Coventry
Coventry. Cathedral city in Warwickshire. It developed around an important priory, founded in 1043 by Earl Leofric and Countess Godgifu (‘ Lady Godiva’ of Coventry folklore). From 1102 to 1539 the priory church had cathedral status, and in the 14th cent. the city rose spectacularly through cloth-manufacturing to become the fourth largest English town. It declined equally spectacularly in the 16th cent., but found renewed industrial prosperity from the 18th cent., and in 1918 became a cathedral city once more. It was heavily bombed in the Second World War, but retains more historic buildings than is often appreciated, including the 14th-cent. St Mary's Hall.
David M. Palliser
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Coventry
