misfortune of losing its Cathedral twice in its history.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=82–85, 160}}

[[William Shakespeare]], from nearby [[Stratford-upon-Avon]], may have witnessed plays in Coventry during his boyhood or 'teens', and these may have influenced how his plays, such as ''Hamlet'', came about.<ref>{{cite book|editor-last1=Nicoll|editor-first1=Allardyce|title=Shakespeare in his own age|date=1976|publisher=Cambridge university press|location=Cambridge [etc.]|isbn=9780521291293|edition=Repr.|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/shakespeareinhis0000unse}}</ref>

===Civil War and aftermath===
[[File:Swanswell Gate.jpg|thumb|Swanswell Gate, one of the remaining fragments of Coventry's city walls.]]
During the [[English Civil War]] Coventry became a bastion of the [[Roundheads|Parliamentarians]]: In August 1642, a [[Cavalier|Royalist]] force led by [[Charles I of England|King Charles I]] attacked Coventry. After a two-day battle, however, the attackers were unable to breach the city walls, and the city's garrison and townspeople successfully repelled the attack, forcing the King's forces to withdraw. During the [[Second English Civil War|Second Civil War]] many Scottish Royalist prisoners were held in Coventry; it is thought likely that the idiom "[[sent to Coventry]]", meaning to [[ostracise]] someone, derived from this period, owing to the often hostile attitude displayed towards the prisoners by the city folk.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=103–106}}

Following the [[Stuart Restoration|restoration of the monarchy]], as punishment for the support given to the Parliamentarians, [[Charles II of England|King Charles II]] ordered that the city's walls be [[Slighting|slighted]] (damaged and made useless as defences) which was carried out in 1662.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=110–111}}

===Industrial age===
[[File:Daimler_Grafton_Phaeton_1897.jpg|thumb|left|A [[Daimler Company|Daimler]] Grafton Phaeton; one of the earliest cars to be built in Coventry in 1897.]]In the 18th and early 19th centuries, silk [[ribbon]] [[weaving]] and [[watch]] and [[clock]] making became Coventry's staple industries. In the 1780s, the silk ribbon weaving industry was estimated to employ around 10,000 weavers in Coventry, and its surrounding towns like [[Bedworth]] and [[Nuneaton]]. Coventry's growth was aided by the opening of the [[Coventry Canal]] in 1769, which gave the city a connection to the growing national canal network. Nevertheless, during the 18th century, Coventry lost its status as the Midlands' most important city to nearby [[Birmingham]], which overtook Coventry in size.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=119–121}} During the same period, Coventry became one of the three main British centres of [[watch]] and [[clock]] manufacture and ranked alongside [[Prescot]], in [[Lancashire]] and [[Clerkenwell]] in London.<ref name="cwm">{{cite web |url=http://www.coventrywatchmuseum.co.uk |title=Coventry Watch Museum Project |publisher=Coventry Watch Museum |access-date=14 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401015139/https://www.coventrywatchmuseum.co.uk/ |archive-date=1 April 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coventrykid.com/My%20Suddens%20Branches.htm|title=John Suddens, watchmaker|access-date=25 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211214110/http://coventrykid.com/My%20Suddens%20Branches.htm|archive-date=11 February 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> By the 1841 census the population was 30,743.<ref>{{cite book |title=The National Cyclopaedia of Useful Knowledge |date=1848 |publisher=Charles Knight |location=London |page=Vol V, p.46 |edition=First}}</ref>

By the 1850s, Coventry had overshadowed its rivals to become the main centre of British watch and clock manufacture, which by that time employed around 2,000 people. The watch and clock industry produced a pool of highly skilled craftsmen, who specialised in producing precision components,{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=128–129, 143}} and the ''Coventry Watchmakers' Association'' was founded in 1858.<ref name=":9">{{Cite book |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol8/pp222-241 |title=A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 8, the City of Coventry and Borough of Warwick |publisher=Victoria County History |year=1969 |editor-last=Stephens |editor-first=W. B. |location=London |chapter=The City of Coventry: Social history from 1700 |access-date=16 November 2024 |via=[[British History Online]]}}</ref>

As the city prospered industrially in the 18th and early 19th centuries, several Coventry newspapers were founded. These include ''Jopson's Coventry Mercury,'' first issued by James Jopson of Hay Lane in 1741; the ''Coventry Gazette and Birmingham Chronicle'', first published in 1757; the ''Coventry Herald,'' first published in 1808; the ''Coventry Observer,'' first published in 1827; and the ''Coventry Advertiser'', first published in 1852.<ref name=":9" />

The ribbon weaving and clock industries both rapidly collapsed after 1860, due to cheap imports following the [[Cobden–Chevalier Treaty|Cobden–Chevalier free trade treaty]], which flooded the market with cheaper [[France|French]] silks, and [[Swiss Made]] clocks and watches. For a while, this caused a devastating slump in Coventry's economy.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=143–144}}

A second wave of industrialisation, however, began soon after. Coventry's pool of highly skilled workers attracted [[James Starley]], who set up a company producing [[sewing machines]] in Coventry in 1861. Within a decade, he became interested in [[bicycles]], and developed the [[penny-farthing]] design in 1870. His company soon began producing these bicycles, and Coventry soon became the centre of the British bicycle industry. Further innovation came from Starley's nephew, [[John Kemp Starley]], who developed the [[Rover Company|Rover]] [[safety bicycle]], the first true modern bicycle with two equal-sized wheels and a chain drive in 1885.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=145–150}} By the 1890s Coventry had the largest bicycle industry in the world, with numerous manufacturers, however bicycle manufacture went into steady decline from then on, and ended entirely in 1959, when the last bicycle manufacturer in the city relocated.<ref name="CTbicycle">{{cite web |last1=Mullen |first1=Enda |title=When Coventry was the world's 'bicycle city' |date=9 December 2018 |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventy-bicycle-industry-history-15526405 |publisher=Coventry Telegraph |access-date=4 January 2023}}</ref>

By the late-1890s, bicycle manufacture began to evolve into [[automobile|motor]] manufacture. The first [[motor car]] was made in Coventry in 1897, by the [[Daimler Company]]. Before long Coventry became established as one of the major centres of the [[British motor industry]].{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=145–150}} In the early-to-mid 20th century, a number of famous names in the British motor industry became established in Coventry, including [[Alvis Car and Engineering Company|Alvis]], [[Armstrong Siddeley]], [[Daimler Company|Daimler]], [[Humber Limited|Humber]], [[Jaguar Cars|Jaguar]], [[Riley Motor|Riley]], [[Rootes Group|Rootes]], [[Rover Company|Rover]], [[Singer Motors|Singer]], [[Standard Motor Company|Standard]], [[Swift Motor Company|Swift]] and [[Triumph Motor Company|Triumph]].<ref name="BHOLcraftsandindustry">{{cite web |title=The City of Coventry: Crafts and industries, Modern industry and trade |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol8/pp162-189#h3-0011 |publisher=British History Online |access-date=12 November 2022}}</ref> Thanks to the growth of the car industry attracting workers, Coventry's population doubled between 1901 and 1911.<ref name=":9" />

For most of the early-20th century, Coventry's economy boomed; in the 1930s, a decade otherwise known for its [[Great Depression in the United Kingdom|economic slump]], Coventry was noted for its affluence. In 1937 Coventry topped a national purchasing power index, designed to calculate the purchasing power of the public.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=161–162}}

=== Great War (1914–1918) ===
[[File:Monument in War Memorial Park in Coventry 14g06.jpg|thumb|upright|Cenotaph at the War Memorial Park.]]
Many Coventry factories switched production to military vehicles, armaments and ammunitions during the [[World War I|Great War.]] Approximately 35,000 men from Coventry and Warwickshire served during the [[World War I|First World War]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Eccleston |first=Ben |date=11 July 2014 |title=World War One: When 35,000 local men went off to war |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/ww1-coventry-warwickshire-soldiers-7409387 |access-date=9 June 2024 |website=Coventry Live }}</ref> so most of the skilled factory workers were women drafted from all over the country.<ref>{{cite web |last=Waddington-COV |first=Jenny |date=6 November 2018 |title=World War One: How Coventry fed the Allied war machine |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/ww1-coventry-munitions-factories-7419371 |access-date=9 June 2024 |website=Coventry Live }}</ref> Due to the importance of war production in Coventry it was a target for German [[zeppelin]] attacks and defensive anti-aircraft guns were established at Keresley and Wyken Grange to protect the city.<ref>{{cite web |last=Gibbons |first=Duncan |date=6 November 2018 |title=Watch out, Zeppelins! When Coventry looked with dread to the sky |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/ww1-coventry-zeppelins-bombs-7425235 |access-date=9 June 2024 |website=Coventry Live }}</ref>

In June 1921, the [[War Memorial Park, Coventry|War Memorial Park]] was opened on the former [[Stivichall|Styvechale]] Common<ref>{{cite web |last=Broster |first=Nicole |title=History of War Memorial Park |url=https://www.coventry.gov.uk/war-memorial-park/history-war-memorial-park |access-date=9 June 2024 |website=Coventry City Council }}</ref> to commemorate the 2587 soldiers<ref>{{cite web |title=Coventry War Memorial Park Monument WW1 And WW2 |url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/17407 |access-date=9 June 2024 |website=Imperial War Museums }}</ref> from the city who lost their lives in the war. The War Memorial was designed by [[Thomas Francis Tickner]] and is a Grade II* building.<ref>{{NHLE |desc=War Memorial in Coventry War Memorial Park |num=1410358 |access-date=9 June 2024 }}</ref> It was unveiled by [[Earl Haig]] in 1927, with a room called the Chamber of Silence inside the monument holding the roll of honour.<ref>{{cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=War Memorial Park, Coventry – Coventry |url=https://www.parksandgardens.org/places/war-memorial-park-coventry |access-date=9 June 2024 |website=Parks & Gardens }}</ref> Soldiers who lost their lives in recent conflicts have been added to the roll of honour over the years.<ref>Pevsner, N. and Wedgewood, A., ''The Buildings of England: Warwickshire,'' (1990), p. 267.</ref>

===Urban expansion and development===
[[File:Coventry_Broadgate_1917.jpg|thumb|left|Broadgate, Coventry, in 1917]]

With many of the city's older properties becoming increasingly unfit for habitation, the first [[Council housing|council houses]] were let to their tenants in 1917. With Coventry's industrial base continuing to soar after the end of the [[World War I|Great War]] in 1918, numerous private and council housing developments took place across the city in the 1920s and 1930s to provide housing for the large influx of workers who came to work in the city's booming factories. The areas which were expanded or created in this development included [[Radford, Coventry|Radford]], [[Coundon, Coventry|Coundon]], [[Canley]], [[Cheylesmore]] and [[Stoke Heath, Coventry|Stoke Heath]].{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=153–169}} [[File:Coventry being redeveloped in 1936.jpg|thumb|Coventry city centre being redeveloped in 1936 during modernisation]]

As the population grew, the city boundaries underwent several expansions, in 1890, 1928, 1931 and 1965,<ref name="BHOLintro">{{cite web |title=The City of Coventry: Introduction |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol8/pp1-23#h3-0002 |publisher=British History Online |access-date=30 March 2023}}</ref> and between 1931 and 1940 the city grew by 36%.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hunt |first=Cathy |title=A History of Women's Lives in Coventry. |date=2018 |publisher=[[Pen & Sword]] |isbn=9781526708526 }}</ref>

The development of a southern by-pass around the city, starting in the 1930s and being completed in 1940, helped deliver more urban areas to the city on previously rural land. In the 1910s plans were created to redevelop Coventry's narrow streets and by the 1930s the plans were put into action with Coventry's medieval street of Butcher Row being demolished.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-24934919 | title=How medieval Coventry was lost, say historians | work=BBC News | date=14 November 2013 | access-date=9 June 2022}}</ref> even before the war, the plans had been put in place to destroy the medieval character of Coventry.<ref>{{cite news |date=14 November 2013 |title=How medieval Coventry was lost, say historians |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-24934919 |access-date=14 April 2024 |work=BBC News }}</ref>

The [[London Road Cemetery]] was designed by [[Joseph Paxton]] on the site of a former quarry to meet the needs of the city.

===German bombing of Coventry===
{{main|Coventry Blitz}}
[[File:Coventry bomb damage H5600.jpg|thumb|Coventry city centre after the massive air raid of 14/15 November 1940]]

Coventry suffered severe bomb damage during the [[Second World War]]. The most severe was a massive [[Luftwaffe]] [[Strategic bombing|air raid]] that the Germans called Operation Moonlight Sonata. The raid, which involved more than 500 aircraft, started at 7pm on 14 November 1940 and carried on for 11 hours into the morning of 15 November. The raid led to severe damage to large areas of the city centre and to [[Coventry Cathedral|Coventry's historic cathedral]], leaving only a shell and the spire. More than 4,000 houses were damaged or destroyed, along with around three quarters of the city's industrial plants. Between 380 and 554 people were killed, with thousands injured and homeless.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/15/newsid_3522000/3522785.stm|title=BBC ON THIS DAY / 15 / 1940: Germans bomb Coventry to destruction|work=[[BBC News Online]]|date=15 November 1940|access-date=2 May 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101118111802/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/15/newsid_3522000/3522785.stm|archive-date=18 November 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

Aside from London, [[Hull Blitz|Hull]] and [[Plymouth Blitz|Plymouth]], Coventry suffered more damage than any other British city during the Luftwaffe attacks, with huge firestorms devastating most of the city centre. The city was probably targeted owing to its high concentration of armaments, munitions, aircraft and aero-engine plants which contributed greatly to the British war effort, although there have been claims that [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]] launched the attack as revenge for the bombing of [[Munich]] by the [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] six days before the Coventry Blitz and chose the Midlands city because its medieval heart was regarded as one of the finest in Britain.<ref>{{cite news |last=Morris |first=Steven |date=9 October 2009 |title=Coventry blitz: was destruction of medieval centre Hitler's revenge? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/oct/09/coventry-blitz-hitler-revenge |access-date=28 June 2024 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Following the raids, the majority of Coventry's historic buildings were demolished by a council who saw no need of them in a modern city, although some of them could have been repaired and some of those demolished were unaffected by the bombing.

===Post-Second World War===
[[File:Belvedere over Coventry.png|thumb|A helicopter placing the [[Flèche (architecture)|Flèche]] (spire) on top of the new Coventry Cathedral in 1962.]]

====Redevelopment====
In the post-war years Coventry was largely rebuilt under the general direction of the [[Donald Gibson (architect)|Gibson Plan]], gaining a new pedestrianised shopping precinct (the first of its kind in Europe on such a scale) and in 1962 Sir [[Basil Spence]]'s much-celebrated new [[Coventry Cathedral|St Michael's Cathedral]] (incorporating one of the world's largest tapestries) was consecrated. Its prefabricated steel spire (flèche) was lowered into place by helicopter.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=170–186}}

Further housing developments in the private and public sector took place after the Second World War, partly to accommodate the growing population of the city and also to replace condemned and bomb damaged properties. Several new suburbs were constructed in the post-war period, including [[Tile Hill]], [[Wood End, Coventry|Wood End]], and [[Stoke Aldermoor]].{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=170–186}}

====Boom and bust====
[[File:NSB Reynolds Coventry Market Way 1964.jpg|thumb|Market Way, 1964]]
[[File:The_Upper_Precinct_(geograph_7197057).jpg|thumb|Coventry precinct with spire of ruined cathedral in the background, part of the post-war redevelopment of the city centre]]

Coventry's motor industry boomed during the 1950s and 1960s and Coventry enjoyed a 'golden age'. In 1960 over 81,000 people were employed in the production of motor vehicles, tractors and aircraft in Coventry.<ref name="BHOLcraftsandindustry"/> During this period the disposable income of Coventrians was amongst the highest in the country and both the sports and the arts benefited. A new sports centre, with one of the few Olympic standard swimming pools in the UK, was constructed and [[Coventry City Football Club]] reached the First Division of English Football. The [[Belgrade Theatre]] (named in recognition of a gift of timber from the [[Yugoslavia]]n capital city<ref name=":9" />) was also constructed along with the [[Herbert Art Gallery]]. Coventry's pedestrianised Precinct shopping area came into its own and was considered one of the finest retail experiences outside London. In 1965 the new [[University of Warwick]] campus was opened to students, and rapidly became one of the country's leading higher-education institutions.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=170–186}}

Coventry's large industrial base made it attractive to the wave of [[South Asians in the United Kingdom|Asian]] and [[Caribbean]] immigrants who arrived from [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] colonies after 1948. In 1950, one of Britain's first [[mosque]]s—and the very first in Coventry—was opened on Eagle Street to serve the city's growing Pakistani community.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.localhistories.org/coventry.html|title=A brief history of Coventry|work=localhistories.org|first=Tim|last=Lambert|access-date=21 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120810131029/http://www.localhistories.org/coventry.html|archive-date=10 August 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The 1970s, however, saw a decline in the British motor industry and Coventry suffered particularly badly, especially towards the end of that decade. By the 1970s, most of Coventry's motor companies had been absorbed and rationalised into larger companies, such as [[British Leyland]] and [[Chrysler Europe|Chrysler]] which subsequently collapsed. The [[early 1980s recession]] dealt Coventry a particularly severe blow: By 1981, Coventry was in an economic crisis, with one in six of its residents unemployed. By 1982, the number of British Leyland employees in the city had fallen from 27,000 at its height, to just 8,000. Other Coventry industrial giants such as the tool manufacturer [[Alfred Herbert (company)|Alfred Herbert]] also collapsed during this time.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=170–186}}

In the late-1970s and early-1980s, Coventry also became the centre of the [[Two-tone (music genre)|Two-tone]] musical phenomena. The two-tone style was multi-racial, derived from the traditional [[Jamaican music]] genres of [[ska]], [[reggae]] and [[rocksteady]] combined with elements of [[punk rock]] and [[New wave music|new wave]]. Bands considered part of the genre include [[the Specials]], [[the Selecter]], [[Madness (band)|Madness]], [[The Beat (British band)|the Beat]], [[Bad Manners]], [[The Bodysnatchers (band)|the Bodysnatchers]] and [[Akrylykz]]. Most famously the Specials 1981 UK no.1 hit '[[Ghost Town (The Specials song)|Ghost Town]]' reflected the unemployment and desolation of Coventry at the time.<ref>{{cite web |title=Coventry, from 2 Tone Ghost Town to City of Culture |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/may/28/coventry-2-tone-ghost-town-uk-city-of-culture |work=The Guardian |access-date=2 April 2023 |date=28 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=This article is more than 2 years old The Guardian view on two-tone nostalgia: the pride of Coventry |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/11/the-guardian-view-on-two-tone-nostalgia-the-pride-of-coventry |work=The Guardian |date=11 February 2021 |access-date=2 April 2023}}</ref>

===21st century===
Some motor manufacturing continued into the early 21st century: One of the research and design centres of [[Jaguar Land Rover]] is in the city at their [[Whitley plant]] and although vehicle assembly ceased at the [[Browns Lane plant]] in 2004, the head office of the Jaguar brand returned to the city in 2011, and is also sited in Whitley. The closure of the [[Peugeot]] factory at [[Ryton-on-Dunsmore]] in 2006, ended volume car manufacture in Coventry.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=170–186}} By 2008, only one motor manufacturing plant was operational, that of LTI Ltd, producing the popular [[TX4]] taxi cabs. On 17 March 2010 LTI announced they would no longer be producing bodies and chassis in Coventry, instead producing them in [[China]] and shipping them in for final assembly in Coventry.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article7066364.ece|title=Manganese Bronze: Black cabs on the road to China|last=Lea|first=Robert|date=18 March 2010|work=The Times|location=London|access-date=3 April 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708065701/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article7066364.ece|archive-date=8 July 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Since the 1980s, Coventry has recovered, with its economy diversifying into services, with engineering ceasing to be a mass employer, what remains of manufacturing in the city is driven by smaller more specialist firms. By the 2010s the biggest drivers of Coventry's economy had become its two large universities; the [[University of Warwick]] and [[Coventry University]], which between them, had 60,000 students, and a combined annual budget of around £1 billion.{{sfn|Walters|2019|pp=170–186}}

In 2021 Coventry became the [[UK City of Culture]]. A range of artistic and local history events and projects took place over the next year, including "Coventrypedia" and the creation of the Coventry Atlas local history map.

