St Mary's Priory and Cathedral

The abbey church of St Mary's was consecrated in 1043, and Earl Leofric was buried there in 1057. In 1143 Robert Marmion fortified the partially-built cathedral in an attempt to gain control of Coventry Castle. Part of his alterations include a trench around the church. It was the only English cathedral to be destroyed during the Reformation. In 1539 the seat of the diocese was transferred to Lichfield Cathedral, and it was renamed the Diocese of Lichfield and Coventry. The north-west tower survived the destruction and was used as a house until 1714, when a charity school was founded there, Coventry's Blue Coat School. Coventry remained without a cathedral until 1918, when St Michael's…

The main cathedral building was cruciform in shape, 425 feet (130 metres) long and 145 feet (44 metres) wide at the west front. It was constructed in two stages, up to 1143 and from c. 1150 to c. 1250. The cathedral had a central tower and two towers at the western end, the remains of which are still visible. It is believed there were three spires similar to, though pre-dating, those at Lichfield Cathedral.