This post will be sharing how to spend 24 hours in Coventry.
I returned to the West Midlands to kick off my Autumn/Winter itinerary.
The previous times I was in this region were during my Stoke-on-Trent and Birmingham trips.
So, I was looking forward to having a similar experience to the one I had in Birmingham.
Was I impressed or disappointed?
You’ll find out subsequently!
Getting To Coventry From Manchester
As always, one of the reasons I picked this city was because of the distance from Manchester.
For £35, I booked a direct return train ticket, which took about two hours to get back and forth.
So far, this is the highest I’ve spent on a train ticket for a day trip, but I didn’t mind because it was close enough.
My day trips always have to be under two hours; otherwise, I would be forced to spend the night.
Getting Around Coventry
Coventry is a city in the West Midlands, or Central England as you may call it.
Birmingham is the largest city in this region.
Followed by Coventry, Stoke-on-Trent, Hereford and Lichfield.
As with many cities in England, the city centre is usually within walking distance, and tourist attractions are sprinkled around it.
So, there was really no need to get on a bus.
You just need to learn how to navigate Google Maps.
This time, I did about 23,000 steps, even though I took a few breaks.
To help you navigate the city centre, here’s a walking tour map for you;
Here’s How To Spend 24 Hours In Coventry
Compared to previous day trips, I couldn’t do much in Coventry.
This made me a bit disappointed because I completely overlooked it.
I probably wouldn’t have come if I had known there were so few historical landmarks and attractions.
Regardless, I decided to make the most of the day however I could.
First, I went shopping, which was a bad decision because I had to force my purchases into my tiny backpack.
Then, I grabbed an early lunch before I set out to navigate the city.
Visit The Wave
This would have been the perfect destination for a hot summer day.
The Wave is the UK’s largest family-friendly indoor waterpark.
If you have kids, this is a great place to take them to keep them occupied.
They have all sorts of towering slides, wave and splash pools, and a lazy river. It looks like so much fun.
But I wasn’t about to go in and get myself wet.
Book your tickets here.
Explore the Coventry Transport Museum
I was looking forward to exploring this museum until I learned it requires an annual fee of £14.
Now, I don’t mind the fee, and I would have gladly paid it.
My only issue is that it would be a waste since I won’t visit Coventry soon.
Unfortunately, the plan they had to retain visitors and get them to return to the museum didn’t work for me.
This is a shame because I wanted to see the history behind some cool cars by Coventry manufacturers who have contributed significantly to the British Automobile industry.
Stop by the New Coventry Cathedral
If you’re familiar with this blog, you would know I never miss a chance to visit a cathedral.
I live for Cathedral Architecture.
Coventry Cathedral is divided into two parts: The Cathedral itself and the Cathedral ruins, which I will cover shortly.
While there wasn’t so much to see in the Cathedral, I loved how warm and inviting the staff was.
I had to look around and take some pictures before leaving.
I absolutely loved both the interior and exterior architecture.
This relatively recent modern Cathedral was built to replace the former Cathedral bombed in the Coventry Blitz during World War II.
Pay Homage to the Cathedral Ruins
The highlight of my day in Coventry was easily the visit to the Cathedral Ruins.
It felt so surreal to visit the ruins of a bombed Cathedral juxtaposed with a recent modern Cathedral.
For obvious reasons, the Cathedral ruins had a bit more charm and curiosity.
As such, they were busier than the actual cathedral.
Regardless, I didn’t allow that to stop me from taking iconic photos of myself with my tripod and simply enjoying walking back in history.
Learn about the History of Coventry at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum
Opposite the Coventry Cathedral is the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, which I was able to catch just before it closed at 5 p.m.
I learnt briefly about the booming clothing and textile industry in the Middle Ages.
It was fun to learn about the silk weaving and watch and clock manufacturing industries.
I had to squeeze in so much information in such a short time, but I’m glad I did.
The museums would be the first thing on my agenda during my subsequent trips, as I did in Sheffield.
This would give me enough time to thoroughly immerse myself.
Explore St.Mary’s Guildhall
Also beside the Coventry Cathedral is the St. Mary Guildhall, which was unfortunately closed for refurbishment.
I was only able to look around it.
For some reason, the building survived the bombing of WWII and stands today as a historical landmark.
It was initially an event and hospitality venue with 600 years of history.
It is renowned as the finest medieval guildhall in the country.
It will reopen in early 2022.
Visit the Lower Precinct Shopping Centre
I typically dislike including shopping centres on my day trips, but this was different because I spent a lot of time here.
Possibly the most fascinating thing for me was the architecture of the shopping centres.
Anytime I visit city centres, I’m always looking forward to the architecture of their shopping centres, as I like to compare styles.
Plus, it’s in the city centre, so you cannot miss it except if you don’t like crowds.
In Conclusion,
While I won’t classify spending 24 hours in Coventry as productive, it wasn’t so bad.
Is it worth visiting?
Yes, of course, but I would prefer you combine it with another nearby city like Warwick.
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