== Geography ==
=== Climate ===
As with the rest of the [[British Isles]] and the Midlands, Coventry experiences a [[maritime climate]] with cool summers and mild winters. The nearest Met Office weather station is Coundon/Coventry Bablake. Temperature extremes recorded in Coventry range from {{convert|-18.2|C|F}} in February 1947, to {{convert|38.9|C|F}} in July 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Unprecedented extreme heatwave, July 2022 |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/binaries/content/assets/metofficegovuk/pdf/weather/learn-about/uk-past-events/interesting/2022/2022_03_july_heatwave.pdf|access-date=19 July 2022 |website=www.metoffice.gov.uk}}</ref> The lowest temperature reading of recent years was {{convert|-10.8|C|F}} during December 2010.<ref>{{cite web| publisher = [[Met Office]]| url = http://metofficenews.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/| title = 2010 temperature| access-date = 12 November 2011| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120320225501/http://metofficenews.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/| archive-date = 20 March 2012| url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | publisher = Bablake Weather | url = http://bws.users.netlink.co.uk/last%20years%20stats.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070728111339/http://bws.users.netlink.co.uk/last%20years%20stats.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = 28 July 2007 | title = 2010 temperature }}</ref>

{{Weather box
| location = Coventry ([[Coundon, Coventry|Coundon]]),{{efn|Weather station is located {{convert|0.5|mi|1|abbr=out}} from the Coventry city centre.}} elevation: {{convert|122|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1892–present
| collapsed = 
| metric first = y
| single line = y
| Jan record high C = 14.4
| Feb record high C = 18.1
| Mar record high C = 23.0
| Apr record high C = 26.7
| May record high C = 30.9
| Jun record high C = 32.4
| Jul record high C = 38.9
| Aug record high C = 35.1
| Sep record high C = 34.2
| Oct record high C = 28.2
| Nov record high C = 20.6
| Dec record high C = 16.4
| Jan high C = 7.2
| Feb high C = 7.9
| Mar high C = 10.4
| Apr high C = 13.6
| May high C = 16.8
| Jun high C = 19.7
| Jul high C = 22.0
| Aug high C = 21.5
| Sep high C = 18.6
| Oct high C = 14.3
| Nov high C = 10.2
| Dec high C = 7.5
| year high C = 14.2
| Jan mean C = 4.5
| Feb mean C = 4.8
| Mar mean C = 6.8
| Apr mean C = 9.2
| May mean C = 12.2
| Jun mean C = 15.2
| Jul mean C = 17.3
| Aug mean C = 17.0
| Sep mean C = 14.4
| Oct mean C = 10.9
| Nov mean C = 7.2
| Dec mean C = 4.8
| year mean C = 10.4
| Jan low C = 1.8
| Feb low C = 1.8
| Mar low C = 3.1
| Apr low C = 4.8
| May low C = 7.7
| Jun low C = 10.6
| Jul low C = 12.6
| Aug low C = 12.4
| Sep low C = 10.3
| Oct low C = 7.5
| Nov low C = 4.4
| Dec low C = 2.1
| year low C = 6.6
| Jan record low C = -16.7
| Feb record low C = -18.2
| Mar record low C = -15.6
| Apr record low C = -6.1
| May record low C = -5.0
| Jun record low C = -0.6
| Jul record low C = 3.4
| Aug record low C = 0.8
| Sep record low C = -1.1
| Oct record low C = -4.9
| Nov record low C = -8.9
| Dec record low C = -16.1
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 61.4
| Feb precipitation mm = 46.8
| Mar precipitation mm = 45.6
| Apr precipitation mm = 49.1
| May precipitation mm = 52.7
| Jun precipitation mm = 65.8
| Jul precipitation mm = 61.2
| Aug precipitation mm = 66.2
| Sep precipitation mm = 54.9
| Oct precipitation mm = 68.7
| Nov precipitation mm = 64.6
| Dec precipitation mm = 61.3
| year precipitation mm = 698.3
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 12.0
| Feb precipitation days = 10.2
| Mar precipitation days = 9.8
| Apr precipitation days = 9.8
| May precipitation days = 9.3
| Jun precipitation days = 9.3
| Jul precipitation days = 9.1
| Aug precipitation days = 9.6
| Sep precipitation days = 9.5
| Oct precipitation days = 10.7
| Nov precipitation days = 12.2
| Dec precipitation days = 11.7
| year precipitation days = 123.3
| Jan sun = 61.4
| Feb sun = 84.0
| Mar sun = 115.1
| Apr sun = 147.1
| May sun = 191.6
| Jun sun = 184.7
| Jul sun = 197.6
| Aug sun = 179.6
| Sep sun = 137.1
| Oct sun = 100.6
| Nov sun = 63.1
| Dec sun = 61.0
| year sun = 1507.2
| source 1 = [[Met Office]]<ref name="Met Averages">{{cite web |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcqfjn5xn|title= Coundon 1991–2020 averages |access-date=5 March 2022|publisher=Met Office}}</ref>
| source 2 = BWS<ref>{{cite web
| url =http://www.bablakeweather.co.uk/temperature-extremes-from-1892| title = BWS Temperature Extremes from 1892| access-date =11 April 2019| publisher = BWS}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url =http://www.bablakeweather.co.uk/2019-extremes| title =2019 extremes in Coventry| access-date =27 July 2019| publisher =BWS| archive-date =11 April 2019| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20190411124155/http://www.bablakeweather.co.uk/2019-extremes| url-status =dead}}</ref> RMetS<ref>{{cite web
| url =https://www.rmets.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/202103.pdf| title = Weather Front March 2021/1921| access-date =5 March 2022| publisher = RMetS}}</ref>
| source = 
}}
{{notelist
}}

{{Weather box
| width           = 
| collapsed       = y
| location        = [[Coventry Airport]], 6km from Coventry
| metric first    = Yes
| single line     = Yes
| Jan humidity    = 86
| Feb humidity    = 83
| Mar humidity    = 79
| Apr humidity    = 75
| May humidity    = 74
| Jun humidity    = 73
| Jul humidity    = 72
| Aug humidity    = 74
| Sep humidity    = 78
| Oct humidity    = 83
| Nov humidity    = 87
| Dec humidity    = 88
| Jan dew point C = 2
| Feb dew point C = 2
| Mar dew point C = 3
| Apr dew point C = 5
| May dew point C = 7
| Jun dew point C = 10
| Jul dew point C = 12
| Aug dew point C = 12
| Sep dew point C = 10
| Oct dew point C = 8
| Nov dew point C = 5
| Dec dew point C = 3

|source 2 = Time and Date (between 1985–2015)<ref>{{cite web
|url = https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/uk/coventry/climate
|title = Climate & Weather Averages at Coventry Airport, United Kingdom
|publisher = Time and Date
|access-date = 16 January 2022}}</ref>
|date = February 2022}}

===City boundaries===
Coventry forms the largest part of the [[Coventry and Bedworth Urban Area]]. The city proper covers an area of almost {{convert|100|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.

The protected [[West Midlands Green Belt]], which surrounds the city on all sides, has prevented the expansion of the city into both the administrative county of [[Warwickshire]] and the metropolitan borough of [[Solihull]] (the [[Meriden Gap]]), and has helped to prevent the coalescence of the city with surrounding towns such as [[Kenilworth]], [[Nuneaton]], [[Leamington Spa]], [[Warwick]] and [[Rugby, Warwickshire|Rugby]] as well as the large village of [[Balsall Common]].

'''Panoramic views of Coventry City Centre from the cathedral tower'''
{{multiple image
| direction         = horizontal
| align             = center
| total_width       = 800
| image1            = Coventry Cathedral Tower North Panorama.jpg
| caption1          = North
| image2            = Coventry Cathedral Tower South Panorama.jpg
| caption2          = South
| image3            = Coventry Cathedral Tower East Panorama.jpg
| caption3          = East
| image4            = Coventry Cathedral Tower West Panorama.jpg
| caption4          = West
}}

===Suburbs and other surrounding areas===
{{div col|colwidth=13em}}
* [[Alderman's Green]]
* [[Allesley]]
* [[Allesley|Allesley Green]]
* [[Allesley|Allesley Park]]
* [[Ash Green, Warwickshire|Ash Green]]
* [[Ball Hill]]
* [[Bannerbrook Park]]
* [[Bell Green]]
* [[Binley, Coventry|Binley]]
* [[Bishopsgate Green]]
* [[Brownshill Green]]
* [[Canley]] & Canley Gardens
* [[Cannon Park]]
* [[Chapelfields, Coventry|Chapelfields]]
* [[Cheylesmore]]
*Church End
* Clifford Park
* Copsewood
* [[Coundon, Coventry|Coundon]]
* [[Courthouse Green]]
* [[Daimler Green]]
* [[Earlsdon, Coventry|Earlsdon]]
* [[Eastern Green]]
* [[Edgwick|Edgwick (or Edgewick)]]
* [[Ernesford Grange|Ernesford (or Ernsford) Grange]]
* [[Finham]]
* [[Stivichall|Fenside]]
* [[Foleshill]]
* [[Gibbet Hill (University of Warwick)|Gibbet Hill]]
* Gosford Green
* [[Great Heath]]
* [[Hearsall Common]]
* [[Henley Green]]
* [[Hillfields]]
* [[Holbrooks]]
* [[Keresley]]
* [[Little Heath, Coventry|Little Heath]]
* [[Longford, Coventry|Longford]]
*Middle Stoke
*Monks Park
* [[Mount Nod]]
* Nailcote Grange
* [[Stoke Aldermoor|Pinley]]
* [[Potters Green]]
* [[Radford, Coventry|Radford]]
* [[Spon End]]
* Stoke
* [[Stoke Heath, Coventry|Stoke Heath]]
* [[Stoke Aldermoor]]
* [[Stivichall|Stivichall (or Styvechale)]]
* Tanyard Farm
* [[Tile Hill]]
* [[Toll Bar End]]
*Upper Stoke
* Victoria Farm
* [[Walsgrave|Walsgrave-on-Sowe]]
* [[Westwood Heath]]
* [[Whitley, Coventry|Whitley]]
* [[Whitmore Park]]
* [[Whoberley]]
* [[Willenhall, Coventry|Willenhall]]
* [[Wood End, Coventry|Wood End]]
* Woodway Park
* [[Wyken]]
{{div col end}}

===Compass===
{{Geographic location
|title     = '''Destinations from Coventry'''
|Northwest = '''[[Birmingham]]'''
|North     = [[Nuneaton]],<br />[[Bedworth]],
|Northeast = [[Hinckley]], '''[[Leicester]]'''
|West      = [[Solihull]]
|Centre    = Coventry
|East      = [[Rugby, Warwickshire|Rugby]]
|Southwest = '''[[Worcester, England|Worcester]]''', [[Redditch]], [[Stratford-upon-Avon]]
|South     = [[Kenilworth]],<br />'''[[Warwick]]''', [[Leamington Spa]]
|Southeast = [[Daventry]], '''[[Northampton]]'''<br />[[Milton Keynes]], '''[[London]]'''
}}

===Places of interest===
====Cathedral====
The spire of the ruined cathedral forms one of the ''"three spires"'' which have dominated the city skyline since the 14th&nbsp;century, the others being those of [[Greyfriars, Coventry|Christ Church]] (of which only the spire survives) and [[Holy Trinity Church, Coventry|Holy Trinity Church]] (which is still in use).
[[File:Coventry Cathedral Ruins with Rainbow edit.jpg|thumb|right|The ruins of the old cathedral]]
[[Coventry Cathedral|St Michael's Cathedral]] is Coventry's best-known landmark and visitor attraction. The 14th&nbsp;century church was largely destroyed by German bombing during the [[Second World War]], leaving only the outer walls and spire. At {{convert|300|ft|m|abbr=off}} high, the spire of St Michael's is claimed to be the third tallest cathedral spire in England, after [[Salisbury Cathedral|Salisbury]] and [[Norwich Cathedral|Norwich]].<ref>Arthur Mee, The King's England – Warwickshire; Hodder & Stoughton, 1936</ref> Due to the architectural design (in 1940 the tower had no internal wooden floors and a stone vault below the belfry) it survived the destruction of the rest of the cathedral. 
[[File: St Michael's Coventry Cathedral - the nave.jpg |upright|thumb|left| The new nave with ''[[Christ in Glory in the Tetramorph]]'' tapestry]]
The new Coventry Cathedral was opened in 1962 next to the ruins of the old. It was designed by Sir [[Basil Spence]]. The cathedral contains the tapestry ''[[Christ in Glory in the Tetramorph]]'' by [[Graham Sutherland]]. The bronze statue ''[[St Michael's Victory over the Devil]]'' by [[Jacob Epstein]] is mounted on the exterior of the new cathedral near the entrance. [[Benjamin Britten]]'s ''[[War Requiem]]'', regarded by some as his masterpiece, was written for the opening of the new cathedral.<ref>[http://www.brittenpears.org/?page=britten/works/requiem.html Britten-Pears Foundation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923194647/http://www.brittenpears.org/?page=britten%2Fworks%2Frequiem.html |date=23 September 2015 }} Retrieved 24 September 2009</ref> The cathedral was featured in the 2009 film ''[[Nativity!]]''.<ref name="nativity">{{cite news|url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2009/10/23/nativity-movie-could-make-coventry-a-big-star-this-christmas-92746-24995014/|title=Nativity movie could make Coventry a big star this Christmas|newspaper=[[Coventry Telegraph]]|first=Marion|last=McMullen|date=23 October 2009|access-date=2 August 2012}}</ref>

Coventry Cathedral is also notable for being one of the newest [[cathedral]]s in the world, having been built following the Second World War bombing of the ancient cathedral by the Luftwaffe. Coventry has since developed an international reputation as one of Europe's major cities of peace and reconciliation,<ref name="Cov reconcil">{{cite web |url=http://www.coventry.gov.uk/ccm/content/chief-executives-directorate/corporate-policy/international-team/coventry-peace-month/coventry-city-of-peace-and-reconciliation.en |title=Peace and reconciliation |publisher=Coventry City Council |access-date=16 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070315182225/http://www.coventry.gov.uk/ccm/content/chief-executives-directorate/corporate-policy/international-team/coventry-peace-month/coventry-city-of-peace-and-reconciliation.en |archive-date=15 March 2007}}</ref> centred on its cathedral, and holds an annual Peace Month.<ref name="Cov peace month">{{cite web |url=http://www.coventry.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/community-and-living/international-links/coventry-peace-month/ |title=Coventry Peace Month |publisher=Coventry City Council |access-date=16 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070316002020/http://www.coventry.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/community-and-living/international-links/coventry-peace-month/ |archive-date=16 March 2007}}</ref> John Lennon and Yoko Ono planted two acorns outside the cathedral in June 1968 to thank the city for making friends with others.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/content/articles/2008/05/28/john_yoko_feature.shtml |title=Fifty acorns tied in a sack... |work=bbc.co.uk |access-date=18 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150325195421/http://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/content/articles/2008/05/28/john_yoko_feature.shtml |archive-date=25 March 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Coventry also has a Baptist church named [[Queens Road Baptist Church, Coventry|Queens Road Baptist Church]], which was first established in 1723 and moved to its current building in 1884.

====Cultural institutions====
[[File:Herbert Art Gallery ^ Museum extension, Coventry - geograph.org.uk - 4870561.jpg|thumb|Herbert Art Gallery.]]
The [[Herbert Art Gallery and Museum]] is one of the largest cultural institutions in Coventry. Another visitor attraction in the city centre is [[Coventry Transport Museum]], which has the largest public collection of British-made road vehicles in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.transport-museum.com|title=Coventry Transport Museum|website=www.transport-museum.com|access-date=14 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906063348/http://www.transport-museum.com/|archive-date=6 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> The most notable exhibits are the world speed record-breaking cars, [[Thrust2]] and [[ThrustSSC]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.transport-museum.com/visiting/biffa_award_land_speed_record_exhibition.aspx|title=Biffa Award Land Speed Record Exhibition – Coventry Transport Museum|website=www.transport-museum.com|access-date=14 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910075722/http://www.transport-museum.com/visiting/biffa_award_land_speed_record_exhibition.aspx|archive-date=10 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The museum received a refurbishment in 2004 which included the creation of a new entrance as part of the city's Phoenix Initiative project. It was a finalist for the 2005 [[Gulbenkian Prize]].  
[[File:Coventry Transport Museum (1).jpg|thumb|Coventry Transport Museum.]]
Historic Coventry Trust (previously known as The Charterhouse Coventry Preservation Trust) was founded in 2011. The Trust is a social enterprise aiming to regenerate Coventry's historic buildings and landscapes. Their sites across Coventry include the [[The Charterhouse, Coventry|Charterhouse]], the two surviving City Gates, [[Drapers' Hall, Coventry|Drapers' Hall]], [[London Road Cemetery]]: [[Joseph Paxton|Paxton]]'s Arboretum and Priory Row.<ref>{{cite web |title=Visit |url=https://www.historiccoventrytrust.org.uk/visit/ |access-date=7 June 2024 |website=Historic Coventry Trust }}</ref>

The £5 million [[Fargo Village]] creative quarter shopping precinct was open in 2014 on Far Gosford Street with a mixture of retail units.

About {{convert|4|mi|spell=in|abbr=off}} from the city centre and just outside Coventry in [[Baginton]] is the [[Lunt Fort]], a reconstructed [[Roman Empire|Roman]] fort on its original site. The [[Midland Air Museum]] is situated just within the perimeter of Coventry on land adjacent to [[Coventry Airport]] and near [[Baginton]].

Coventry was one of the main centres of watchmaking during the 18th and 19th&nbsp;centuries and as the industry declined, the skilled workers were key to setting up the cycle trade. A group of local enthusiasts founded the Coventry Watch Museum in [[Spon Street]].<ref name=cwm/>

[[File:West Midlands Police - Coventry Museum.jpg|thumb|right|Exhibits in Coventry Police Museum]]

The city's main [[police station]] in Little Park Street also hosts a museum of Coventry's police force. The museum, based underground, is split into two sections—one representing the history of the city's police force, and the other compiling some of the more unusual, interesting and grisly cases from the force's history. The museum is funded from charity donations—viewings can be made by appointment.

