FREEDOM of the city
ON A BUDGET AND LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO? HERE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS YOU CAN DO IN COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE FOR FREE
Coventry Cathedral ruins
The Cathedral ruins are in Priory Street, Coventry city centre.
The historic building St Michael’s Cathedral was badly bombed in the Second World War. It was made safe and then left a ruin as a memorial. It’s open every day.
Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum
Find out about local history, see beautiful art works and make the most of the temporary exhibitions at this museum. It’s in the Parade, Leamington and is closed on Mondays.
Coventry Transport Museum
The Museum in Hales Street Coventry city centre charts the history of car and bicycle manufacture in the city and beyond. See a DeLorean car like the one in the hit 80s film Back to the Future, see some of the world’s earliest bicycles or see engineering oddity the Sinclair C5. It’s open all week.
Coventry Canal Art Trail
Follow the five mile stretch of the Coventry Canal between the Canal Basin and Hawkesbury Junction and see a series of art works on the way. They include a stone sofa and a cast iron statue of canal engineer James Brindley.
Herbert Art Gallery and Museum
With a fantastic gallery on Coventry’s history, a Lady Godiva exhibition and interesting temporary exhibitions this is a great place to visit. Some temporary exhibitions have a charge and some of the activities and workshops also have a charge but the museum in Jordan Well, Coventry city centre, is free. It’s open all week.
Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery
This museum in Riversley Park is short walk from the town centre has three galleries and a mix of permanent and temporary exhibitions. It’s child friendly and also has a cafe. It’s closed on Mondays except bank holidays.
Coventry Watch Museum
The Coventry Watch Museum in Spon Street, Coventry city centre gives an insight into the city’s watch making industry. Watchmaking paved the way for the city to become a centre for manufacture of cars and bicycles.
The museum is open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 11am to 3pm.
Big Question lecture series at Coventry University
The lectures in this series feature some big name speakers. In the next one M. Dane Waters will talk about the US Presidential election. It’s at 5pm on Tuesday April 12. To go register in advance by e mailing Charlotte Martin at charlotte.martin@coventry.ac.uk
St John’s House Museum, Warwick
Galleries include a Victorian kitchen and school room, displays on childhood, toys and games and an under fives discovery room. On the first floor is the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Room. Outside a formal gardens ideal for a picnic in good weather. The address is in St John’s, Warwick. It’s open Tuesdays to Saturdays in winter and every day in summer.
St Mary’s Guildhall
A magnificent medieval building in Bayley Lane, Coventry city centre, where Mary Queen of Scots was once imprisoned, where Shakespeare once performed and where a collapsing table drenched a visiting king in Coventry custard.
It’s open between Sunday March 19 and Sunday October 8 on Sundays to Thursdays from 10am to 4pm.
The Weaver’s House
The medieval building in Spon End, Coventry has been restored to show how former resident weaver John Croke would have lived. The timber framed house is open every second Saturday of the month between April and August from 10am to 4pm.
Holy Trinity Church
This church in Broadgate, Coventry city centre, is home to a medieval doom painting. It’s a fantastic example of a doom painting showing damned souls being sent to hell and the saved going to heaven. Among those condemned to the eternal flames are beer sellers who sold adulterated beer to their customers.
Giant chess at Coventry Central Library
The Central Library in Smith-ford Way, Coventry city centre is home not just to books but a giant chess set and board. It’s free to visit and have a game with the enormous pieces.
Market Hall Museum, Warwick
In this museum in the Market Place you’ll find displays on the early history, geology and natural history of Warwickshire.
Currently closed for refurbishment this museum will open again on February 18. It’s open Tuesdays to Saturdays along with bank holiday Mondays all year round and in summer it’s open on Sundays as well.