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aerial photograph of Coventry Cathedrals, old and new, Coventry West Midlands UK. Coventry Cathedral, more formally known as the Cathedral Church of St Michael, was built in the 12th and 15th centuries and destroyed in the Coventry Blitz on the night of 14th November 1940. The ruins have been preserved as a memorial. Originally a parish Church it was made a collegiate church in 1908 and then cathedral in 1918. The Crypt and south porch date from around 1300AD and the West steeple AD 1373-94 . The spire, which is the third tallest in England was begun in 1432. The church walls were rebuilt between 1373 and 1450. The building was restored 1883-90 by J Oldrid Scott.
After the war a competition was held to design a new cathedral. The design by Basil Spence was the winner of the completion and the new Cathedral was constructed 1956 to 1962. The building is also Grade I listed.
Completing the ecclesiastical trio in the photograph is the Holy Trinity Church which dates from the 13th ti 15th Century AD with the chapel added 1526-7. The Spire and upper part of the tower were rebuilt 1666 to 1669. The church was restored twice in the 19th century, first 1843-9 by R C Hussey and then again in 1855 by Sir George Gilbert Scott. The church is famous for a medieval painting known as the doom painting which was originally created around AD1430. It was subsequently whitewashed over and only rediscovered in the 19th century.
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