[[Hillfields#Coventry City Farm|Coventry City Farm]] was a small farm in an urban setting. It was mainly to educate city children who might not get out to the countryside very often. The farm closed in 2008 due to funding problems.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/7291402.stm |title=City farm shuts after cash crisis |date=12 March 2008 |access-date=28 March 2008 |work=BBC News Online |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080321045232/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/7291402.stm |archive-date=21 March 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{Main|Demographics of Coventry}}
[[File:Ethnic demography of Coventry over time.gif|thumb|Ethnic demography of Coventry district over time]]
{| class="infobox" style="float:right;"
|-
! colspan="2" | Coventry ethnicity demographics from the [[United Kingdom Census 2021|2021 census]]<ref name="census2021"/>
|-
! '''Ethnicity''' || '''Population'''
|-
| White<br />''(British, Irish, Other)'' || 226,246
|-
| Asian<br />''(Indian, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Pakistani, Other)'' || 63,915
|-
| Black<br />''(African, Caribbean, Other)''|| 30,723
|-
| Mixed<br />''(White & Asian, White & Black African, White & Black Caribbean, Other)''|| 11,731
|-
| Other || 12,706
|}

Coventry has an ethnic minority population which represented 34.5% of the population at the 2021 census.<ref name="census2021"/> The ethnic minority population is concentrated in the [[Foleshill]] and the [[St. Michael's, Coventry|St Michael's]] wards.<ref name="2011census">[http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-england-and-wales/rft-table-ks201ew.xls "2011 Census: Key Statistics for Local Authorities in England and Wales"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160224143452/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/key-statistics-for-local-authorities-in-england-and-wales/rft-table-ks201ew.xls |date=24 February 2016 }}. [[Office for National Statistics|ONS]]. Retrieved 25 December 2012</ref> [[Islam]] is the largest non-Christian religion, but the composition of the ethnic minority population is not typical of the UK with significant numbers of other [[South Asian]]s. Both [[Sikh]] and [[Hindu]] religions are represented significantly higher than in the rest of the West Midlands in general.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=6275069&c=coventry&d=13&e=61&g=6364318&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1364680630599&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2579|title=Area: Coventry (Local Authority) – Religion, 2011 (QS208EW)|work=Neighbourhood Statistics|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=17 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522052232/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/LeadTableView.do?a=7&b=6275069&c=coventry&d=13&e=61&g=6364318&i=1001x1003x1032x1004&m=0&r=1&s=1364680630599&enc=1&dsFamilyId=2579|archive-date=22 May 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

Coventry has a large student population (approximately 15,000 are non-UK<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/about/statistics_he.php|title=UKCISA – International students in UK HE – International student statistics: UK higher education|work=ukcisa.org.uk|access-date=29 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426091925/http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/about/statistics_he.php|archive-date=26 April 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>) who are in the UK for 12 months or longer that are included in these figures.

{{bar box
|title= Religion in Coventry (2021 census)<ref name="census2021"/>
|titlebar=#ddd
|left1=Religion
|right1=Per cent(%)
|float=right
|bars=
{{bar percent|[[Christianity|Christian]]|purple|43.9}}
{{bar percent|[[Irreligion|No religion]]|violet|29.6}}
{{bar percent|[[Islam|Muslim]]|Green|10.4}}
{{bar percent|Undeclared|black|6.1}}
{{bar percent|[[Sikhism|Sikh]]|yellow|5.0}}
{{bar percent|[[Hinduism|Hindu]]|Orange|4.0}}
{{bar percent|[[Buddhism|Buddhist]]|Gold|0.4}}
{{bar percent|[[Jewish]]|Blue|0.1}}
{{bar percent|Other|grey|0.6}}
}}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Total population<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/data_cube_table_page.jsp?data_theme=T_POP&data_cube=N_TPop&u_id=10097861&c_id=10001043&add=N|title=Coventry District: Total Population|work=visionofbritain.org.uk|access-date=8 December 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111153014/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/data_cube_table_page.jsp?data_theme=T_POP&data_cube=N_TPop&u_id=10097861&c_id=10001043&add=N|archive-date=11 January 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 1801
|| 21,853
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 1851
|| 48,120
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 1901
|| 88,107
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 1911
|| 117,958
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 1921
|| 144,197
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 1931
|| 176,303
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 1941
|| 214,380
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 1951
|| 260,685
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 1961
|| 296,016
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 1971
|| 336,136
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 1981
|| 310,223
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 1991
|| 305,342
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 2001
|| 300,844
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 2007
|| 306,700
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 2009
|| 309,800
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 2010
|| 310,500
|- style="text-align:center;"
|| 2011
|| 316,960<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/snpp/sub-national-population-projections/Interim-2011-based/index.html |title=Subnational Population Projections, Interim 2011-based |publisher=Office for National Statistics |date=28 September 2012 |access-date=17 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116072020/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/snpp/sub-national-population-projections/Interim-2011-based/index.html |archive-date=16 November 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 2013
|| 329,810<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/HTMLDocs/dvc134_a/index.html|title= UK Population Estimates – 2013 Mid Year Estimates|publisher= [[Office for National Statistics]]|access-date= 27 June 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140810203303/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/HTMLDocs/dvc134_a/index.html|archive-date= 10 August 2014|url-status= dead}}</ref>
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 2014
|| 337,428<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pop-estimate/population-estimates-for-uk--england-and-wales--scotland-and-northern-ireland/mid-2014/stb---mid-2014-uk-population-estimates.html|title= UK Population Estimates – 2014 Mid Year Estimates|publisher= [[Office for National Statistics]]|access-date= 17 February 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151010060830/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pop-estimate/population-estimates-for-uk--england-and-wales--scotland-and-northern-ireland/mid-2014/stb---mid-2014-uk-population-estimates.html|archive-date= 10 October 2015|url-status= live}}</ref>
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 2015
|| 345,385<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernirelandmid2015|title= UK Population Estimates – 2015 Mid Year Estimates|publisher= [[Office for National Statistics]]|access-date= 30 June 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160807065229/https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernirelandmid2015|archive-date= 7 August 2016|url-status= live}}</ref>
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 2016
|| 352,911<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/mid2016|title= UK Population Estimates – 2016 Mid Year Estimates|publisher= [[Office for National Statistics]]|access-date= 20 August 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180726234112/https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/mid2016|archive-date= 26 July 2018|url-status= live}}</ref>
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 2017
|| 360,100<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/mid2017|title= UK Population Estimates – 2017 Mid Year Estimates|publisher= [[Office for National Statistics]]|access-date= 20 August 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180819070354/https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/mid2017|archive-date= 19 August 2018|url-status= live}}</ref>
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 2018
|| 366,785<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/mid2018|title= UK Population Estimates – 2018 Mid Year Estimates|publisher= [[Office for National Statistics]]|access-date= 16 December 2019|archive-date= 8 October 2019|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191008104805/https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/mid2018|url-status= live}}</ref>
|- style="text-align:center;" 
|| 2021
|| 345,328<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/populationandhouseholdestimatesenglandandwales/census2021#population-sizes-and-changes-for-regions-and-local-authorities|title=Population and household estimates, England and Wales |publisher= Office for National Statistics}}</ref>
|}

{| class="infobox" style="float:right;"
|-
! colspan="2" | Coventry religious demographics from the [[United Kingdom Census 2021|2021 census]]<ref name="census2021"/>
|-
! '''Religion''' || '''Population'''
|-
| Christian || 151,577
|-
| No Religion || 102,338
|-
| Muslim || 35,800
|-
| Undeclared|| 21,166
|-
| Sikh || 17,297
|-
| Hindu || 13,724
|-
| Buddhist || 1,257
|-
| Jewish || 259
|-
| Other || 1,908
|}

According to the 2021 Census, 43.9% (151,577) of residents identified themselves as Christian making [[Christianity]] the largest followed religion in the city. [[Islam]] was the second most followed religion with 10.4% (35,800) of residents identifying with the religion. 5.0% (17,297) of Coventry's population were [[Sikhism in the United Kingdom|Sikh]], disproportionately larger than the national average in England of 0.8%. [[Hinduism|Hindus]] made up 4.0% (13,724) of the resident population followed by [[Buddhism|Buddhists]] at 0.4% (1,257) and [[Jewish|Jews]] at 0.1% (259) respectively. The adherents of other religions made up 0.6% (1,908) of the city's population.

Almost a third of Coventry residents, 29.6% (102,338), identified themselves as having [[Irreligion|no religion]] and 6.1% did not declare any religion.<ref name="census2021"/>

== Government and politics ==
===Local and national government===
[[File:The Council House, Coventry.jpg|thumb|right|[[Council House, Coventry|The Council House, Coventry]]]]
[[File:Coventry Council House coat of arms over entrance.jpg|thumb|Coat of Arms of Coventry above the Council House.]]

Traditionally a part of [[Warwickshire]] (although it was [[County of the City of Coventry|a county in its own right]] for 400 years), Coventry became an independent [[county borough]] in 1889. It later became a [[metropolitan district]] of the [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands county]] under the [[Local Government Act 1974 (United Kingdom)|Local Government Act 1974]] (c. 7), even though it was entirely separate to the Birmingham conurbation area (this is why Coventry appears to unnaturally "jut out" into Warwickshire on political maps of the UK). In 1986, the [[West Midlands County Council]] was abolished and Coventry became administered as an effective [[unitary authority]] in its own right.

Coventry is administered by [[Coventry City Council]], controlled since 2010 by the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]], and led since May 2016 by George Duggins.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-city-council-leader-ann-11297241|title=Coventry City Council leader Ann Lucas ousted in Labour Party coup|date=6 May 2016|work=Coventry Telegraph|access-date=10 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160509013848/http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-city-council-leader-ann-11297241|archive-date=9 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The city is divided up into 18 [[ward (politics)|Wards]] each with three [[councillor]]s. The chairman of the [[Coventry City Council|council]] is the [[Lord Mayor of Coventry|Lord Mayor]], who has a casting vote.

Certain local services are provided by West Midlands wide agencies including the [[West Midlands Police]], the [[West Midlands Fire Service]] and [[Transport for West Midlands]] (Centro) which is responsible for [[public transport]].

In 2006, Coventry and Warwickshire Ambulance Service was merged with the [[West Midlands Ambulance Service]]. The Warwickshire and Northamptonshire [[Air Ambulance]] service is based at [[Coventry Airport]] in Baginton.

Coventry is represented in [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] by three [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Members of Parliament]] (MPs). They are:
* [[Mary Creagh]] – ([[Coventry East (UK Parliament constituency)|Coventry East]])
* [[Zarah Sultana]] – ([[Coventry South (UK Parliament constituency)|Coventry South]])
* [[Taiwo Owatemi]] – ([[Coventry North West (UK Parliament constituency)|Coventry North West]])

Up until 1997, Coventry was represented by four Members of Parliament, whereupon the Coventry South West and Coventry South East constituencies were merged to form Coventry South.

On Tuesday, 10 September 2024, Zarah Sultana, the Member of Parliament for Coventry South, was suspended from the Labour Party for voting in favour of a [[Scottish National Party]] amendment to end the [[Benefit cap|two child benefit cap]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-11 |title=Coventry MP warns winter fuel cuts could have fatal consequences |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y51zzpd6po |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

On Thursday, 19 May 2016, Councillor Lindsley Harvard was inaugurated Lord Mayor of Coventry for 2016–17 as Coventry's 65th Lord Mayor. Councillor Lindsley Harvard has been a Labour Councillor serving on the council for fourteen years, for Earlsdon Ward (1996–2000) and for Longford Ward since 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/130/lord_mayor/106/lord_mayor_of_coventry|title=Lord Mayor of Coventry|publisher=Coventry City Council|access-date=17 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161120121154/http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/130/lord_mayor/106/lord_mayor_of_coventry|archive-date=20 November 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> On Thursday, 19 May 2016, Councillor Tony Skipper was inaugurated as the Deputy Lord Mayor of Coventry for 2016–17. He has been a Labour councillor since 1995; representing Earlsdon Ward between 1995 and 2001, and then Radford Ward since 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/1001/lord_mayor-general_information/106/lord_mayor_of_coventry/2|title=Deputy Lord Mayor of Coventry|publisher=Coventry City Council|access-date=17 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419201256/http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/1001/lord_mayor-general_information/106/lord_mayor_of_coventry/2|archive-date=19 April 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Bishop of Coventry]] is [[Christopher Cocksworth|Christopher John Cocksworth]], who was consecrated on 3 July 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dioceseofcoventry.org/Bishop_of_Coventry|title=Diocese of Coventry – The Bishop of Coventry|website=www.dioceseofcoventry.org|access-date=18 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426154955/http://www.dioceseofcoventry.org/Bishop_of_Coventry|archive-date=26 April 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Council affiliation===
In May 2016, it was as follows<ref>[http://www.coventry.gov.uk/councillors Councillors – Coventry City Council] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514183341/http://www.coventry.gov.uk/councillors |date=14 May 2011 }}. Coventry.gov.uk (1 November 2016). Retrieved on 17 November 2016.</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" |[[File:Coventry Council Composition.svg|center]]
|-
! colspan="2" |Party
! Councillors
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
| 39
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]]
| 14
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Independent}}" |
|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
|1
|-
! colspan="2" |Total
!54
|}

===Twinning with other cities; "city of peace and reconciliation"===
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the United Kingdom}}

Coventry and [[Stalingrad]] (now [[Volgograd]]) were the world's first [[Sister city|'twin' cities]] when they established a twinning relationship during the Second World War.<ref>{{cite web|date=4 March 2016|title=A tale of twin cities: how Coventry and Stalingrad invented the concept|url=http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/04/twin-cities-coventry-stalingrad-war|access-date=20 May 2021|website=The Guardian|archive-date=20 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520074618/https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/04/twin-cities-coventry-stalingrad-war|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Danks|first=Catherine|title=I love Volgograd: the enduring wartime relationship with one British city|url=http://theconversation.com/i-love-volgograd-the-enduring-wartime-relationship-with-one-british-city-98509|access-date=20 May 2021|website=The Conversation|date=18 June 2018 |archive-date=20 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210520105044/https://theconversation.com/i-love-volgograd-the-enduring-wartime-relationship-with-one-british-city-98509|url-status=live}}</ref> The relationship developed through ordinary people in Coventry who wanted to show their support for the Soviet [[Red Army]] during the [[Battle of Stalingrad]].<ref name="coventry.gov.uk2">{{cite web|url=http://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory_record/6224/volgograd_russia|title=Twin towns and cities:Volgograd, Russia|publisher=Coventry City Council|access-date=21 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008221749/http://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory_record/6224/volgograd_russia|archive-date=8 October 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> The city was also subsequently twinned with [[Dresden]], as a gesture of peace and reconciliation following the Second World War. Each twin city country is represented in a specific ward of the city and in each ward has a peace garden dedicated to that twin city.{{Citation needed|date=September 2025}} Coventry is now twinned with 26 places across the world:<ref name="Coventry twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/what-point-coventrys-twin-towns-3038605 |title=Coventry's twin towns |access-date=6 August 2013 |last=Griffin |first=Mary |date=2 August 2011 |work=Coventry Telegraph |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130806032050/http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/what-point-coventrys-twin-towns-3038605 |archive-date=6 August 2013 }}</ref><ref name="Coventry twins">{{cite web|url=http://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory/25/twin_towns_and_cities|title=Coventry – Twin towns and cities|access-date = 6 August 2013|work = Coventry City Council.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412062545/http://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory/25/twin_towns_and_cities|archive-date=12 April 2013 }}</ref> On 22 March 2022, Coventry City Council voted unanimously to suspend the twinning arrangement with [[Volgograd]] in light of the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref name="suspension-of-twinning-bbc">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-60841684|title=Coventry suspends 80-year twinning link with Volgograd over Ukraine invasion|date=22 March 2022|work=BBC News|access-date=23 March 2022}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! City !! Country !! Year twinned !! Ward
|-
|-
| [[Graz]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/><ref name="Graz">{{cite web|url=http://www.graz.at/cms/beitrag/10045157/606819/ |title=Twin Towns – Graz Online – English Version |publisher=www.graz.at |access-date=5 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091108153010/http://www.graz.at/cms/beitrag/10045157/606819/ |archive-date=8 November 2009 }}</ref> || Austria || 1957 || Binley & Willenhall
|-
| [[Sarajevo]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || Bosnia and Herzegovina || 1957 || Cheylesmore
|-
| [[Cornwall, Ontario]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || rowspan=3| Canada || 1972 || rowspan=3| Earlsdon
|-
| [[Granby, Quebec]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || 1963
|-
| [[Windsor, Ontario]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || 1963
|-
| [[Jinan]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || China || 1983 || Foleshill
|-
| [[Lidice]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || rowspan=2| Czech Republic || 1947 || rowspan=2| Henley
|-
| [[Ostrava]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || 1959
|-
| [[Caen]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/><ref name="Archant twinning">{{cite web|url=http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns |title=British towns twinned with French towns |access-date=11 July 2013 |work=Archant Community Media Ltd |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705094933/http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns |archive-date=5 July 2013 }}</ref> || rowspan=2| France|| 1957 || rowspan=2| Longford
|-
| [[Saint-Étienne]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/><ref name="Archant twinning"/> || 1955
|-
| [[Dresden]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || rowspan=2| Germany || 1959 || rowspan=2| Lower Stoke
|-
| [[Kiel]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || 1947
|-
| [[Dunaújváros]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || rowspan=2| Hungary || 1962 || rowspan=2| Radford
|-
| [[Kecskemét]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || 1962
|-
| [[Bologna]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || Italy || 1960 || Sherbourne
|-
|[[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || Jamaica || 1962 || St Michael's
|-
|[[Arnhem]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || Netherlands || 1958 || Upper Stoke
|-
|[[Warsaw]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || Poland || 1957 || Wainbody
|-
|[[Cork (city)|Cork]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/><ref name="Cork twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.corkcity.ie/services/corporateaffairs/internationalrelations/|title= Cork – International Relations|access-date=28 August 2013|last=Mulcahy|first=Noreen|work=Cork City Council|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121101053320/http://www.corkcity.ie/services/corporateaffairs/internationalrelations/| archive-date=1 November 2012}}</ref> || Ireland}|| 1958 || Holbrooks
|-
|[[Galați]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || Romania || 1962 || Westwood
|-
|[[Volgograd]]/Stalingrad<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> (suspended)<ref name="suspension-of-twinning-bbc"/> || Russia || 1944 || Whoberley
|-
| [[Belgrade]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || Serbia || 1957 || Woodlands
|-
| [[Coventry, Connecticut]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || rowspan=3| United States || 1962 || rowspan=3| Wyken
|-
| [[Coventry, New York]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || 1972
|-
| [[Coventry, Rhode Island]]<ref name="Coventry twinnings"/><ref name="Coventry twins"/> || 1971
|}

==Arts and culture==
On 7 December 2017 it was announced that the city would be the 2021 [[UK City of Culture]], being the third such place to hold the title after [[Derry]] in 2013 and [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]] in 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42272675|title=UK City of Culture 2021: Coventry wins|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=8 December 2017|work=BBC News|date=7 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207235057/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42272675|archive-date=7 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> After the financial collapse of the Coventry City of Culture Trust,<ref>{{cite news |date=28 February 2023 |title=Coventry City of Culture Trust calls in administrators |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-64797580 |access-date=8 October 2024 |work=BBC News }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=25 February 2023 |title=Coventry City of Culture Trust's finances probed by watchdog |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-64771774 |access-date=8 October 2024 |work=BBC News }}</ref> set up to run legacy projects following Coventry's year as [[UK City of Culture]] in 2021, local MP [[Taiwo Owatemi]] raised an adjournment debate in the House of Commons.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-06-11 |title=Parliament to hold debate on Coventry City of Culture Trust |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-65866024 |access-date=2024-10-26 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

===Literature and drama===
* The African American actor [[Ira Aldridge]] managed Coventry Theatre after impressing the people of the city with his acting during a tour in 1828. He was born in New York in 1807, but moved to England when he was18, and is considered the UK's first black Shakespearean performer.<ref>{{cite news |date=3 August 2017 |title=First black Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge honoured |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-40802072 |access-date=6 June 2024 |work=BBC News }}</ref> 
* The poet [[Philip Larkin]] was born and brought up in Coventry,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/content/articles/2009/06/02/philip_larkin_feature.shtml|title=Larkin around Coventry|work=bbc.co.uk|access-date=18 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924203228/http://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/content/articles/2009/06/02/philip_larkin_feature.shtml|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> where his father was the City Treasurer.
* During the early 19th&nbsp;century, Coventry was well known due to author [[George Eliot]] who was born near [[Nuneaton]], Warwickshire. The city was the model for her famous novel ''[[Middlemarch]]'' (1871).
* The [[Coventry Carol]] is named after the city of Coventry. It was a carol performed in the play ''The Pageant of the Shearman and Tailors'', written in the 15th&nbsp;century as one of the [[Coventry Mystery Plays|Coventry Cycle Mystery Plays]]. These plays depicted the nativity story, the lyrics of the Coventry Carol referring to the [[Annunciation]] to the [[Massacre of the Innocents]], which was the basis of the Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors. These plays were traditionally performed on the steps of the (old) cathedral. The [[Belgrade Theatre]] brought back the Coventry Mystery Plays in 2000 to mark the city's millennium celebrations: the theatre now produces the Mystery Plays every three years.
* The [[Belgrade Theatre]] was Britain's first purpose-built civic theatre, opened in 1958. In 1965 the world's first ''Theatre-in-Education'' (TiE) company was formed to develop theatre as a way of inspiring learning in schools. The TiE movement spread worldwide, the theatre still offers a number of programmes for young people across Coventry and has been widely recognised as a leader in the field. It was reopened in 2007 following a period of refurbishment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.belgrade.co.uk/about-us/history/|title=History|work=Belgrade Theatre|access-date=18 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129170901/http://www.belgrade.co.uk/about-us/history/|archive-date=29 November 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Novelist [[Graham Joyce]], winner of the [[O. Henry Award]] is from [[Keresley]]. His [[World Fantasy Award]]-winning novel "[[The Facts of Life (Joyce novel)|The Facts of Life]]" is set in Coventry during the blitz and in the post-war rebuilding period.
* The playwright Alan Pollock<ref>{{cite web |title= Alan Pollock Interview|url=https://www.whatsonlive.co.uk/shropshire/interviews/alan-pollock-interview/15327|access-date=4 May 2022}}</ref> was brought up in Coventry. Other playwrights associated with the city include Nick Walker and Chris O'Connell – founder of the city's Theatre Absolute.
* Brian Saunders lived in Coventry and was featured, along with his partner Andrew Stuart Sutton and Pete and Les Cardy, in the series A Place In Greece in 2004 and 2005.
[[File:The Specials crop.jpg|thumb|The Specials.]]

