Visitor attractions across Coventry have joined forces to launch a new walking map celebrating the city’s history ahead of Heritage Open Days.
Visit Coventry, the organisation responsible for supporting tourism in the city, has created a new trail that will guide visitors through some of Coventry’s most notable historical and heritage sites.
The heritage and culture trail is being launched ahead of Heritage Open Days, which will take place from 8 to 17 September and sees historical gems across Coventry open their doors and provide free access.
All the visitor attractions featured on Visit Coventry’s heritage and culture trail will be free to enter during these dates, including Charterhouse, London Road Cemetery, St Mary’s Guildhall and more.
The map is available from tourist information hubs in the city but an interactive walking guide is also available from Visit Coventry’s website.
It starts at Charterhouse, one of the city’s most historic buildings, with the chance to explore three floors of history, before taking visitors on a short walk to Coventry city centre through London Road Cemetery: Paxton’s Arboretum.
The cemetery is an example of the 19th century garden cemetery movement and is a place of natural beauty.
After arriving in the city centre, visitors are encouraged to head to 14th century St Mary’s Guildhall, one of the city’s only remaining medieval buildings.
Next up it is a trip to Herbert Art Gallery & Museum which houses a range of historical and cultural gems, providing an insight into Coventry’s past, as well as the nation’s favourite dinosaur, Dippy.
The trail then takes visitors across the courtyard to Coventry Cathedral and invites visitors to explore the cobbled streets around the city’s most famous building.
Finally, the trail comes to a close at Coventry Transport Museum, giving visitors the chance to find out about the cycling and automotive history of Coventry.
Visit Coventry is also urging people following the trail to seek out the lesser-known historical gems in the city streets while moving from attraction to attraction.
Paul Jones, Managing Director of Visit Coventry, says Heritage Open Days are a fantastic opportunity to showcase the incredible history and heritage of Coventry to residents and people visiting the city.
“We should all be incredible proud of the rich cultural and historical heritage in Coventry, and from our work with visitors to the city, we know how important that heritage can be as a driver for tourism,” said Paul.
“It’s something we should be celebrating at every opportunity, but Heritage Open Days in particular gives us a stage to showcase what we have here in Coventry.
“Well-known attractions and hidden gems will be opening their doors across the city for free over the weekend, and therefore we decided to work with our partners to create an interactive walking trail.
“The trail will be available from our visitor information centres, but the digital map will be ever-evolving, as we continue to add more venues and points of interest over the coming months.”
To download the heritage and culture walking trail map and for more information on Heritage Open Days in Coventry visit https://visitcoventry.co.uk/heritage-open-day-2023-in-coventry/
Photo Caption: St Mary's Guildhall