Coventry is a city within the metropolitan county of West Midlands, central England. It is an industrial center noted for the production of motor vehicles along with aircraft engines. Many other manufactures comprise of textiles, electrical equipment, as well as bricks. The city's famous structures include Holy Trinity Church (13th century); Saint Mary's Hall (1450), formerly a merchant's guildhall; and Saint Michael's Cathedral, regained (1962) adjacent to the site of the original edifice (1373-1394), which was nearly completely destroyed by bombs during World War II (1939-1945). The nave and spire remained standing and were left as a memorial of the war. Coventry offers many institutions of higher learning, such as the University of Warwick (1965) and Coventry University (1992, formerly a polytechnic college).
In 1043 a Benedictine monastery was developed in Coventry by Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and his wife, Lady Godiva. Through the 14th century, the town was a trading center noted for its textile products. Today, Coventry had many prosperous guilds, which were famous for performing the town's famous miracle plays. When Coventry was integrated in 1345, it had been one of the largest cities in England. The weaving trade dropped in the 17th century and was largely supplanted by the clock- and watch making industry. Around 1896 the first automobiles in Great Britain had been manufactured here. The first large-scale production of a synthetic fiber started off in Coventry in 1905. During World War II, German bombing destroyed the center of the city.
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