===Music and cinema===
During the late-1970s and early 1980s, Coventry was the centre of the [[2 Tone (music genre)|Two Tone]] musical phenomenon, with bands such as [[The Specials]] and [[The Selecter]] coming from the city.<ref name="Petridis">{{cite news |last=Petridis |first=Alexis |date=8 March 2002 |title=Ska for the madding crowd |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2002/mar/08/artsfeatures.popandrock |access-date=8 October 2024 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The Specials achieved two UK number 1 hit singles between 1979 and 1981, namely "[[Too Much Too Young (The Specials song)|Too Much Too Young]]" and "[[Ghost Town (The Specials song)|Ghost Town]]".

Coventry has a range of music events including an international jazz programme, the Coventry Jazz Festival, and the [[Godiva Festival]]. On the Saturday of the Godiva Festival, a carnival parade starts in the city centre and makes its way to [[War Memorial Park, Coventry|War Memorial Park]] where the festival is held. Coventry's music is celebrated at The [[Coventry Music Museum]], part of the 2-Tone Village complex.[[File:Godiva Festival -Electric Main Stage-3July2009.jpg|right|thumb|[[Godiva Festival]], a major event on the Coventry arts and culture calendar]]

In the 1969 film ''[[The Italian Job]]'', the famous scene of [[Mini Cooper]]s being driven at speed through [[Turin]]'s sewers was actually filmed in Coventry, using what were then the country's biggest sewer pipes, that were accessible because they were being installed. The [[BBC]] medical TV drama series ''[[Angels (TV series)|Angels]],'' which ran from 1975 to 1983 was filmed at Walsgrave Hospital.<ref>{{cite web |last=Blackburn |first=Tom |date=8 April 2023 |title=Major movies and TV shows filmed in Coventry |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/whats-on/whats-on-news/movies-tv-shows-filmed-coventry-26649756 |access-date=8 October 2024 |website=Coventry Live }}</ref>

More recently various locations in Coventry have been used in the [[BAFTA]] nominated film ''The Bouncer'' starring [[Ray Winstone]], ''All in the Game'', also starring Ray Winstone (Ricoh Arena),  the BBC sitcom ''[[Keeping Up Appearances]]'' (Stoke Aldermoor and Binley Woods districts). In August 2006 scenes from "[[The Shakespeare Code]]", an episode of the third series of ''[[Doctor Who]]'', were filmed in the grounds of [[Ford's Hospital]]. The 2013 ITV comedy-drama ''[[Love and Marriage (2013 TV series)|Love and Marriage]]'' was also set in the city. Coventry is home to three major feature films the [[Nativity!|Nativity]]! franchise which are all shot and set in the city.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last1=McMullen |first1=Marion |last2=Mullen |first2=Enda |date=20 November 2009 |title=Nativity! saw Cov take centre stage in a Christmas film classic |url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/whats-on/film-tv/how-nativity-turned-coventry-film-3073630 |access-date=6 June 2024 |website=Coventry Live }}</ref> These Christmas films have all reached top box office spots on their release in UK cinemas. Their writer and director the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|Bafta]] award-winning [[Debbie Isitt]] is resident in the city. In 2023, the 10 part TV series ''[[Phoenix Rise (TV series)|Phoenix Rise]]'' was set and filmed in Coventry.<ref>{{cite web |title=Phoenix Rise – Meet the characters and creators of the bold new school drama |url=https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/mediapacks/phoenix-rise |access-date=8 October 2024 |website=www.bbc.com }}</ref>

[[BBC Radio 1]] has announced that its [[BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend|BBC Radio One's Big Weekend]] will take place in Coventry at the end of May 2022, as part of the closing ceremony for the [[UK City of Culture]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Radio 1 Big Weekend|url=https://www.visitcoventry.co.uk/homepage/21/radio-1-big-weekend|access-date=12 May 2022|archive-date=26 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526115544/https://www.visitcoventry.co.uk/homepage/21/radio-1-big-weekend|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Customs and traditions ===
[[Coventry Godcakes]] are a regional delicacy, originating from the 14th&nbsp;century and are still baked today.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/lifestyle/food-drink/leigh-waite-women-behind-revival-6941331|title=God-ly treats that deserve a big revival|last=Griffin|first=Mary|date=11 April 2014|work=birminghampost|access-date=28 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803211854/http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/lifestyle/food-drink/leigh-waite-women-behind-revival-6941331|archive-date=3 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Rodger |first=James |date=1 May 2015 |title=The world famous Cov cake you've probably never heard of |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/what-is-a-coventry-godcake-9164756 |access-date=5 September 2024 |website=Coventry Live }}</ref>

=== The Coventry Flag ===
[[File:Coventry city flag.svg|thumb|Coventry flag]]
The Coventry Flag,<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/flags/coventry-flag/|title=Coventry Flag |publisher= UK Flag Registry|access-date=8 June 2023}}</ref> designed by Simon Wyatt,<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-flag-city-of-culture-15516206|title=Look: One of these six designs is Coventry's new flag|first=Elis|last=Sandford|date=7 December 2018|website=CoventryLive|access-date=8 June 2023}}</ref> was adopted through a popular vote on 7 December 2018. The Coventry Flag represents the unique identity of the Warwickshire city and its residents. It emerged as the winner in a competition organised by [[BBC CWR|BBC Coventry & Warwickshire]]<ref name="auto"/> and proudly flew during Coventry's tenure as the UK City of Culture in 2021. The design features [[Lady Godiva]], a local heroine, depicted in black on a white pale, symbolising Coventry's history, principles, and its reputation as a city of peace. Sky blue panels on either side of Lady Godiva represent "Coventry Blue," reminiscent of the historic local textile industry and Coventry City Football Club, known as the "Sky Blues."

==Venues and shopping==
[[File:Warwick Arts Centre 2003.JPG|thumb|Warwick Arts Centre in Warwick University Campus in the 1990s]]

There are several theatre, art and music venues in Coventry attracting popular sporting events and singing musicians. Along with this, the city has several retail parks located out of the city centre and its own shopping mall in the heart of the city:
* [[Warwick Arts Centre]]: situated at the [[University of Warwick]], Warwick Arts Centre includes an art gallery, a theatre, a concert hall and a cinema. 
* [[Fargo Village|FarGo Village]], a creative quarter with various independent businesses.
* [[Albany Theatre (Coventry)|Albany Theatre]]: is the city's main community theatre. It is housed at what used to be the Butts Centre of [[City College Coventry]]. Known as the Butts or College Theatre, it closed in 2009 with the sale of the college to private developers. The theatre re-opened in 2013 as the Albany Theatre, as part of the Premier Inn hotel on the site of the former Butts Technical College and is run as a charitable trust with support from the council.
[[File:Broadgate Square, Coventry.jpg|thumb|Broadgate Square in Coventry]]
* [[Belgrade Theatre]]: one of the largest producing theatres in Britain, the 858-seat Belgrade was the first civic theatre to be opened in the UK following the Second World War. The theatre underwent a huge redevelopment and reopened in September 2007; in addition to refurbishing the existing theatre, the redevelopment included a new 250-seat studio auditorium known as B2, a variety of rehearsal spaces and an exhibition space that traces the history of theatre in Coventry. It is surrounded by [[Belgrade Plaza]].
[[File:War Memorial Park, Coventry - geograph.org.uk - 5085772.jpg|thumb|upright=0.65|War Memorial Park]] [[Coventry Building Society Arena]]: located {{convert|4|mi|km|abbr=off}} north of the city centre, the 32,600 capacity sports stadium which is home to the city's only professional football team [[Coventry City F.C.|Coventry City]], who play in the second tier of English football, and is also used to hold major concerts for some of the world's biggest acts, including [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]], [[Bon Jovi]], [[Coldplay]], [[Lady Gaga]], [[Rod Stewart]], [[Kings of Leon]] and the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]]. It was also one of the venues chosen for the footballing events at the [[2012 Olympic Games]]. The adjacent Jaguar Exhibition Hall is a 6,000-seat events venue for hosting a multitude of other acts.
* [[SkyDome Arena]], which is a 3,000 capacity sports auditorium, and has played host to artists such as Girls Aloud, Paul Oakenfold and Judge Jules. It is the home ground for [[Coventry Blaze]] ice hockey club, and has also hosted professional wrestling events from WWE, TNA and Pro Wrestling Noah.
* [[War Memorial Park, Coventry|War Memorial Park]]—known by locals simply as the Memorial Park—which holds various festivals including the [[Godiva Festival]] and the Coventry Caribbean Festival, every year. It also host the weekly [[Parkrun]] event.
* [[Butts Park Arena]], home of [[Coventry R.F.C.|Coventry Rugby Football Club]] and [[Coventry Bears]] Rugby League Club, holds music concerts occasionally.
* [[Criterion Theatre (Coventry)|Criterion Theatre]], a small theatre, in [[Earlsdon]].
* [[Coombe Country Park]], although outside the city boundary, Coventry City Council's only country park. It surrounds the former [[Coombe Abbey]] which now operates as a hotel. 
* [[The Wave, Coventry|The Wave]] – an [[indoor water park]] and spa, owned and operated by Coventry City Council, was opened in 2019.
* [[Herbert Art Gallery and Museum]] – a museum, art gallery, records archive, learning centre, media studio and creative arts facility on Jordan Well, Coventry.
* [[Coventry Transport Museum]] – one of the largest motor museums in the UK.

==Sport==
[[File:Ricoh arena 30s07.JPG|thumb|left|[[Coventry Building Society Arena|CBS Arena]] in 2007, then called the Ricoh Arena.]]

On the sporting scene, [[Coventry R.F.C.|Coventry Rugby Football Club]] was consistently among the nation's leading rugby football sides from the early 20th&nbsp;century, peaking in the 1970s and 1980s. [[Association football]], on the other hand, was scarcely a claim to fame until 1967, when [[Coventry City F.C.]] finally won promotion to the top flight of [[Football in England|English football]] as champions of the [[Football League Second Division]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/coventry-city-fc/coventry-city-fc-news/2008/01/17/promotion-winners-the-greatest-coventry-city-player-ever-92746-20363894/|title=Promotion winners: The greatest Coventry City player ever|newspaper=[[Coventry Telegraph]]|first=Jim|last=Brown|date=17 January 2008|access-date=17 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120925085605/http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/coventry-city-fc/coventry-city-fc-news/2008/01/17/promotion-winners-the-greatest-coventry-city-player-ever-92746-20363894/|archive-date=25 September 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> They would stay among the elite for the next 34 years, reaching their pinnacle with [[FA Cup]] [[1987 FA Cup Final|glory]] in 1987—the first and to date only major trophy in the club's history.<ref name="ccfc records">{{cite web|url=http://www.ccfc.co.uk/page/History/0,,10269~1030502,00.html|title=Club Records|work=ccfc.co.uk|publisher=[[Coventry City F.C.]]|date=23 August 2010|access-date=17 July 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106143638/http://www.ccfc.co.uk/page/History/0%2C%2C10269~1030502%2C00.html|archive-date=6 January 2009}}</ref> Their long stay in the top flight of English football ended in relegation in 2001,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/1310324.stm | website=[[BBC Sport]] | title=Coventry relegated at Villa | date=5 May 2001 | access-date=30 March 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021223162753/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/1310324.stm | archive-date=23 December 2002 | url-status=live }}</ref> and in 2012 they were relegated again to the third tier of English football. [[Highfield Road]], to the east of the city centre, was Coventry City's home for 106 years from 1899. They finally departed from the stadium in 2005 on their relocation to the 32,600-seat [[Ricoh Arena]] some {{convert|3|mi|spell=in|abbr=off}} to the north of the city centre, in the Rowleys Green district.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premierfootballbooks.co.uk/highfield_road.html |title=Highfield Road – Coventry City football Club |work=premierfootballbooks.co.uk |access-date=21 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322023811/http://www.premierfootballbooks.co.uk/highfield_road.html |archive-date=22 March 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Since 2000, the city has also been home to one of the most successful [[ice hockey]] teams in the country, the [[Coventry Blaze]] who are four time [[Elite Ice Hockey League|Elite League]] champions, and play their home games at the [[Coventry Skydome|SkyDome Arena.]]
{{clear}}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto;"
|-
!Club
!Sport
!Founded
!League
!Venue
|-
|[[Coventry City F.C.]]
|[[association football|Football]]
|1883
|[[EFL Championship]]
|[[Coventry Building Society Arena]]
|-
|[[Coventry Sphinx F.C.|Coventry Sphinx L.F.C.]]
|[[association football|Football]]
|2012
|[[West Midlands Regional Women's Football League]]
|Coventry Sphinx Sports and Social Club
|-
|[[Coventry United L.F.C.|Coventry United]] L.F.C
|[[association football|Football]]
|2015
|[[FA Women's Championship]]
|[[Butts Park Arena]]
|-
|[[Coventry R.F.C.]]
|[[Rugby union]]
|1874
|[[RFU Championship]]
|[[Butts Park Arena]]
|-
|[[Coventry Bees]]
|[[Motorcycle speedway|Speedway]]
|1928
|
|
|-
|[[Coventry Blaze]]
|[[Ice hockey]]
|2000
|[[Elite Ice Hockey League]]
|[[SkyDome Arena]]
|-
|[[Broadstreet RFC]]
|[[Rugby Union]]
|1929
|National League 2 (North)
|Ivor Preece Field
|-
|[[Coventry Jets]]
|[[American football]]
|2003
|[[BAFA National Leagues]]
|[[Coventry Sphinx]] Sports and Social Club
|-
|[[Coventry Sphinx F.C.]]
|[[association football|Football]]
|1946
| [[Midland Football League (2014)|Midland Football League Premier Division]]
|Coventry Sphinx Sports and Social Club
|-
|[[Coventry United F.C.]]
|[[association football|Football]]
|2013
|[[Midland Football League (2014)|Midland Football League Premier Division]]
|Butts Park Arena
|}

===Football===
[[File:Ricoh Arena, Coventry (stand and pitch) 14s07.jpg|thumb|Ricoh Arena.]]
There are two professional [[association football|football]] teams representing the city: [[Coventry City F.C.]] of the [[EFL Championship]] in men's football and [[Coventry United L.F.C.|Coventry United]] L.F.C. of the [[FA Women's Championship]] in women's football.

[[Coventry City F.C.]], formed in 1883 as "Singers F.C.". Nicknamed the ''Sky Blues'', the club competes in the [[EFL Championship]] (second tier of English football), but spent 34 years from 1967 to 2001 in the top tier of English football, winning the [[FA Cup]] in 1987. They were founder members of the [[Premier League]] in 1992. In 2005, Coventry City moved to the 32,600 capacity [[Ricoh Arena]] which opened in the Rowleys Green district of the city. The 2013–14 season saw the football club begin a ground share with [[Northampton Town F.C.]] at [[Sixfields Stadium]], [[Northampton]], which lasted until their return to the Ricoh Arena in September 2014. The 2019–20 season saw the Sky Blues once again playing their home fixtures out of Coventry, at [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]]'s [[St Andrew's (stadium)|St Andrew's Stadium]]. This arrangement continued until August 2021, when Coventry moved back to the newly renamed Coventry Building Society Arena.

Coventry United L.F.C. play at the Butts Park Arena and were originally Coventry City Ladies before the Sky Blues discontinued their women's team, at which point they affiliated with Coventry United, and rose through the divisions to their current position in the second-tier of the women's game.

Aside from these clubs, there are several other clubs in the city playing non-league football. [[Coventry Sphinx]], [[Coventry Alvis F.C.|Coventry Alvis]], [[Coventry Copsewood]] and [[Coventry United]] all play in the [[Midland Football League (2014)|Midland Football League]].

Both [[Coventry University]] and the [[University of Warwick]] compete in the [[British Universities and Colleges Sport]] (BUCS) football competitions. For the 2014–15 season, the Coventry University men's 1st team compete in BUCS Midlands 1a, while the University of Warwick men's 1st team competes in BUCS Midlands 2a. Both institutions' women's 1st teams both play in BUCS Midlands 2a.

===Rugby Union===
At the beginning of the 2014–15 season, there were 14 clubs based in Coventry, playing at various levels of the [[English rugby union system]]. However, on 21 December 2014, this rose to 15, when [[English Premiership (rugby union)|Aviva Premiership]] club [[Wasps RFC]] played their first home game at the [[Ricoh Arena]], completing their relocation to the city. This followed Wasps' purchase of Arena Coventry Limited (the company which runs the [[Ricoh Arena]]). The club announced that they will build a new 'state of the art' training complex in the area by 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/29631938 |title = Wasps confirm opening Ricoh Arena fixture |date = 15 October 2014 |work = BBC Sport |publisher = BBC |access-date = 15 December 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141213011113/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/29631938 |archive-date = 13 December 2014 |url-status = live }}</ref>

Wasps' stay in the City ended in 2022 after the club collapsed into administration and were forced to relinquish their ownership of the arena.<ref>{{cite news |date=17 October 2022 |title=Wasps: 167 job losses as Premiership club follow Worcester Warriors into administration |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/63244504 |access-date=11 June 2024 |work=BBC Sport }}</ref> As it stands, Wasps currently have no plans to play in Coventry again.

