OPENING UP CITY CENTRE
NEW SCHEME TO CREATE ‘GREENER, BRIGHTER AND MORE INVITING’ SPACE FOR VISITORS
A NEW scheme will open up Coventry Cathedral’s Unity Lawn into a “greener, brighter and more inviting” space for visitors.
Studio Morison is leading a project to remove the existing railings along the walkway, opening up the area and adding new benches, lighting, paving and plants.
A circular bench will also be added around the largest tree in the lawn to offer peaceful seating views of the cathedral and the ruins.
The scheme, which is funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority, is set to begin in the autumn before completion by spring 2021.
Councillor Jim O’boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration, said: “This is a really beautiful spot within the city centre.
“There are great views here of the cathedral and the ruins and then close by there is Holy Trinity Church, St Mary’s Guildhall,
Drapers Hall and the council house. It’s a very special area for local people and visitors.
“I’ve been saying for a while now that our intention is to celebrate the best of the old and the best of the new and this plan is exactly that. Unity Lawn’s is a lovely place to sit and enjoy the views - a quiet moment in the heart of the city and now it’s set to get even nicer - greener, brighter and more inviting.
“The benches have been designed with Sir Basil Spence’s iconic architecture for the cathedral in mind so that they complement the area. The trees, which survived the Blitz bombings, will be protected too.”
The Very Reverend John Witcombe, Dean of Coventry, added: “We are very excited about the plans to improve the areas of St Michael’s Avenue and Unity Lawn.
“The first of the cathedral’s values is hospitality and we sincerely hope this will make our outdoor spaces more welcoming and encourage people to pause and reflect in this special part of our city centre.”
The Unity Lawn was once a graveyard for St Michael’s Cathedral but no further burials took place after London Road cemetery opened in 1847.
All graves and memorial plaques will be preserved and protected as part of the revamp, the city council has said.
As part of the plans a monument to former Coventry gladiator John Parkes will also be brought to the forefront having largely been hidden away in shrubbery and left unnoticed.
John was born in 1681 and fought more than 350 battles across Europe, before defeat at the age of 52 in the arena in 1733.
Councillor Patricia Hetherton, cabinet member for city services, added: “The plans really do look spectacular. It’s also fantastic that we’re able to preserve the history of the area, including uncovering the gladiator monument.”