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Nearly a third of a million people live within the city of Coventry, making it England's ninth largest city. Coventry is situated to the north-east of Birmingham in the West Midlands. The city is almost completely surrounded by the county of Warwickshire and is just 11 miles away from Warwick.

The city is believed to have sprung up around a Benedictine monastery founded in the 11th century by the Earl of Mercia. His wife, Lady Godiva, has since become a legendary character and one of the most famous Coventrians of all time, having rode through the streets of the city naked on horseback in protest at high taxes.

The market which grew up around the abbey went on to become a bustling mercantile hub and so the town flourished.

During the industrial revolution Coventry became a major centre for textile production and later on watch and clock manufacture.

Around the turn of the 20th Century, Coventry made a name for itself in first bicycle then automobile manufacture; with such pioneers as Rover plying their trade from the city's industrial district Coventry became an important player in the British motor industry until its decline in the 70s.

During World War II, Coventry's high concentration of manufacturing plants which were providing a huge contribution to the war effort made it a major target for the German Luftwaffe air raids. Coventry suffered some of heaviest bombing among British cities and much of the city centre was destroyed including parts of the St. Michael's Cathedral . A new cathedral was built next to the ruins of the old one and opened in 1962. This and other major redevelopment projects reshaped the city giving it its modern look.

The city has a history of car and motorcycle manufacturing dating back over 100 years. More recently the vehicle manufacturing industry has declined, but Jaguar still has its headquarters in the city and Peugeot also has a plant in Ryton on the outskirts.

Major attractions include the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, the Lunt Fort, a reconstructed Roman fort, the Midland Air Museum and the Belgrade Theatre.

Read more about Coventry in the About Coventry section.

While Coventry and its larger neighbour Birmingham are the largest cities in the West Midlands, there are a number of other notable towns just a short drive away which each have their own individual character and charm. Visit the websites below to find out what is going on in each place...

Birmingham

Britain's second largest city and the nucleus of the West Midlands, Birmingham is only about 20 miles West of Coventry. Birmingham has excellent shopping facilities with many shopping streets (most notably New St, Corporation St and the High Street), a jewellery quarter, several markets and a number of large shopping centres including the famous Bullring with its iconic Selfridges building.

Nuneaton

Built around the River Anker, Nuneaton is about nine miles to the North of Coventry and is one of the most attractive towns in the floral Heart of England. Nuneaton is famous for its former resident, the Victorian novelist George Eliot, who is remembered throughout the town in the names of many of its streets, buildings and establishments. Nuneaton has a great shopping centre (Ropewalk), many historic buildings and the town even has its own carnival which takes place in June.

Royal Leamington Spa

Built around the River Leam, with grand architecture and beautiful parkland, Royal Leamington Spa, often abbreviated to just Leamington Spa, is about ten miles south of Coventry. The town is a particularly attractive one and has a large number of shops, cafes, pubs and a reputation for high quality restaurants.

Rugby

Famous for its public school and the Rugby Football game, Rugby is a market town about thirteen miles to the East of Coventry. There are several shopping streets and a shopping centre known as The Clock Towers. Rugby also has a large number of pubs and restaurants and is a great choice for going out in the evening. Several museums provide a cultural window to the town's historic past including the Rugby School Museum which details much of the history of the school as well as the local area.

Solihull

About fifiteen miles Eastbound of Coventry, Solihull is a prosperous town with several beautiful nature reserves and parks, reflected in its motto Urbs in Rure (Latin: town in the countryside). The Malvern and Brueton Park with its picturesque lake is one of the best and is the most centrally located one, close to the town's main shopping area. Solihull hosts some of the region's most important hotspots including the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham International Airport and the Birmingham Business Park. Its two main shopping centres, the Mell Square shopping centre and the recently constructed Touchwood shopping centre provide excellent shopping facilities and the surrounding streets have a variety of boutique shops, cafes and bars.