[[Coventry R.F.C.|Coventry Rugby Football Club]] play in the [[RFU Championship]], the second tier of the English [[rugby union]] system. The club enjoyed national success during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, with many of its players playing for their countries, notable players include [[Ivor Preece]], [[Peter Jackson (rugby union)|Peter Jackson]], [[David Duckham]], [[Fran Cotton]] and [[Danny Grewcock]]. From 1921 to 2004, the club played at Coundon Road Stadium. Their current home ground is the [[Butts Park Arena]], which was opened in 2004.

[[Broadstreet Rugby Club|Broadstreet R.F.C.]] are the only other club to play in a 'national league' currently playing in [[National Division 2 North]].

There are a further 12 clubs playing in the [[Rugby Football Union Midland Division|Midland divisions]] of the [[Rugby Football Union|English Rugby Union]] system. In 2015, they included Barkers Butts RFC, Dunlop RFC, Earlsdon RFC, Pinley, Old Coventrians, Coventrians, Coventry Welsh, Stoke Old Boys RFC, Copsewood RFC, Keresley RFC, [[Old Wheatleyans RFC]] and Trinity Guild RFC.

Both [[Coventry University]] and the [[University of Warwick]] compete in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Rugby competitions.

===Rugby League===
[[Midlands Hurricanes]] are the major [[rugby league]] team in the city. Originally known as Coventry Bears, the Hurricanes compete in the [[RFL League 1|Betfred League 1]], as a semi-professional team in the third tier of the game. They play their home matches at the [[Butts Park Arena]].

In 2002, the club won the [[Rugby League Conference]], and took the step up to the national leagues. In 2004, they won the National Division 3 title and have appeared in the [[Challenge Cup]]. In 2015 the Bears entered their reserve team into the [[Conference League South]] league, a level below the first team under the name [[Coventry Bears Reserves]] playing home games at the Xcel Leisure Centre.

Both [[Coventry University]] and the [[University of Warwick]] compete in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Midlands 1a competition.

===Speedway===
Coventry Speedway was based at [[Brandon Stadium]] (also known as [[Coventry Stadium]]). The stadium is located just outside the city in the village of [[Brandon, Warwickshire|Brandon]], [[Warwickshire]] ({{convert|6|mi|abbr=off}} to the east of the city). The stadium operated both sides of the Second World War. Before the Second World War [[Motorcycle speedway|speedway]] also operated for a short time at [[Lythalls Lane Stadium|Foleshill Stadium]], off Lythalls Lane in the city. Between 1998 and 2000, Coventry Stadium hosted the [[Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain]].

The [[Coventry Bees]] started in 1948 and operated continuously until the end of the 2018 season. They started out in the National League Division Three before moving up to the Second Division and, later to the top flight. The Bees were crowned League Champions on nine occasions (1953, 1968, 1978, 1979, 1987, 1988, 2005, 2007 and 2010).

Amongst the top speedway riders who represented Coventry teams were [[Tom Farndon]], [[Jack Parker (speedway rider)|Jack Parker]], [[Arthur Forrest (speedway rider)|Arthur Forrest]], [[Nigel Boocock]], [[Kelvin Tatum]], [[Chris Harris (speedway rider)|Chris Harris]], [[Scott Nicholls]], [[Emil Sayfutdinov]] and [[Speedway World Championship|World Champions]] [[Ole Olsen (speedway rider)|Ole Olsen]], [[Hans Nielsen (speedway rider)|Hans Nielsen]], [[Greg Hancock]], [[Billy Hamill]], [[Ronnie Moore (speedway rider)|Ronnie Moore]] and [[Jack Young (speedway rider)|Jack Young]].

In 2007, the Bees won the domestic speedway treble of Elite League, Knock-out Cup and Craven Shield, while Chris Harris won both the [[Speedway Grand Prix of Great Britain]] and the British Championship. The Bees retained the Craven Shield in 2008, and Chris Harris added further British Championship victories in both 2009 and 2010. The Elite League Championship Trophy returned to Brandon in 2010 when the Bees convincingly beat [[Poole Pirates]] in the play-off finals.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/motorbikes/speedway/9062265.stm |title = Coventry Bees crowned Elite League champions |date=5 October 2010 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |access-date=5 October 2010}}</ref>

The [[Coventry Storm]], an offshoot of the senior team, competed in the [[National League (Speedway)|National League]].

In 2017, the stadium became unavailable for motorsports, with new owners Brandon Estates pursuing planning permission for housing – thus, neither Coventry team was able to compete in the leagues, although a number of challenge matches were undertaken on opposition teams' tracks.

For 2018, Coventry Bees were entered into the National League, the third tier of British Speedway, riding their home meetings at the home of Leicester Lions. The team has not operated since then.

===Ice hockey===
[[File:Cardiff Devils v Coventry Blaze-57 (8218140763).jpg|thumb|Coventry Blaze.]]
The [[Coventry Blaze]] are one of the founding teams of the [[Elite Ice Hockey League]]. They competed in the [[Erhardt Conference]] from [[2012–13 EIHL season|2012–13]] to [[2017–18 EIHL season|2017–18]] before moving to the [[Patton Conference]] playing in that conference until the conference system was removed at the end of the [[2018–19 EIHL season|2018–19 season]].They play their matches at the [[SkyDome Arena]]. In 2002–2003, they won the [[British National League (1996–2005)|British National League]] and Playoffs. They have won the Elite League Championship four times (2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010). The team has twice won the [[Challenge Cup (UK Ice Hockey)|British Challenge Cup]], in 2005 & 2007. The [[2004–05 EIHL season]] saw the club win the Grand slam (namely the Championship, the Challenge Cup and the Playoffs). To date, they remain the only team since the formation of the Elite League to achieve this feat. Coventry Blaze celebrated their 10th anniversary season in 2009–10 by winning the Elite League.<ref>{{cite web |date=10 May 2023 |title=Blaze Honours – Coventry Blaze |url=https://coventryblaze.co.uk/blaze-honours/ |access-date=6 June 2024 }}</ref> The club also run a successful academy system, developing the young players of Coventry, Warwickshire and beyond. Scorch the dragon is the official Blaze mascot. The [[Coventry Blaze (ENL)|NIHL Coventry Blaze]], an offshoot of the senior team and official affiliate of the Blaze, currently compete in the [[English National Ice Hockey League|National Ice Hockey League]].

The [[Coventry Phoenix]] is the city's only women's team; currently competing in Division One (North) of the [[Women's ice hockey in Great Britain|British Women's Leagues]]. There are also several recreational [[ice hockey]] teams (male and female) that play in the city.

The Coventry and Warwick Panthers are members of the [[British Universities Ice Hockey Association]]. The 'A' team compete in "Checking 1 South", 'B' in "Non-Checking 1 South" and 'C' in "Non-Checking 2 South".

===Stock car racing===
[[Coventry Stadium]] held [[BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars]] from 1954 until 2016, the longest serving track in the UK to race continuously.<ref>BriSCA Formula One – The first 50 years 1954–2004 Keith Barber p 164 & 165</ref> The first meeting was held on 30 June 1954, the first heat being won by Percy 'Hellcat' Brine, he also won the meeting Final. Up to the end of 2013, the stadium had held 483 BriSCA F1 meetings.<ref>60th Season Final Fact Book – Nigel Anderson & Guy Parker</ref> It held the [[BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars World Championship]] many times since 1960. As with speedway, Stock Car racing ceased in 2017 because of the unavailability of the stadium.

===Cricket===
The city's current leading [[cricket]] club is [[Coventry & North Warwickshire Sports Club|Coventry and North Warwickshire Cricket Club]]. Coventry & North Warwickshire CC is currently competing in the ECB Birmingham & District Premier Cricket League, having won the Warwickshire Premier Division in 2022, achieving promotion through the county league play-offs against the respective winners of the Worcestershire, Staffordshire and Shropshire premier leagues.

Historically, [[First-class cricket|first class]] county games were played by [[Warwickshire County Cricket Club]] at the [[Courtaulds Ground]] from 1949 up to 1982. After Courtaulds Ground was closed, Warwickshire played several games at [[Coventry and North Warwickshire Cricket Club]] at Binley Road.

Coventry born [[Yvonne Dolphin-Cooper]] is a cricket umpire. She, alongside [[Anna Harris]], made history in 2021 by becoming the first-all female umpiring duo ever in ECB Premier League history when they officiated together in a [[West of England Premier League]] match between Downend CC and Bedminster in Gloucestershire.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Two women to stand as umpires in ECB Premier League match |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/two-women-to-stand-as-umpires-in-ecb-premier-league-match-1263021 |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=ESPNcricinfo |language=en}}</ref>

=== Athletics ===
The [[Coventry Godiva Harriers]], established in 1879, are the leading [[athletics (sport)|athletics]] club in the area. The club has numerous athletes competing for championships both nationally and internationally. Notable members<ref>{{cite web |title=Hall of Fame – Coventry Godiva Harriers |url=https://coventry-godiva-harriers.co.uk/hall-of-fame/ |access-date=6 June 2024 |website=coventry-godiva-harriers.co.uk}}</ref> (past and present) include:

*[[Basil Heatley]]; former world record holder for the marathon and silver medalist in the [[1964 Summer Olympics]].
*[[David Moorcroft]]; Gold medalist in the 1500m at the [[1978 Commonwealth Games]] and in the 5000m at the [[1982 Commonwealth Games]]. He is the former World 5000m record holder and still holds the British 3000m record.
*[[Marlon Devonish]]; individually in his senior career, he won Gold for the 200m at the 2003 World Indoor Championship and silver at the [[2002 Commonwealth Games]]. However, he has had great success as a relay runner in the 4 × 100 m, winning gold medals at the [[2004 Summer Olympics]], [[1998 Commonwealth Games]], [[2002 Commonwealth Games]] and the [[2010 Commonwealth Games]]. He also won bronze at World and European level at both his distances.

===Field hockey===
A [[field hockey]] club in the city is Coventry & North Warwickshire Hockey Club, which was established in 1895. Based at the Coventry University Sports Ground, the club runs four men's and two ladies' sides, as well as a junior section.

The men's first XI currently compete in Midlands Division 1 of the [[Midland Regional Hockey Association]] (MHRA), while the ladies' first XI compete in Warwickshire Women's Hockey League Division 1.

Other teams in the city include:

*Sikh Union: Men's 1st XI – (MHRA West Midlands Premier)
*Berkswell & Balsall Common Men's 1st XI – (MHRA East Midlands 1); Women's 1st XI – (Warwickshire Women's Hockey League Division 2)
[[File:2009 LPGA Championship - Laura Davies (2).jpg|thumb|Laura Davies in 2009]]
The [[University of Warwick]] field men's teams both in the MHRA and the [[British Universities and Colleges Sport]] (BUCS) hockey competitions. They compete in MHRA Midlands 2 and in BUCS Midlands 2b. The women's first XI compete in BUCS Midlands 3a. [[Coventry University]] men's first XI play in BUCS Midlands 3b, while the women's first XI compete in BUCS Midlands 2a.

===Golf===
[[Laura Davies|Dame Laura Davies]] [[Dame of the British Empire|DBE]] was born in Coventry and is among the most successful female golfers from Britain. She has had 87 tournament victories, including major wins at the Belgium Open in 1985, the [[British Open|Ladies British Open]] in 1986, and the [[U.S. Women's Open|US Women's Open]] in 1987.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=About Laura Davies – Laura Davies Biography |url=https://www.lauradaviesgolf.com/page_3153338.html |access-date=6 June 2024 |website=www.lauradaviesgolf.com}}</ref> From the early 90s  she played in 12 consecutive [[Solheim Cup]]s in the US.<ref name=":1" /> Laura has won numerous accolades during her career and was inducted into the [[World Golf Hall of Fame]] in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |title=Laura Davies Bio, Ladies Professional Golf Association |url=https://www.lpga.com/players/laura-davies/82630/bio |access-date=6 June 2024 |website=LPGA }}</ref>

In 1961, [[Ralph Moffitt]], assistant professional at Coventry Hearsall G.C., was selected and played for Great Britain in the [[Ryder Cup]] against the U.S.A. at Royal Lytham St. Anne’s G.C.

=== Other ===
In 2005, Coventry became the first city in the UK to host the [[International Children's Games]] and three of the city sports teams won significant honours.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coventry.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/leisure-and-culture/international-childrens-games-2005 |title=Images from the Children's Games 2005 |access-date=22 October 2005 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060927071101/http://www.coventry.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/leisure-and-culture/international-childrens-games-2005 |archive-date=27 September 2006}}</ref> The Blaze won the treble consisting of [[British Elite Ice Hockey League|Elite League]], playoff and [[Challenge Cup (UK ice hockey)|Challenge Cup]]; the Jets won the [[British American football League|BAFL]] Division 2 championship and were undefeated all season; and the Bees won the Elite League playoffs.

In 2014 the all-female [[Coventry City Derby Dolls]] was founded, now called Coventry Roller Derby (CRD).<ref>{{cite web |last=Simpson |first=Cara |date=31 March 2013 |title=LOOK: Derby Dolls thrill shoppers in Coventry city centre |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/look-derby-dolls-thrill-shoppers-3012416 |access-date=8 September 2024 |website=Coventry Live }}</ref> They were the first roller derby team in Coventry and Warwickshire,<ref>{{cite web |last=Hartley |first=Laura |date=19 April 2016 |title=Coventry Roller Derby team ready to take on best of Britain |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/a-passion-not-just-sport-11202493 |access-date=8 September 2024 |website=Coventry Live }}</ref> train weekly and have a full bout team<ref>{{cite web |title=Coventry Roller Derby – hard hitting fun |url=https://www.coventryrollerderby.co.uk/ |access-date=8 September 2024 |archive-date=8 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240908124321/https://www.coventryrollerderby.co.uk/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Economy==
[[File:Coventry Skyline.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Coventry's skyline (view from the footbridge over the railway by Central 6 shopping centre). The three spires are: [[Holy Trinity Church, Coventry|Holy Trinity]] (left), remaining spire of the ruined (bombed) [[Coventry Cathedral|cathedral]] and the remaining spire of the ruined Christ Church (right).]]

Historically, Coventry was the most important seat of ribbon-making in the UK. In this industry it competed locally with [[Norwich]] and [[Leicester]] and internationally with [[Saint-Étienne]] in France.

Coventry has been a centre of motor and cycle manufacturing. Starting with [[The Coventry Motor Company|Coventry Motette]], [[The Great Horseless Carriage Company]], [[Swift Motor Company]], [[Humber Limited|Humber]], [[Hillman]], [[Riley (automobile)|Riley]], [[Francis-Barnett]] and [[Daimler Company|Daimler]] and [[Triumph Motorcycles Ltd|Triumph motorcycles]] having its origins in 1902 in a Coventry factory. The [[Massey Ferguson]] tractor factory was situated on [[Banner Lane]], [[Tile Hill]], until it closed in the early 2000s.

Although the motor industry has declined almost to the point of extinction, [[Jaguar Land Rover]] has retained its Jaguar brand headquarters in the city (at Whitley) and an Advanced R&D team at the [[University of Warwick]], while [[Peugeot]] still have a large parts centre in Humber Road despite the closure of its [[Ryton plant|Ryton factory]] (formerly owned by the [[Rootes Group]]) just outside the city in December 2006 with the loss of more than 2,000 jobs – denting the economy of Coventry shortly before the onset of a [[Late 2000s recession|recession]] which sparked further economic decline and high unemployment.

[[File:1972 Hillman Avenger 1.5.jpg|thumb|A 1972 [[Hillman Avenger]], produced in Coventry by Chrysler Competitions Department]]

The [[Standard Motor Company]] opened a car factory at [[Canley]] in the south of the city in 1918, occupying a former munitions factory. This site was later expanded and produced Triumph cars after the Standard brand was phased out by [[British Motor Corporation|BMC]] during the 1960s. In August 1980, however, it was closed down as part of [[British Leyland]]'s rationalisation process, although the Triumph brand survived for another four years on cars produced at other British Leyland factories. The closure of the Triumph car factory was perhaps the largest blow to Coventry's economy during the early 1980s economic decline.

The famous London [[Hackney carriage|black cab taxis]] are produced by Coventry-based [[London Electric Vehicle Company|LEVC]] (formerly [[London Taxis International|LTI]]); until its 2017 relocation from the historic Holyhead Road factory to a new plant at [[Ansty, Warwickshire|Ansty Park]] a few miles outside the city, these were the only remaining motor vehicles wholly built in Coventry.

The manufacture of [[machine tool]]s was once a major industry in Coventry. [[Alfred Herbert (company)|Alfred Herbert Ltd]] became one of the largest machine tool companies in the world. In later years the company faced competition from foreign machine tool builders and ceased trading in 1983. Other Coventry machine tool manufacturers included A.C. Wickman, and Webster & Bennett. The last Coventry machine tool manufacturer was [[Arms-to-Iraq|Matrix Churchill]] which was forced to close in the wake of the [[Project Babylon|Iraqi Supergun (Project Babylon)]] scandal.

Coventry's main industries include: cars, electronic equipment, machine tools, agricultural machinery, man-made fibres, aerospace components and telecommunications equipment. In recent years, the city has moved away from manufacturing industries towards business services, finance, research, design and development and creative industries.

