Coventry (/ˈkɒvəntri/ ⓘ KOV-ən-tree[6] or rarely /ˈkʌv-/ KUV-)[7] is a cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne.

[41][42][43] Throughout the Middle Ages Coventry had been home several monastic orders and the city was badly hit by Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries.

[46] Following the restoration of the monarchy, as punishment for the support given to the Parliamentarians, King Charles II ordered that the city's walls be slighted (damaged and made useless as defences) which was carried out in 1662.

[54] In the early-to-mid 20th century, a number of famous names in the British motor industry became established in Coventry, including Alvis, Armstrong Siddeley, Daimler, Humber, Jaguar, Riley, Rootes, Rover, Singer, Standard, Swift and Triumph.

Approximately 35,000 men from Coventry and Warwickshire served during the First World War,[58] so most of the skilled factory workers were women drafted from all over the country.

[59] Due to the importance of war production in Coventry it was a target for German zeppelin attacks and defensive anti-aircraft guns were established at Keresley and Wyken Grange to protect the city.

The raid led to severe damage to large areas of the city centre and to Coventry's historic cathedral, leaving only a shell and the spire.

[73] Further housing developments in the private and public sector took place after the Second World War, partly to accommodate the growing population of the city and also to replace condemned and bomb damaged properties.

[73] Coventry's large industrial base made it attractive to the wave of Asian and Caribbean immigrants who arrived from Commonwealth colonies after 1948.

Bands considered part of the genre include the Specials, the Selecter, Madness, the Beat, Bad Manners, the Bodysnatchers and Akrylykz.

[77] Since the 1980s, Coventry has recovered, with its economy diversifying into services, with engineering ceasing to be a mass employer, what remains of manufacturing in the city is driven by smaller more specialist firms.

Another visitor attraction in the city centre is Coventry Transport Museum, which has the largest public collection of British-made road vehicles in the world.

Their sites across Coventry include the Charterhouse, the two surviving City Gates, Drapers' Hall, London Road Cemetery: Paxton's Arboretum and Priory Row.

[94] The £5 million Fargo Village creative quarter shopping precinct was open in 2014 on Far Gosford Street with a mixture of retail units.

[113][114] The relationship developed through ordinary people in Coventry who wanted to show their support for the Soviet Red Army during the Battle of Stalingrad.

The design features Lady Godiva, a local heroine, depicted in black on a white pale, symbolising Coventry's history, principles, and its reputation as a city of peace.

They finally departed from the stadium in 2005 on their relocation to the 32,600-seat Ricoh Arena some three miles (4.8 kilometres) to the north of the city centre, in the Rowleys Green district.

However, on 21 December 2014, this rose to 15, when Aviva Premiership club Wasps RFC played their first home game at the Ricoh Arena, completing their relocation to the city.

Amongst the top speedway riders who represented Coventry teams were Tom Farndon, Jack Parker, Arthur Forrest, Nigel Boocock, Kelvin Tatum, Chris Harris, