Coventry Cathedral, Anglican cathedral in Coventry, England
Coventry Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Coventry, England, made up of Basil Spence's new St Michael's Cathedral, consecrated in 1962, and the ruined red sandstone shell of the 14th-century St Michael's church beside it. The old tower and spire reach 284 feet (87 metres), while the new building is low and flat-roofed, topped by an 80-foot flèche lowered by helicopter in 1962.
The original medieval church was heavily damaged during a German air raid in November 1940 and largely burned down. Reconstruction began in the 1950s with an entirely new design that left the ruins standing as a memorial.
The name comes from St Michael, to whom the 14th-century parish church was dedicated. After the 1940 bombing, Provost Richard Howard had "Father Forgive" inscribed behind the altar of the ruins, and crosses made from three carpenter's nails became the symbol of the Community of the Cross of Nails, now with prayer partners at more than 160 places worldwide, including Berlin's Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche.
Access is available Monday through Saturday during morning and afternoon hours, and on Sundays after midday. The site suits visitors with limited mobility well, as main areas are at ground level.
The baptistry in the modern building holds close to 200 colored glass panels that cast shifting patterns on the floor in daylight. The outdoor altar between the ruins is used for open-air services on special occasions.
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