===Redevelopment===
[[File:Whittle arches coventry 12u07.JPG|thumb|The "Whittle Arch" outside the Transport Museum, named after Sir [[Frank Whittle]]]]
[[File:MillenniumSquareCov.jpg|thumb|Millennium Square by night, showing the Time Zone Clock designed by Francoise Schein with the Whittle Arch soaring above]]

Major improvements continue to regenerate the city centre. The Phoenix Initiative, which was designed by [[MJP Architects]], reached the final shortlist for the 2004 [[Stirling Prize|RIBA Stirling Prize]] and has now won a total of 16 separate awards. It was published in the book 'Phoenix : Architecture/Art/Regeneration' in 2004.<ref name="Phoenix">{{cite web|url=http://blackdogonline.com/all-books/phoenix.html|title=Phoenix : Architecture/Art/Regeneration|access-date=27 August 2009|year=2004|work=Black Dog Publishing|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708012456/http://blackdogonline.com/all-books/phoenix.html|archive-date=8 July 2011}}</ref> Further major developments are potentially afoot, particularly the Swanswell Project, which is intended to deepen Swanswell Pool and link it to [[Coventry Canal#Coventry Canal Basin|Coventry Canal Basin]], coupled with the creation of an urban marina and a wide Parisian-style boulevard. A possible second phase of the Phoenix Initiative is also in the offing, although both of these plans are still on the drawing-board. On 16 December 2007, [[IKEA]]'s first city centre store in the UK was opened, in Coventry.<ref name="ikeapress">{{cite web|url=http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/press_room/press_release/national/southampton_opening.html|title=IKEA set to open City Centre Store in Southampton|publisher=[[IKEA]]|access-date=17 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100924162920/http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/press_room/press_release/national/southampton_opening.html|archive-date=24 September 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="shopping">{{cite web|url=http://www.visitcoventryandwarwickshire.co.uk/shopping/coventry.aspx|title=Shopping in Coventry|work=visitcoventryandwarwickshire.co.uk|publisher=Coventry City Council|access-date=17 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120404090031/http://www.visitcoventryandwarwickshire.co.uk/shopping/coventry.aspx|archive-date=4 April 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 4 February 2020, it was announced that [[IKEA]]'s Coventry city centre store was to close the same year due to changing shopping habits and consistent losses at the store.<ref>{{cite news |title=IKEA To Close Its Coventry Store This Summer |url=https://hellocov.co.uk/ikea-to-close-its-coventry-store-this-summer/ |access-date=20 February 2020 |publisher=HelloCov |date=4 February 2020 |archive-date=20 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220123229/https://hellocov.co.uk/ikea-to-close-its-coventry-store-this-summer/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[River Sherbourne]] runs under Coventry's city centre; the river was paved over during the rebuilding after the Second World War and is not commonly known. When the new rebuild of Coventry city centre takes place from 2017 onwards, it is planned that river will be re-opened, and a river walk way will be placed alongside it in parts of the city centre.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/src/webroot/coventrytelegraph/lifestyle-news/your-life/2006/10/05/going-underground-in-coventry-50003-17875961/ |title=Going underground in Coventry |access-date=28 April 2008 |date=5 October 2006 |work=Coventry Telegraph.net |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129211221/http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/src/webroot/coventrytelegraph/lifestyle-news/your-life/2006/10/05/going-underground-in-coventry-50003-17875961/ |archive-date=29 January 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In April 2012, the pedestrianisation of Broadgate was completed.<ref name="broadgatesquare">{{cite news|url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2012/03/23/coventry-s-new-broadgate-square-to-open-on-st-george-s-day-92746-30605552/|title=Coventry's new Broadgate Square to open on St George's Day|newspaper=[[Coventry Telegraph]]|first=Jenny|last=Waddington|date=23 March 2012|access-date=17 July 2012|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009173624/https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Media===
====Radio====
Local radio stations include:
*[[BBC CWR]]: 94.8 FM
*[[Capital Mid-Counties]] (formerly [[Touch FM (Coventry)|Touch FM]]): 96.2 FM
*[[Hits Radio Coventry & Warwickshire]] (formally known as Mercia Sound, Mercia FM, Mercia and Free Radio Coventry & Warwickshire): 97.0 FM
*[[Greatest Hits Radio West Midlands]]: 1359 AM
*[[Fresh (Coventry & Warwickshire)|Fresh West Midlands]]: DAB

====Written media====
[[File:Coventry Evening Telegraph building - geograph.org.uk - 5742185.jpg|thumb|Former offices of the Coventry Evening Telegraph.]]
The main local newspapers are:
*''[[Coventry Telegraph]]'': a paid for [[newspaper]] printed Monday to Saturday, owned by [[Reach plc|Reach]].
*''Coventry Observer''

====Television news====
The city is covered on regional TV News by:
*[[Midlands Today|BBC Midlands Today]]: run by the British public service broadcaster.
*[[ITV News Central]]

====Digital-only media====
*''HelloCov'': an online news website founded in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=HelloCov About Us web page |url=https://hellocov.co.uk/about-us/ |website=HelloCov |access-date=20 February 2020 |archive-date=20 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220111603/https://hellocov.co.uk/about-us/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
*''Coventry Times''

==Public services==
===Emergency services===
Coventry is covered by [[West Midlands Police]], the [[West Midlands Fire Service]] and the [[West Midlands Ambulance Service]].

===Healthcare===
[[File:University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire - geograph.org.uk - 2085555.jpg|thumb|University Hospital Coventry]]
Healthcare in Coventry is provided primarily by the [[National Health Service]] (NHS); the principal NHS hospital covering the city is the [[University Hospital Coventry]], which was opened in 2006 as a 1,250 bed 'super hospital', funded by a [[private finance initiative]] (PFI) scheme.<ref name="BLv">{{cite web |title=Coventry's super-hospital opens its doors |url=https://www.business-live.co.uk/economic-development/coventrys-super-hospital-opens-its-doors-3980452 |publisher=Business Live |access-date=8 December 2023 |date=10 July 2006}}</ref>

=== Electricity ===
Electricity was first supplied to Coventry in 1895 from [[Coventry power stations|Coventry power station]] off Sandy Lane adjacent to the canal (now Electric Wharf). A larger 130&nbsp;MW power station was built at Longford in 1928, this operated until 1976, and was subsequently demolished.<ref>{{cite web|title=The City of Coventry – water, gas and electricity|url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol8/pp275-298#h3-0005|access-date=11 October 2020|website=British history online|archive-date=24 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924210600/https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol8/pp275-298#h3-0005|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Waste management===
[[File:Helicopter - Night Time Photos (8739866021).jpg|thumb|The city centre at night, seen in April 2013]]

Coventry has an [[waste-to-energy|energy from waste]] [[incinerator]]<ref>[http://www.cswdc.co.uk/energyfromwaste.html Coventry & Solihull Waste Disposal Company] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210122434/http://www.cswdc.co.uk/energyfromwaste.html |date=10 February 2012 }}. CSWDC. Retrieved on 17 July 2013.</ref> which burns rubbish from both Coventry and [[Solihull]], producing electricity for the [[National Grid (UK)|National Grid]] and some hot water that is used locally through the Heatline project.<ref>[http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/10106/major_developments/1020/heatline Heatline – Heatline – Coventry City Council] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829234123/http://www.coventry.gov.uk/info/10106/major_developments/1020/heatline |date=29 August 2012 }}. Coventry.gov.uk. Retrieved on 17 July 2013.</ref> Rubbish is still put into [[landfill]].

* Many areas of Coventry have kerb-side plastic, metal (tins and cans), and [[paper recycling]]. Garden-green rubbish is collected and composted.
* Waste materials can be taken to the recycling depot, which is adjacent to the incineration unit.
* There are recycling points throughout the city for paper, [[glass recycling]] and metal / tin can recycling.

In October 2006, Coventry City Council signed the [[Nottingham Declaration]], joining 130 other UK councils in committing to reduce the [[greenhouse gas emissions]] of the council and to help the local community do the same.

==Transport==
===Roads===
Coventry is near to the [[M1 motorway|M1]], [[M6 motorway|M6]], [[M40 motorway|M40]], [[M45 motorway|M45]] and [[M69 motorway]]s. The M45, which is situated a few miles to the south-east of the city, was opened in 1959 as a spur to the original section of the [[M1 motorway]], which linked [[London]] with the Midlands. This was, in effect, the first motorway to serve Coventry, as the section of the M6 north of the city did not open until 1971 and the M69 between Coventry and [[Leicester]] opened five years later. The M40, which is connected to the city via the [[A46 road|A46]], is {{convert|12|mi|abbr=off}} south of the city centre, south of [[Warwick]] and gives the city's residents an alternative dual carriageway and motorway route to London.

It is served by the [[A45 road|A45]] and [[A46 road|A46]] dual carriageways. The A45 originally passed through the centre of the city, but was re-routed in the 1930s on the completion of the Coventry Southern Bypass, with westbound traffic heading in the direction of [[Birmingham]] and eastbound traffic in the direction of [[Northampton]]. The A46 was re-routed to the east of the city in 1989 on completion of the Coventry Eastern Bypass, which directly leads to the M6/M69 interchange. To the south, it gives a direct link to the M40, making use of the existing Warwick and [[Kenilworth]] bypasses.
[[File:Coventry ring road Hillcross flyover.jpg|thumb|Coventry Ring Road.]]
Coventry has a [[Dual carriageway|dual-carriageway]] Ring Road (officially road number A4053) that is 2.25 miles long.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |last=Scott |first=Nicki |title=40 facts about the Coventry ring road |url=https://www.coventry.gov.uk/local-history-heritage/40-facts-coventry-ring-road |access-date=7 June 2024 |website=Coventry City Council }}</ref> It loops around the city centre and roughly follows the lines of the old city walls.<ref>{{cite web |last=Speed |first=Paul |date=5 February 2022 |title=Fascinating photos show how Coventry's Ring Road came to be |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/history/gallery/fascinating-photos-show-how-coventrys-22969726 |access-date=7 June 2024 |website=Coventry Live }}</ref> The Ring Road began construction in the late 1950s, the first stretch was opened in 1962,<ref name=":2" /> and it was finally completed in 1974. Ring Road junctions have all been numbered since the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web |date=1 March 2017 |title=History |url=https://www.roads.org.uk/articles/coventry-ring-road/history |access-date=7 June 2024 |website=www.roads.org.uk }}</ref> The road has a reputation for being difficult to navigate. A single street of Victorian terraces, Starley Road, remains inside the ring road after a campaign by residents prevented its demolition in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of a City: Coventry |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/local_history/city/history_of_city_07.shtml |access-date=7 June 2024 |website=www.bbc.co.uk }}</ref>

[[Phoenix Way (road)|Phoenix Way]], a dual-carriageway running north–south completed in 1995, links the city centre with the [[M6 motorway|M6]] motorway.

===Railway===
[[File:Coventry_railway_station_(new)_2022-10-12.jpg|thumb|Coventry railway station]]

[[Coventry railway station]] is a principal stop on the [[West Coast Main Line]]; it is served by three [[train operating companies]]:

* [[Avanti West Coast]] operates [[inter-city rail|inter-city]] services between {{rws|London Euston}}, {{rws|Birmingham New Street}}, {{rws|Wolverhampton}}, {{rws|Preston}}, {{rws|Carlisle}}, {{rws|Glasgow Central}} and {{rws|Edinburgh Waverley}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our latest timetables and ticket info |work=Avanti West Coast |date=2 June 2024 |access-date=25 November 2024 |url= https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/travel-information/plan-your-journey/timetables}}</ref>
* [[CrossCountry]] provides services between {{rws|Manchester Piccadilly}} and {{rws|Bournemouth}},  via Birmingham New Street, {{rws|Reading}} and {{rws|Southampton Central}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Train Timetables |work=CrossCountry |date=2 June 2024 |access-date=25 November 2024 |url= https://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/travel-updates-information/train-timetables}}</ref>
* [[London Northwestern]] (a trade name of West Midlands Trains) provides stopping services between London Euston and Birmingham New Street, via [[Rugeley Trent Valley railway station|Rugeley]]. There are also services between [[Nuneaton railway station|Nuneaton]] and [[Leamington Spa railway station|Leamington Spa]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Train timetables and schedules |url=https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/travel-information/journey-planning/timetables?station=Coventry&crs=COV |access-date=5 September 2024 |website=West Midlands Railway}}</ref>

Coventry has also three suburban railway stations at [[Coventry Arena railway station|Coventry Arena]], [[Canley railway station|Canley]] and [[Tile Hill railway station|Tile Hill]]. Coventry Arena, serving the north of city on the [[Coventry to Nuneaton Line]], opened in January 2016 primarily for the [[Ricoh Arena]] where football, rugby matches and concerts take place.

===Light rail===
A [[light rail]] system is planned for Coventry, known as ''[[Coventry Very Light Rail]]''. The first vehicle came off the production line in March 2021 and the first line, to [[University Hospital Coventry]], was proposed to be operational by 2024.<ref name="CETtramreturn">{{cite news |title=Trams to run on Coventry's streets for first time since The Blitz |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-news-trams-light-railway-15976213 |newspaper=Coventry Telegraph |access-date=16 March 2019 |date=14 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706052241/https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-news-trams-light-railway-15976213 |archive-date=6 July 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Buses===
[[File:Coventry Pool Meadow Bus Station - geograph.org.uk - 3577122.jpg|thumb|Pool Meadow bus station]]

Bus operators in Coventry include [[National Express Coventry]], [[Arriva Midlands]] and [[Stagecoach in Warwickshire]]. [[Pool Meadow bus station]] is the main bus and coach [[Transport hub|interchange]] in the city centre. Coventry has a single [[Coventry park and ride|Park and Ride]] service from [[War Memorial Park, Coventry|War Memorial Park]] served by Stagecoach in Warwickshire. From Pool Meadow, there are national coach links to major towns and cities, seaside towns, ferry ports and events with [[National Express Coaches|National Express]], with four stands (A, B, C and D).<ref name="networkwestmidlands.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.networkwestmidlands.com/parkandride/indexparkandride.aspx |title=Park and Ride |access-date=18 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218152512/http://www.networkwestmidlands.com/parkandride/indexparkandride.aspx |archive-date=18 December 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Coventry aims to have all of its buses powered by electricity by 2025.<ref>{{cite news|date=18 January 2022|title=Coventry to get 130 electric buses in deal|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-60037951|access-date=20 January 2022}}</ref>

===Air===
The nearest major airport is [[Birmingham Airport]], some {{convert|11|mi|km}} to the west of the city. [[Coventry Airport]], located {{convert|5|mi|km|0}} south of the city centre in [[Baginton]], is now used for [[general aviation]] only.<ref>{{cite web |last= |first= |title=About us |url=http://www.coventryairport.co.uk/about-us |access-date=6 June 2024 |website=Coventry Airport |archive-date=14 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240614051112/https://coventryairport.co.uk/about-us |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Water===
[[File:Coventry Canal basin - southern end of canal 19n06.jpg|thumb|Coventry Canal Basin]]

The [[Coventry Canal]] terminates near the city centre at [[Coventry Canal#Coventry Canal Basin|Coventry Canal Basin]] and is navigable for {{convert|38|mi|km}} to [[Fradley Junction]] in [[Staffordshire]].<ref>{{cite web |date=27 February 2018 |title=Coventry Canal – Canalmap.net |url=https://canalmap.net/coventry-canal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227034356/https://canalmap.net/coventry-canal |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 February 2018 |access-date=5 September 2024 }}</ref> The canal engineer [[James Brindley]] was responsible for the initial planning of the canal.<ref>{{cite web |title=BBC – Coventry and Warwickshire Features – Coventry Canal Basin |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/features/days-out/coventry-canal-basin.shtml |access-date=5 September 2024 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> The Coventry Canal Society was formed in 1957.

==Accent==
=== Origins ===
Coventry in a linguistic sense looks both ways, towards both the 'West' and 'East' Midlands.<ref name="Chinn">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/content/articles/2005/01/07/voices_05_chinn_history_feature.shtml |title=What did the Vikings ever do for us? |date=18 April 2008 |access-date=1 October 2009 |work=BBC News Online |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219102712/http://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/content/articles/2005/01/07/voices_05_chinn_history_feature.shtml |archive-date=19 February 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> One thousand years ago, the extreme west of Warwickshire (what today we would designate Birmingham and the Black Country) was separated from Coventry and east Warwickshire by the forest of [[Arden, Warwickshire|Arden]], with resulting inferior means of communication.<ref name="Chinn"/> The west Warwickshire settlements too were smaller in comparison to Coventry which, by the 14th&nbsp;century, was England's third city.<ref name="Chinn"/> Even as far back as Anglo-Saxon times Coventry—situated as it was, close to [[Watling Street]]—was a trading and market post between King Alfred's Saxon Mercia and [[Danelaw]] England with a consequent merging of dialects.<ref name="Trugill">{{cite book |title= English Accents:An Introduction to Social and Regional Varieties of English in the British Isles |editor1-last=Trugill |editor1-first= Peter |editor2-last= Hughes |editor2-first=Arthur |editor3-last= Watt |editor3-first= Dominic|year= 2005 |publisher=Hodder Stoughton |isbn= 978-0-340-88718-9}}</ref>

=== Coventry and Birmingham accents ===
Phonetically the accent of Coventry, like the perhaps better known accent of Birmingham, is similar to Northern English with respect to its system of short vowels. For example, it lacks the BATH/TRAP (Cov. /baθ/, Southern /bɑːθ/) and FOOT/STRUT (Cov. /strʊt/, Southern /strʌt/) splits.<ref name="Trugill"/> Yet the longer vowels in the accent also contain traces of [[Estuary English]] such as a partial implementation of the London [[diphthong]] shift, increasingly so amongst the young since 1950. We also see other [[Estuary English]] features, such as a /l/-vocalisation whereby words such as 'milk' come to be pronounced as /mɪʊk/.<ref name="Trugill"/> However, the distinction between Coventry and Birmingham accents is often overlooked. Certain features of the Birmingham accent (e.g. occasional tapping of prevocalic /r/ in words such as 'crack') stop starkly as one moves beyond Solihull in the general direction of Coventry, a possible approximation of the 'Arden Forest' divide perhaps. In any case, Coventry sits right at a dialectal crossroads, very close to isoglosses that generally delineate 'Northern' and 'Southern' dialects, exhibiting features from both sides of the divide.<ref name="Trugill"/>

=== Coventry accent on television ===
The BBC's 2009 documentary ''The Bombing of Coventry'' contained interviews with Coventrians. Actress Becci Gemmell, played Coventry character Joyce in the BBC drama ''[[Land Girls (TV series)|Land Girls]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/06_june/04/landgirls.shtml|title=Land Girls Press Pack|date=3 June 2009|access-date=10 October 2009|work=BBC News Online|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609093450/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/06_june/04/landgirls.shtml|archive-date=9 June 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Honours==
A [[minor planet]], [[3009 Coventry]], discovered by [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] astronomer [[Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh]] in 1973, is named after the city.<ref name="Schmadel2003">{{cite book|last=Schmadel|first=Lutz D.|title=Dictionary of minor planet names|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KWrB1jPCa8AC&q=3006+Livadia+1979&pg=PA247|year=2003|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-3-540-00238-3|page=247|access-date=10 November 2020|archive-date=28 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210528131410/https://books.google.com/books?id=KWrB1jPCa8AC&q=3006+Livadia+1979&pg=PA247|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Education==
{{See also|List of schools in Coventry}}

===Universities and further education colleges===
[[File:Coventry university 26l07.JPG|thumb|The Alan Berry building, Coventry University.]]

Coventry has two universities; [[Coventry University]] is situated on a modern city centre campus while the [[University of Warwick]] lies {{convert|3.5|mi|km|abbr=off}} to the south of the city centre. The [[University of Warwick]] is one of only five universities never to have been rated outside the top ten in terms of teaching excellence and research and is a member of the prestigious [[Russell Group]]. The university won the BBC TV ''[[University Challenge]]'' trophy in April 2007 and April 2021. [[Coventry University]] is one of only a handful of universities to run a degree course in [[automotive design]], which is in its [[Coventry School of Art and Design]].

Coventry also has two further education colleges within city boundaries, [[Coventry College]] and [[Hereward College]].

===Schools===
Many of the secondary schools in and around Coventry are specialist colleges, such as [[Finham Park School]], which is a mathematics and IT college, a teacher training school and the only school in Coventry to offer studying the International Baccalaureate, and [[Coventry Blue Coat Church of England School]] which has recently become a specialist college of music, one of only a few in the country. [[Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, Coventry|Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School]] specialises in languages. [[Bishop Ullathorne RC School]] became a specialist college in humanities in 2006. [[Ernesford Grange Community Academy]], in the south east, is a specialist science college. [[Coundon Court|Coundon Court School]] is a [[Technology College]]. [[Pattison College]], a private school opened in 1949, specialises in the performing arts. [[Caludon Castle School]] is a business and enterprise school, which was rebuilt over 2005–07. [[Exhall Grange School|Exhall Grange School and Science College]] is in the north of the city, although, its catchment area is north Warwickshire. There is also [[Cardinal Newman Catholic School and Community College]] and [[Whitley Academy]] in the city.

Coventry has a variety of schools: Two of the oldest secondary schools being [[President Kennedy School]] founded in 1966 and located in the north-west of Coventry (currently undergoing rebuilding work) and [[Sidney Stringer Academy]] which is located in the centre of the city. It is a co-educational school and has moved into a larger building costing £28 million.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sidney Stringer Academy – Tes Jobs|url=https://www.tes.com/jobs/employer/sidney-stringer-academy-1000428|access-date=16 January 2022|website=www.tes.com|archive-date=16 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220116174738/https://www.tes.com/jobs/employer/sidney-stringer-academy-1000428|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The Coventry School Foundation comprises the independent schools [[King Henry VIII School, Coventry|King Henry VIII School]] and [[Bablake School]] together with [[King Henry VIII Preparatory School]].

