Remains of the west front, nave and aisles of Coventry Priory

The remains of the west front, nave and aisles of the medieval cathedral of Coventry Priory.

MATERIALS: the surviving fabric of the church is in red sandstone.

PLAN: the surviving west front of the church runs north-south adjacent to the buildings of 3-5 Priory Row and the former Blue Coat School. The site of the nave is adjacent to the east, with aisles to both sides.

DESCRIPTION: the lower portion of the west front of the cathedral runs along the western edge of what is now Priory Gardens. The eastern, inside face of the west wall is exposed while the former outside face is buried (although partially visible in the cellar of Blue Coat School). The inside face has deeply-moulded piers and a central opening where the west door gave access to the nave down an arc of steps. Part of the south-west tower, the west wall and part of a spiral staircase survive. The north-west tower has arches at its lowest level which give access to a room at the base of the tower, and the spiral staircase within now gives access to the former Blue Coat School building.

The area of the nave and aisles is now laid out as Priory Gardens, with parts of the surviving fabric consolidated. The lower courses of the south wall of the cathedral are visible, with shallow external buttresses. The north wall, which divided the nave from the cloister beyond, partially survives and is visible within the Priory Visitor Centre. The locations of ten of the piers of the nave arcade are identified within Priory Gardens; six of these have glass boxes displaying fragments of stone found during the Phoenix Initiative. Areas in the nave are laid to gravel and grass with paved paths around the site.