Current Watch Site

After Coventry Cathedral was gutted by incendiary bombs during World War II, a conscious and collective decision was taken to build a new cathedral and to preserve the ruins as a constant reminder of conflict, the need for reconciliation, and the enduring search for peace. First constructed as a chapel for the Earls of Chester’s castle in the twelfth century, the former Cathedral Church of St. (...)

After Coventry Cathedral was gutted by incendiary bombs during World War II, a conscious and collective decision was taken to build a new cathedral and to preserve the ruins as a constant reminder of conflict, the need for reconciliation, and the enduring search for peace. First constructed as a chapel for the Earls of Chester’s castle in the twelfth century, the former Cathedral Church of St. Michael was significantly expanded during a time of prosperity in the late fourteenth century, and eventually became the largest parish church in England. It was elevated to the status of cathedral in 1918. An earlier church also existed near the site: the vast Benedictine Priory of St. Mary, founded by Earl Leofric and Lady Godiva in 1043 and dissolved in 1539 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII. Today, the excavated remains of the priory and the post-war cathedral coexist alongside the ruins of St. Michael, linking past to present. The ruins are still consecrated and used as a gathering place and site of reflection. The weathered medieval sandstone of the tower, apse, and outer walls frame the open air space.