The [[Woodlands Academy, Coventry|Woodlands Academy]] and Tile Hill Wood School were the last remaining single sex schools in the city, serving boys and girls respectively. These schools merged onto the Tile Hill Wood site in 2016 before officially being rebranded as [[West Coventry Academy]] in 2017. Both Woodlands and Tile Hill shared a joint sixth form along with The Westwood Academy called West Coventry Sixth Form, but in 2018 Westwood left the sixth form and it now operates under the name West Coventry Academy Sixth Form.

The Westwood Academy, which is a Technology College, is close to the [[University of Warwick]]. It is the only school in Coventry that is a [[Cisco Networking Academy|CISCO Academy]] and has links with other educational establishments, industry and the local community.

Sherbourne Fields School is a school for young people with disabilities and is located in the Coundon area.<ref>{{cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.sherbournefields.co.uk/ |access-date=5 September 2024 |website=Sherbourne Fields Special School }}</ref> It opened in the 1960s.

==Notable people associated with Coventry==
{{Main|List of people from Coventry}}

===History and politics===
[[File:Godiva Statue Coventry 1.JPG|thumb|upright|Statue of [[Lady Godiva]]]]Coventry is well known for the mythical 11th century exploits of [[Lady Godiva]] who, according to legend, rode through the city naked on horseback in protest at high taxes being levied on the city folk by her husband [[Leofric, Earl of Mercia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The City of Coventry: The legend of Lady Godiva {{!}} British History Online |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/warks/vol8/pp242-247 |access-date=5 September 2024 |website=www.british-history.ac.uk}}</ref> Contemporary historians do not dispute that lady Godiva was a real figure, as she was the first woman to be mentioned in the ''[[Domesday Book]]'' (1086), however her ride is considered mythical.<ref>{{cite web|title=Did Lady Godiva ride naked in Coventry?|url=https://www.historyextra.com/period/anglo-saxon/who-lady-godiva-did-she-ride-naked-through-coventry-streets/|access-date=16 January 2022|website=HistoryExtra}}</ref> The residents of the city were commanded to look away as she rode, but one man did not and was allegedly struck blind. He became known as [[Voyeurism|Peeping Tom]] thus originating a new idiom, or metonym, in English. There is a Grade II* [[listed building|listed]] statue<ref>{{NHLE |num=1031589 |desc=Bronze statue of Lady Godiva – Grade II* |access-date=12 March 2009}}</ref> of her in the city centre, which for 18 years had been underneath a Cathedral Lanes shopping centre canopy, removed in October 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/coventry_warwickshire/7697036.stm|title=Godiva statue canopy comes down|work=BBC News Online|publisher=BBC|date=29 October 2008|access-date=30 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081101132321/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/7697036.stm|archive-date=1 November 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> There is also a bust of Peeping Tom looking out across Hertford Street shopping precinct, and overlooking Broadgate and the statue of Godiva is a clock where, at every hour, Lady Godiva appears on her horse while being watched by Peeping Tom.

[[Julins Palmer]], the English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in 1556 during the reign of [[Mary I of England|Mary I]], was a native of Coventry.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Colvile |first=Frederick Leigh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e99UAAAAcAAJ&q=palmer |title=The Worthies of Warwickshire who Lived Between 1500 and 1800 |date=1870 |publisher=H.T. Cooke and son |pages=561 |language=en}}</ref> [[Christopher Davenport]] the 17th century [[Catholic Church in England and Wales|Catholic]] theologian, religious controversialist, and royal [[chaplain]] was born in Coventry.<ref>{{Cite ODNB |last=Chambers |first=A. P. |title=Davenport, Christopher [name in religion Franciscus à Sancta Clara] (c. 1595–1680), Franciscan friar and religious controversialist |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-7199 |access-date=2024-10-14 |date=2004 |language=en |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/7199}}</ref>

The statesman and founder of modern Australia, [[Sir Henry Parkes]], was born in [[Canley]] in 1815.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1896-05-09 |title=Burial of Sir Henry Parkes AN IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY. |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71245263 |access-date=2024-10-14 |work=Australian Town and Country Journal}}</ref> Other international politicians from Coventry include [[Brian Mitchell (politician)|Brian Mitchell]], the [[Australian Labor Party]] member for [[Division of Lyons|Lyons]] in the [[Australian House of Representatives]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brian Mitchell – Labor for Lyons |url=https://www.alp.org.au/brian_mitchell |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=www.alp.org.au |language=en}}</ref> and the Canadian parliamentarian [[Jocelyn Burgener]], who was a Member of the [[Legislative Assembly of Alberta]] from 1993 to 2001.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cOSIAAAAMAAJ&q=%22BURGENER,+Mary+Jocelyn%22 |title=The Canadian Parliamentary Guide |date=1997 |publisher=P. G. Normandin |isbn=978-1-896413-43-3 |language=fr}}</ref> [[Evelyn Evans]], a British librarian who founded libraries in [[Ghana]], was also from Coventry.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sturges |first=Paul |date=2001-03-01 |title=The Poverty of Librarianship: An Historical Critique of Public Librarianship in Anglophone Africa |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/LIBR.2001.38/html |journal=Libri |language=en |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=38–48 |doi=10.1515/LIBR.2001.38|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

[[Pearl Hyde]] was a Labour councillor, the head of the Coventry [[Women's Voluntary Service]] during the [[World War II|Second World War]], and became the first female [[Lord Mayor of Coventry]] in 1957.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pearl Hyde (1904–1963) Long Biography |url=https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/research/projects/coventry_lives/biographies/pearl_hyde/long_biography/ |access-date=6 June 2024 |website=warwick.ac.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite ODNB |title=Hyde, Pearl Marguerite (1904–1963), leader of women's voluntary work and politician |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-73538 |access-date=6 June 2024 |date=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/73538 |last1=Hinton |first1=James |isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 }}</ref>

[[Dave Nellist]], a [[Militant tendency]] politician in the Labour Party, Member of Parliament who gave away half of his salary and the National Chair of the [[Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition]] (TUSC) is from Coventry.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Socialist and ex-Coventry MP Dave Nellist on why he and others applied to rejoin Labour |url=https://www.coventryobserver.co.uk/news/socialist-and-ex-coventry-mp-dave-nellist-on-why-he-and-others-applied-to-rejoin-labour/ |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Coventry Observer |language=en}}</ref> Trade union organiser [[Tom Mann]] and [[Nazism|National Socialist Movement]] leader [[Colin Jordan]] also came from Coventry.

[[Tony Whittaker]], the solicitor and politician, was from Coventry. He was a co-founder and the first leader of [[PEOPLE]], the forerunner of the Ecology Party and [[Green Party (UK)|Green Party UK]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vidal |first=John |date=2016-04-27 |title=Tony Whittaker obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/apr/27/tony-whittaker-obituary |access-date=2024-10-15 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In 1995, [[Animal rights activism|animal rights activist]] [[Death of Jill Phipps|Jill Phipps]] died during a protest to stop the air export of live calves for veal from Coventry Airport.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pearce |first=Vanessa |date=2021-07-17 |title=Coventry City of Culture: The women who helped shape a 'city of justice' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-57555779 |access-date=2024-10-14 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Her passing drew international attention and for many years, animal rights protests have been held around the anniversary date of Phipps' death.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2005-02-05 |title=March to honour animal campaigner |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/coventry_warwickshire/4239087.stm |access-date=2024-10-14 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Griffin |first=Mary |date=2015-01-31 |title=Coventry campaigner Jill Phipps remembered 20 years after her death |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/jill-phipps-remembered-20-years-8551338 |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref>

Labour Party politician [[Mo Mowlam]], who oversaw the talks which led to the 1998 [[Good Friday Agreement]] in her role as [[Secretary of State for Northern Ireland|Northern Ireland secretary]], was educated in Coventry.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/business/citys-mo-speak-confidence-3164474|title=City's Mo to speak on confidence|date=18 May 2003|work=Coventry Telegraph|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218142128/http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/business/citys-mo-speak-confidence-3164474|archive-date=18 December 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Another Labour politician, [[Bob Ainsworth]] was the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Coventry North East (UK Parliament constituency)|Coventry North East]] and was the [[Secretary of State for Defence]] from 2009 to 2010.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Waller |first1=Robert |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=amqVCts7MMUC&dq=bob+ainsworth+coventry+Jaguar+MSF&pg=PA190 |title=The Almanac of British Politics |last2=Criddle |first2=Byron |date=1999 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-18541-7 |pages=190 |language=en}}</ref>

===Science, technology and business===
{{see also|Category:Businesspeople from Coventry}}Coventry has been the home to several pioneers in science and engineering.

[[Thomas Stevens (weaver)|Thomas Stevens]] was born in Coventry and became famous for his invention of a method of using the programmable loom to weave colourful pictures from silk, which he called [[Stevengraph]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stevengraphs - The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum |url=https://www.theherbert.org/collections/social-and-industrial-history/18/stevengraphs |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=www.theherbert.org}}</ref> Stevens employed another Coventry native called [[Joseph Gutteridge]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-27 |title=The Ribbon Trade - Exploring Eliot |url=https://exploringeliot.org/discover-george-eliot/finding-middlemarch/the-ribbon-trade/ |access-date=2024-10-21 |website=exploringeliot.org |language=en-GB}}</ref> a silk weaver who became a pioneer of [[brocade]]s in five colours and later a [[Microscopy|microscopist]].<ref>{{Cite ODNB |last=Chancellor |first=V. E. |title=Gutteridge, Joseph (1816–1899), silk weaver and naturalist |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-54368 |access-date=2024-10-21 |date=2004 |language=en |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/54368}}</ref> Samuel Courtauld and Co Ltd's director H. G. Tetley chose [[Foleshill]] in Coventry in 1904 as the site of the world's first man-made fibre factory which produced an "artificial silk" later known as [[viscose]] [[rayon]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|last1=Richards|first1=J. M.|last2=Cox|first2= Alan|encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|title=Gibberd, Sir Frederick Ernest (1908–1984)|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31144|access-date=22 May 2008|edition=Online|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/31144 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
[[File:James Starley Memorial, Coventry Aug. 2006.jpg|thumb|upright|Statue commemorating [[James Starley]]]]

[[Frank Whittle|Sir Frank Whittle]], the inventor of the [[jet engine]], was from the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.midlandairmuseum.co.uk/jet.php|title=Midland Air Museum – The Jet Engine|work=midlandairmuseum.co.uk|access-date=18 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315165707/http://www.midlandairmuseum.co.uk/jet.php|archive-date=15 March 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The inventor [[James Starley]] founded the ''Coventry Sewing Machine Company'' in 1857<ref>{{cite ODNB |last=Donnelly |first=Tom |title=Starley, James (1831–1881), bicycle manufacturer |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-26320 |access-date=15 September 2024 |date=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/26320}}</ref> and was  instrumental in the development of the bicycle. His nephew, [[John Kemp Starley|J. K. Starley]], worked alongside his uncle and went on to found the car company [[Rover Company|Rover]]. Sir [[Alfred Herbert]] was an industrialist who set up the tool manufacturer [[Alfred Herbert Limited]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Donnelly |first=Tom |title=Herbert, Sir Alfred Edward (1866–1957), machine tool manufacturer |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-48619 |access-date=15 September 2024 |website=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography }}</ref> and was benefactor to the city, whose legacy lives on in the [[Herbert Art Gallery]].<ref name="CT64">{{cite web |title=64 famous people Coventry and Warwickshire have given the world |date=2 May 2020 |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/64-famous-people-coventry-warwickshire-18175578 |work=Coventry Telegraph |access-date=29 August 2023}}</ref> Cyborg scientist [[Kevin Warwick]] is also a Coventrian. [[John Egan (industrialist)|Sir John Egan]], industrialist and former Chief Executive of [[Jaguar Cars]] attended [[Bablake School]] in the city.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

[[Frederick Gibberd|Sir Frederick Gibberd]], architect and designer, was born in Coventry, and amongst the buildings for which he is best known are [[Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral]] and [[Didcot Power Station]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|last1=Richards|first1=J. M.|last2=Cox|first2= Alan|encyclopedia=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|title=Gibberd, Sir Frederick Ernest (1908–1984)|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31144|access-date=22 May 2008|edition=Online|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/31144 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

[[Ann Rollason]] was a printer and bookseller who published the ''Coventry Mercury'' newspaper from 1813 to 1846.<ref>{{Cite ODNB |last=Wiskin |first=Christine |title=Rollason [née Oven], Ann (bap. 1767, d. 1846), printer and bookseller |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-70353 |access-date=2024-10-14 |date=2004 |language=en |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/70353|isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 }}</ref> [[Donald Trelford]], journalist and academic, was born in Coventry and attended [[Bablake School]]. He was editor of ''[[The Observer]]'' newspaper from 1975 to 1993.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-27 |title=Donald Trelford obituary |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/donald-trelford-former-observer-editor-dies-at-85-n85zlgcwf |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=[[The Times]] |language=en}}</ref> Born in Coventry, former [[King Henry VIII School, Coventry|King Henry VIII Grammar School]] pupil [[Paul Connew]] became editor of the ''[[Sunday Mirror]]'' and deputy editor of the ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' and ''News of The World'' – later he became Director of Communications at the children's charity ''Sparks''.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

===The arts===
{{see also|Category:Artists from Coventry|Category:Musicians from Coventry|Category:Writers from Coventry|Category:Mass media people from Coventry}}

The Shakespearean actor [[Dame Ellen Terry]] was born in Coventry in 1847.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Howland |first=David |date=2001 |title=Ellen Terry |url=https://d.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/text/howland-ellen-terry |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=The Camelot Project, [[University of Rochester]] |archive-date=15 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615073014/https://d.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/text/howland-ellen-terry |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other Coventrians in the arts include comedy film directors [[Debbie Isitt]],<ref name=":0" /> [[Alice Lowe]]{{citation needed|date=May 2025}} and [[Sharon Maguire]];<ref>{{Cite web |last=Quinn |first=Anthony |date=2012-04-10 |title=Smart Shazzer - the boss in control |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/smart-shazzer-the-boss-in-control-6331571.html |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=The Standard |language=en}}</ref> comedians [[Reg Dixon (comedian)|Reg Dixon]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chambers |first=Pete |date=2014-07-31 |title=Backbeat: Coventry kid who found fame as a comedian, but never forgot his roots |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/backbeat-coventry-kid-reg-dixon-7543643 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> [[Emma Fryer]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=McMullen |first=Marion |date=2009-09-13 |title=Coventry kid Emma Fryer returns to her roots for new TV comedy |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-kid-emma-fryer-returns-3076577 |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> and [[Guz Khan]];<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lobb |first=Adrian |date=2020-01-26 |title=Guz Khan: 'We wanted to dispel myths around foodbanks' |url=https://www.bigissue.com/culture/tv/guz-khan-we-wanted-to-dispel-myths-around-foodbanks/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=Big Issue |language=en-US}}</ref> actors [[Jassa Ahluwalia]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barcroft |first=Damian Michael |date=2013-11-25 |title=Exclusive Interview with Jassa Ahluwalia previewing tonight's RIPPER STREET {{!}} Damian Michael Barcroft |url=http://dmbarcroft.com/exclusive-interview-with-jassa-ahluwalia-previewing-tonights-ripper-street/ |access-date=2024-11-09 |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Jordan Bolger]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaur |first=Jaspreet |date=2024-03-22 |title=Coventry star of BBC's This Town says the city 'shaped who he is' |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-star-bbcs-town-opens-28863161 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> [[Nitin Ganatra]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodger |first=James |date=2016-11-09 |title=Coventry's Nitin Ganatra reveals REAL reason he left EastEnders |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-eastenders-star-nitin-ganatra-12148825 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> [[Nigel Hawthorne]],<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Nick |date=2022-01-02 |title=25 famous people from Coventry and Warwickshire |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/25-famous-people-coventry-warwickshire-22536539 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> [[Harold Innocent]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Times (15/Sep/1993) - Obituary: Harold Innocent |url=https://www.hitchcockwiki.com/wiki/The_Times_(15/Sep/1993)_-_Obituary:_Harold_Innocent |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=The Alfred Hitchcock Wiki}}</ref> [[Charles Kay]], [[Clive Owen]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lambert |first=Tim |date=2021-03-14 |title=A History of Keresley |url=https://localhistories.org/a-history-of-keresley/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=Local Histories |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Brendan Price]] and [[Robin Parkinson]];<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-11 |title='Allo! 'Allo! star Robin Parkinson has died aged 92 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/robin-parkinson-death-allo-age-b2076343.html |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> actresses [[Gillian Barber]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-12-19 |title=Gillian Barber - Capilano University |url=https://www.capilanou.ca/theatre/bios/Gillian-Barber/ |access-date=2024-10-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219031949/https://www.capilanou.ca/theatre/bios/Gillian-Barber/ |archive-date=19 December 2013 }}</ref> [[Lisa Dillon]],<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last1=Bentley |first1=David |last2=Rodger |first2=James |date=2017-07-14 |title=30 celebrities you probably didn't know were from Coventry |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/celebrities-famous-people-from-coventry-6799668 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> [[Tamla Kari]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=McMullen |first=Marion |date=2011-08-18 |title=Coventry girl's dream role in The Inbetweeners movie |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-girls-dream-role-inbetweeners-3039339 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> [[Sinead Matthews]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sinead Matthews {{!}} Actress |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1561651/ |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Bharti Patel]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC One - Doctors - Bharti Patel Interview |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5Gs8F9bC6BhTTsWfLdS0cqn/bharti-patel-interview |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Carmen Silvera]]''',''' [[Melissa Walton]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=McMullen |first=Marion |date=2010-11-18 |title=Melissa Walton's thrilled to be back in panto |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/whats-on/theatre-news/melissa-waltons-thrilled-back-panto-3054062 |access-date=2024-10-30 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> and [[Billie Whitelaw]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-12-21 |title=Billie Whitelaw, star of stage and screen, dies aged 82 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30571601 |access-date=2024-10-14 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> musicals star Dave Whillets; theatre producer Dominic Madden,{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}} and ventriloquist [[Dennis Spicer]].

