Coventry is sometimes overlooked as a tourist destination but this historic city has a lot going for it. Legend has it that Coventry was the birthplace of St. George – dragon slayer and patron saint of England. However, perhaps Coventry’s most enduring legend is the tale of Lady Godiva. She is said to have ridden naked on horseback through the city streets in a bid to persuade her husband, Leofric the Earl of Mercia, to reduce the heavy taxes he had imposed on the citizens. Whether true or not, a Grade II listed statue of Lady Godiva commemorates the story.
During the Middle Ages, Coventry was one of the largest and most vibrant cities in England. It later became an important industrial centre and was the birthplace of the British motor industry when Daimler set up shop in a disused Coventry cotton mill in 1896.
Sightseeing
Cathedral of St Michael
In medieval times, Coventry accrued enormous wealth from wool and cloth and was also a major pilgrimage destination. The original cathedral of St Michael was destroyed during the war but its ruins remain and it’s now a Grade I listed building. The city’s new cathedral was built next to the ruin
Coventry Transport Museum
Petrolheads will be well aware of Coventry’s long association with the motor industry and there’s no better place to find out all about it than at the Coventry Transport Museum. The Museum houses the largest publicly-owned collection of British vehicles on the planet and tells the story of a city which changed the world through transport. Exhibits include the fastest vehicle in the world, pioneering bicycles, transport champions and many of the most innovative, memorable and luxurious vehicles of the last 200 years.
Coventry Music Museum
This award-winning Museum celebrates Coventry & Warwickshire music in all its many forms. You might not be bowled over by that particular sentence until you realise this includes the Ska-powered 2-Tone movement of the Specials and The Selecter, to Hazel O’Connor, King and The Enemy and many more.
Herbert Art Gallery & Museum
There are numerous good reasons to visit the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum and, up until April 2024, it’s home to the world-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition which is on loan from the Natural History Museum in London. The rest of the museum houses interactive displays focusing on the natural world, modern art, and the Old Masters. Housing approximately 320,000 objects, the Herbert’s collection is one of Coventry’s most important cultural assets with ever-changing displays often created in partnership with national museums.
Midland Air Museum
Lying on the outskirts of Coventry, the Midland Air Museum is home to a unique aeronautical collection and is now one of the UK’s leading independent aviation museums. The museum first opened to the public in 1978 with just five aircraft on display. The Wings over Coventry exhibition includes engines, wind tunnel models, aircraft components and other items including the huge Armstrong-Whitworth Argosy along with Meteors, Sea Hawks, Javelins, Hunters and the de Havilland Vampire F.1. The Sir Frank Whittle Jet Heritage Centre also illustrates the fascinating story of the jet age - the development of the jet engine and jet-powered aircraft.
Flight Simulators Midlands
Just a few minutes from the Midland Air Museum, Flight Simulators Midlands offers visitors the chance to put themselves in the pilot’s seat for a wide variety of aircraft including Boeing 747 and 737s, Airbus A320s and P51 Mustang Fighters. In the Sully Experience, visitors can relive the experience of commercial pilot Chesley Sullenberger who was faced with tough decisions when his aeroplane – carrying 155 passengers and crew – was hit by a flock of birds after taking off from LaGuardia airport. With very little time to react, Sully chose to carry out a dramatic and controversial emergency landing on the Hudson River.
FarGo Village
Located in the heart of Coventry, the new FarGo Village is an artistically re-purposed industrial space designed exclusively for creative, independent businesses. The eclectic mix of over 40 independent outlets includes a craft brewery, artisan food, vegan shop, printing, a museum dedicated to Sgt Bilko and a dedicated street food hall. FarGo Village is in Far Gosford Street, a recently regenerated area with a rich cultural heritage.
Spa breaks!
If you’re planning to combine playing poker in Coventry with a truly relaxing mini-break, why not opt to stay at one of the luxurious spa hotels near the city? The Windmill Village Hotel, Golf Club and Spa has amazing facilities including an indoor pool, sauna, whirlpool, gym and several treatment rooms – not to mention an 18-hole golf course. The Royal Court Hotel, a beautiful Grade II listed country house set in 11 acres of landscaped parkland, is always a popular choice with poker players and is just a ten-minute drive from the Grosvenor Coventry casino. For just £4 a session, guests can enjoy excellent hotel spa facilities with a heated indoor pool, gym, sauna, steam room and hot tub. Chesford Grange Hotel is another luxury option just 18 minutes’ drive from Coventry city centre. You can book a full pampering spa break or opt for a spa day package. Facilities include a well-equipped gym, swimming pool, heated loungers and a steam room along with treatment rooms for manicures, facials, massages and much more. Mana Spa is located at the Wave, a superb new water park in Coventry and has plenty of spa deals on offer. Inspired by Maori culture, facilities include a 25m swimming pool, spa pool, aromatherapy room, steam room, sauna and a luxurious foot spa.
MainEventTravel’s #FinalTableFreeroll promotion
Many of the numerous poker tournaments at the Grosvenor Coventry casino are eligible for MainEventTravel’s amazing #FinalTableFreeroll
promotion. Book your Coventry poker trip through MainEventTravel and you could be in with the chance of winning a travel credit worth the full amount of all your travel costs. For full details, check out our #FinalTableFreeroll promotion page. Eligible events in Coventry this year include the UK Poker Open event in February, the flagship Goliath in July and 888poker LIVE Coventry in October.
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