Writers from Coventry include the poets [[Connie Frazer]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Frazer, Connie (1925-2002) |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/people/1477494?c=people |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=trove.nla.gov.au}}</ref> [[Cathy Galvin]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cathy Galvin |url=https://warwick.ac.uk/alumni/alumni-news/news/cathy_galvin |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=warwick.ac.uk}}</ref> and [[Philip Larkin]];<ref>{{Cite ODNB |last=Thwaite |first=Anthony |title=Larkin, Philip Arthur (1922–1985), poet, writer, and librarian |url=https://www.oxforddnb.com/display/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-31333 |access-date=2024-10-14 |date=2004 |language=en |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/31333}}</ref> and authors Aaron Ashmore,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rowlands |first=Robert |date=2024-03-09 |title=Cov man explores our city's past and gives 1,000 books to schools |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/coventry-man-explores-citys-fascinating-28772463 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> [[Mark Barrowcliffe]], [[Cathy Cassidy]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=An Interview With Cathy Cassidy |url=https://www.letterpressproject.co.uk/inspiring-young-readers/2016-08-06/an-interview-with-cathy-cassidy |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=The Letterpress Project |language=en}}</ref> [[Lee Child]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Glass |first=Ben |date=2 December 2008 |title=If you don't know Lee Child, you don't know Jack |url=https://www.itsallaboutcoventry.co.uk/newsstory_leechild.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111201102351/http://www.itsallaboutcoventry.co.uk/newsstory_leechild.shtml |archive-date=1 December 2011 |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=It's All About Coventry.}}</ref> [[Cyril Connolly]], Wren James,<ref>{{cite web |title=WREN / LAUREN JAMES |url=https://laurenejames.co.uk/ |access-date=7 June 2024 |website=WREN / LAUREN JAMES }}</ref> and [[Graham Joyce]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Steve |date=2014-09-12 |title=Tributes to Coventry fantasy author Graham Joyce who has died at the age of 59 |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/tributes-coventry-fantasy-author-graham-7753773 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> Coventarian painters include [[Sydney John Bunney]],<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |last=Mallalieu |first=Huon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rvkiAQAAIAAJ |title=The Dictionary of British Watercolour Artists Up to 1920: A-L |date=2002 |publisher=Antique Collectors' Club |isbn=978-1-85149-426-2 |language=en}}</ref> Herbert Edward Cox,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Herbert Edward Cox – Artist {{!}} Leamington History Group |url=https://leamingtonhistory.co.uk/herbert-edward-cox-artist-1870-1941/ |access-date=2024-10-30 |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[John Eyre (painter)|John Eyre]],<ref>{{Citation |last=Rienits |first=Rex |title=John Eyre (1771–?) |work=Australian Dictionary of Biography |url=https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/eyre-john-2034 |access-date=2024-11-09 |place=Canberra |publisher=National Centre of Biography, Australian National University |language=en}}</ref> [[David Gee (artist)|David Gee]],<ref name=":4" /> and [[Rhoda Holmes Nicholls]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Motter |first=H. L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yl5kAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA809 |title=The International Who's who: Who's who in the World : a Biographical Dictionary of the World's Notable Living Men and Women |date=1911 |publisher=International Who's Who Publishing Company |pages=809 |language=en}}</ref>

Many notable musicians originated in Coventry, including electronic composer [[Delia Derbyshire]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hodgson |first=Brian |date=2001-07-07 |title=Delia Derbyshire |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/jul/07/guardianobituaries1 |access-date=2024-10-15 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> members of the Specials [[Jerry Dammers]], [[Terry Hall (singer)|Terry Hall]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-12-19 |title=Terry Hall of The Specials dies aged 63 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64029430 |access-date=2024-10-14 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Roddy Radiation]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=2010-02-09 |title=Introducing rebel Roddy Radiation |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/coventry/low/people_and_places/music/newsid_8498000/8498785.stm |access-date=2024-10-15 |language=en-GB}}</ref> and [[Neville Staple]], member of the Selector [[Neol Davies]],<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chambers |first=Pete |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T5UVgAbXXR8C&q=neol+davies+born&pg=PT20 |title=The 2-Tone Trail |date=2005 |publisher=Tencton Planet Publications |isbn=978-0-9544125-3-1 |pages=8 |language=en}}</ref> drummer [[Martin Atkins]],<ref name=":5" /> heavy metal musician [[Lee Dorrian]],<ref>Binns, Rebecca (6 September 2022). "[https://www.museumofyouthculture.com/beyond-the-ghost-town/ Coventry as a site of youth culture from boomtown to the ghost town and beyond]" ''Museum of Youth Culture''. Retrieved 14 October 2024.</ref> [[Melissa Graham]] of [[Solid HarmoniE]],<ref name=":5" /> [[Vince Hill]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodger |first=James |date=2019-05-22 |title=Coventry singer Vince Hill heads home for farewell charity concert |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/whats-on/whats-on-news/vince-hill-coventry-16306011 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> yodeller [[Frank Ifield]], rapper [[Jay1|JAY1]],<ref name=":7" /> [[Charlotte (singer)|Charlotte Kelly]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Blind chart-topper Charlotte has the last laugh over cruel schoolchildren. - Free Online Library |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Blind+chart-topper+Charlotte+has+the+last+laugh+over+cruel...-a060199452 |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=www.thefreelibrary.com}}</ref> VJ [[Paul King (musician, VJ)|Paul King]],{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}} DJ [[Lisa Lashes]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Metason |title=Lisa Lashes |url=https://music.metason.net/artistinfo?name=Lisa%20Lashes |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=ArtistInfo |language=EN}}</ref> drummer [[Jen Ledger]] of [[Skillet (band)|Skillet]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Waddington |first=Jenny |date=2008-05-20 |title=Coventry teen Jennifer Ledger rocks all over America |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/coventry-teen-jennifer-ledger-rocks-3097980 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> composers [[Daniel Fardon]] and [[Clint Mansell]],<ref name=":5" /> singer [[Hazel O'Connor]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bourke |first=Fionnuala |date=2014-12-21 |title=Band Aid memories for Coventry singer Hazel O'Connor |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/band-aid-memories-coventry-singer-8326088 |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=Birmingham Live |language=en}}</ref> [[Julianne Regan]] of [[All About Eve (band)|All About Eve]],<ref name=":5" /> lead singer of the band Stereo Nation [[Taz (singer)|Taz]],<ref name="CT64" /> [[Panjabi MC]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chambers |first=Pete |date=2013-03-07 |title=Backbeat: The bhangra song with a life of its own |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/lifestyle/nostalgia/backbeat-bhangra-song-life-3013340 |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> and pianist [[Hilda Woodward]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lieutenant Pigeon pianist Hilda honoured on new Coventry and Warwickshire compilation album |url=https://stratfordobserver.co.uk/lifestyle/lieutenant-pigeon-pianist-hilda-honoured-on-new-coventry-and-warwickshire-compilation-album-10648/ |access-date=2024-11-08 |website=Stratford Observer |language=en}}</ref> [[Arthur Wills (musician)|Arthur Wills]], composer, organist and Director of Music at [[Ely Cathedral]] (1958–1990), was also born in Coventry.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wills, Arthur Wills |url=https://composers-classical-music.com/w/WillsArthur.htm |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=composers-classical-music.com}}</ref> Record producer [[Pete Waterman]] is from the city,<ref name="CT64" /> and was president of rugby team the [[Coventry Bears]], now the Midlands Hurricanes.

[[2 Tone (music genre)|2 Tone]] music developed in and around Coventry in the 1970s and two of the genre's most notable bands, [[The Specials]] and [[The Selecter]], are both from the city.<ref name="Petridis"/> The movement is celebrated at the [[Coventry Music Museum]]. Other Coventry bands include [[Bolt Thrower]], [[Coventry Automatics]], [[Lieutenant Pigeon]], [[The Primitives]], [[Adorable (band)|Adorable]], [[Fun Boy Three]], [[The Colourfield]], [[King (new wave band)|King]], [[Jigsaw (British band)|Jigsaw]], [[Napalm Death]], [[The Sorrows]], [[The Enemy (UK rock band)|The Enemy]] and [[The Ripps]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=BBC |title=Ripping up the music scene |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/content/articles/2009/04/21/botm_the_ripps_feature.shtml |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en-gb}}</ref>

The former glamour model [[Debee Ashby]] and international fashion model [[Neelam Gill]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-01-15 |title=Neelam Johal's crazy modelling story |url=https://www.vogue.in/content/neelam-johals-crazy-modelling-story |access-date=2024-10-14 |website=Vogue India |language=en-IN}}</ref> are from Coventry. Coventry broadcasters include [[Gillian Joseph]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pellegrino |first=Silvia |date=2023-05-03 |title=Who are Sky News presenters? Everything you need to know |url=https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/broadcast/sky-news-presenters-who/ |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=Press Gazette |language=en-US}}</ref> and [[Jackie Kabler]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jackie Kabler {{!}} Journalist {{!}} Presenter {{!}} Writer |url=https://www.jackiekabler.com/ |access-date=2024-11-09 |language=en-GB}}</ref> Former [[BBC Radio 2]] broadcaster [[Brian Matthew]] was a Coventrian,<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-04-08 |title=Brian Matthew: BBC Radio 2 broadcaster dies at 88 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39541162 |access-date=2024-11-09 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> as is former [[Sky Sports]] broadcaster [[Richard Keys]] who attended Whitley Abbey School.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Larner |first=Tony |date=2017-02-20 |title=Richards Keys' wife reveals tell-tale sign he was 'cheating' |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/wife-richards-keys-reveals-tell-12628098 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Birmingham Live |language=en}}</ref>

===Sports===
{{see also|Category:Sportspeople from Coventry}}{{More citations needed|date=November 2024}}
Notable Coventrians in sports include [[Motorcycle speedway|speedway]] rider [[Tom Farndon]];<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Jacobs |first1=Norman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DapWQwAACAAJ&q=tom+farndon |title=Tom Farndon: The Greatest Speedway Rider of Them All |last2=Chaplin |first2=John |date=2010 |publisher=History Press Limited |isbn=978-0-7524-5140-4 |language=en}}</ref> [[Davis Cup]] tennis player [[Tony Mottram]]; footballers [[Graham Alexander]], [[Bobby Gould]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gould |first=Bobby |date=2013-06-13 |title=Solid Gould: Meet the family who made me the man I am |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/bobby-gould-meet-family-who-4310681 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> [[Reg Matthews]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Live |first=Coventry |date=2001-10-15 |title=Last tributes to hero Matthews |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/last-tributes-to-hero-matthews-3175885 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> [[Gary McSheffrey]], [[James Maddison]], [[Peter Thomas (footballer, born 1944)|Peter Thomas]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Peter Thomas, League of Ireland's 'best ever goalkeeper,' dies |url=https://www.irishecho.com/2023/1/peter-thomas-league-of-ireland-s-best-ever-goalie-dies |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=Irish Echo Newspaper |language=en}}</ref> and [[Callum Wilson (English footballer)|Callum Wilson]]; soccer player [[Patricia O'Connor (soccer)|Patricia O'Connor]];<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-02-04 |title=Pat O'Connor {{!}} Football Australia |url=https://www.footballaustralia.com.au/pat-oconnor |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=www.footballaustralia.com.au |language=en}}</ref> cricketers [[Tom Cartwright]] and [[Ian Bell]];<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Daniel |date=2014-05-21 |title=Coventry and Warwickshire sportsmen who played for England |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/gallery/-7152370 |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> rugby union players [[Andy Goode]],<ref name=":7" /> [[Ivor Preece]], [[Keith Fairbrother]], [[David Duckham]], [[Neil Back]],<ref name=":8" /> [[Danny Grewcock]],<ref name=":8" /> [[Geoff Evans (rugby union born 1950)|Geoff Evans]], and [[Tom Wood (rugby union)|Tom Wood]];<ref name=":8" /> squash and tennis player [[Sally Jones (journalist)|Sally Jones]];<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-07-27 |title=Squash-Tennis: Warwickshire duo win inaugural national championships |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/other-sport/squash-tennis-warwickshire-duo-win-inaugural-3022734 |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> bantamweight boxer [[Les Tarrant]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olympedia – Les Tarrant |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/3504 |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=www.olympedia.org}}</ref> judokas [[Chelsie Giles]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-07-25 |title=Tokyo Olympics: Chelsie Giles wins Team GB's first medal with judo bronze |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/57960295 |access-date=2024-10-15 |work=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref> and [[Yasmin Javadian]];<ref>Jennings, Will (2 August 2022). "[https://www.birminghamworld.uk/sport/other-sport/commonwealth-games-birmingham-2022-3791319 Northern Ireland judoka Yasmin Javadian on how 'home' Coventry crowd fired her to Commonwealth medal]" ''Birmingham World''. Retrieved 15 October 2024.</ref> gymnasts [[Jade Faulkner]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olympedia – Jade Faulkner |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/126302 |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=www.olympedia.org}}</ref> and [[Rachel Smith (gymnast)|Rachel Smith]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rachel Smith {{!}} Team GB |url=https://www.teamgb.com/athlete/rachel-smith/1M4GLEiMnKfuHQghauBdCv |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=www.teamgb.com |language=en-gb}}</ref> [[MotoGP]] rider [[Cal Crutchlow]];<ref name="CT64" /> golfer [[Laura Davies|Dame Laura Davies]];<ref name=":1" /> sprinters [[Marlon Devonish]]<ref name="CT64" /> and [[Yasmin Liverpool]];<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yasmin LIVERPOOL {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/great-britain-ni/yasmin-liverpool-14709407 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=worldathletics.org}}</ref> distance runners [[Sheila Carey]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sheila CAREY - Fourth in the 800m at the 1968 Olympic Games. - Great Britain |url=https://www.sporting-heroes.net/athletics/great-britain/sheila-carey-1446/fourth-in-the-800m-at-the-1968-olympic-games_a07628/ |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Sporting Heroes}}</ref> [[Brian Kilby]] and [[David Moorcroft]];<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-11-04 |title=Warwickshire statues celebrate sporting heroes |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-63502329 |access-date=2024-10-15 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> wrestler [[Millie McKenzie]];<ref>{{Cite web |last=Broggi |first=Fabio "Fantomius" |title=Emilia McKenzie: Profile, Career Stats, Face/Heel Turns, Titles Won & Gimmicks {{!}} Pro Wrestlers Database |url=https://www.thesmackdownhotel.com/wrestlers/millie-mckenzie |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=The SmackDown Hotel |language=en-gb}}</ref> swimmers [[Graham Sykes]]<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=2008-08-20 |title=Parade honour for former Coventry Olympians |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/parade-honour-former-coventry-olympians-3093860 |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=Coventry Live |language=en}}</ref> and [[Daphne Wilkinson]];<ref name=":6" /> darts player [[Steve Beaton]]; and snooker player [[Dominic Dale]]. Boxer [[Errol Christie]] also grew up in Coventry.

==Freedom of the City==
The following people, military units and organisations and groups have received the [[Freedom of the City]] of Coventry:

===Individuals===
* [[Alfred Herbert]]: 15 June 1933.<ref name=":3">{{cite web |date=23 October 2020 |title=The Free Men of Coventry {{!}} The Coventry Society |url=https://www.coventrysociety.org.uk/2020/10/23/the-free-men-of-coventry/ |access-date=5 September 2024 }}</ref>
* Hugh Richard Farren: 10 December 1936.<ref name=":3" />
* [[Alfred Robert Grindlay]] and George Edward Hodgkinson: 15 November 1962.<ref name=":3" />
* Edward Langton: 1 May 1969.<ref name=":3" />
* Arthur James Waugh: 7 April 1982.<ref name=":3" />
* [[Mo Mowlam]]: 26 November 1999.<ref name=":3" /> 
* [[Kumar Bhattacharyya, Baron Bhattacharyya|Lord Bhattacharyya]]: 1 October 2015.
* [[Ratan Tata]]: 1 October 2015.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/coventry_gives_its/ | title=Coventry gives its highest honour to two leaders of automotive engineering industry}}</ref>

===Military units===
* {{HMS|Diamond|D34|6}}, [[Royal Navy|RN]]: 16 October 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/freedom-coventry-hms-diamond-7927026|title=Freedom of Coventry for HMS Diamond|first=Ben|last=Eccleston|date=13 October 2014|access-date=14 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211135936/http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/freedom-coventry-hms-diamond-7927026|archive-date=11 December 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Organisations and Groups===
* The [[University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust]]: 14 July 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hospital to be granted Freedom of City as COVID thanks |url=https://www.coventry.gov.uk/news/article/4315/hospital-to-be-granted-freedom-of-city-as-covid-thanks |website=Coventry City Council |access-date=12 July 2022 |archive-date=11 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220711132015/https://www.coventry.gov.uk/news/article/4315/hospital-to-be-granted-freedom-of-city-as-covid-thanks |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Hospital granted Freedom of City as COVID thanks |url=https://www.coventry.gov.uk/news/article/4321/hospital-granted-freedom-of-city-as-covid-thanks |website=Coventry City Council |access-date=20 July 2022 |archive-date=20 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220720073636/https://www.coventry.gov.uk/news/article/4321/hospital-granted-freedom-of-city-as-covid-thanks |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Granting of the Freedom of the City of Coventry to University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire |url=https://wmlieutenancy.org/event/granting-of-the-freedom-of-the-city-of-coventry-to-university-hospital-coventry-warwickshire/ |website=The West Midlands Lieutenancy |access-date=20 July 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Coventry: Hospitals given Freedom of the City for Covid fight |work=BBC News |date=15 July 2022 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-62169178 |access-date=20 July 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=UHCW NHS Trust granted Freedom of the City as Covid-19 thanks |url=https://www.uhcw.nhs.uk/news/uhcw-nhs-trust-granted-freedom-of-the-city-as-covid-19-thanks/ |website=The University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust |access-date=20 July 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/you-heroes-message-coventry-hospital-24490611 |title='You are all heroes': Message to Coventry hospital staff as Freedom of City honour awarded |last=Brown |first=Ellie |date=15 July 2022 |website=The Coventry Telegraph |access-date=20 July 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Coventry hospital's freedom of the city plaque unveiled |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-65019022 |website=BBC News Coventry and Warwickshire |date=21 March 2023 |access-date=27 March 2023 }}</ref>
A register of the names of all the Freemen of the City of Coventry is held by the Council and is kept in the Lord Mayor's Office.<ref name=":3" />

==See also==
*[[Grade I listed buildings in Coventry]]
*[[Grade II* listed buildings in Coventry]]
*[[Healthcare in West Midlands]]
*[[Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Coventry]]
*[[Send to Coventry]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book|title=Coventry's Heritage|first= Levi |last=Fox |year=1957}}
* {{cite book|title=Coventry: History and Guide|first= David |last=McGrory |year=1993|publisher= A. Sutton |isbn=0-7509-0194-2}}
* {{cite book|title=A History of Warwickshire|first= Terry |last=Slater |year=1981|publisher= Phillimore |isbn=0-85033-416-0}}
* {{cite book |last1=Walters |first1=Peter |title=The Little History of Coventry |date=2019 |publisher=History Press Limited |isbn=978-0-7509-8908-4}}
* {{cite book|title=The Bombing of Coventry|publisher=BBC Television |year=2009}}

==Further reading==
* Hunt, Cathy. (2018) ''A History of Women's Lives in Coventry.'' Pen & Sword Books. {{ISBN|9781526708526}}.
* Smith, Albert, and David Fry. (1991) ''The Coventry We Have Lost''. 2 vols. Berkswell: Simanda Press, 1991, 1993. {{ISBN|0-9513867-1-9}}; {{ISBN|0-9513867-2-7}}.
* Walters, Peter. (2013) ''The Story of Coventry''. The History Press Ltd. {{ISBN|9781860776922}}.

==External links==
{{commons}}
{{wikivoyage|Coventry}}
* [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/ Coventry City Council]

{{Geographic location
|title     = '''Destinations from Coventry'''
|Northwest = [[Birmingham]], [[Sutton Coldfield]], [[Lichfield]]
|North     = [[Bedworth]], [[Nuneaton]], [[Burton-on-Trent]]
|Northeast = [[Hinckley]], [[Leicester]]
|West      = [[Balsall Common]], [[Solihull]]
|Centre    = Coventry
|East      = [[Rugby, Warwickshire|Rugby]], [[Lutterworth]]
|Southwest = [[Warwick]], [[Stratford-upon-Avon]]
|South     = [[Kenilworth]], [[Leamington Spa]]
|Southeast = [[Daventry]], [[Northampton]]
}}
{{West Midlands County}}
{{West Midlands}}
{{UK cities}}
{{Metropolitan districts of England}}
{{UK City of Culture}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Coventry| ]]<!--please leave the empty space as standard-->
[[Category:Towns in the West Midlands (county)]]
[[Category:1043 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Cities in the West Midlands (region)]]
[[Category:Metropolitan boroughs of the West Midlands (county)]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 11th century]]
[[Category:Former civil parishes in the West Midlands (county)]]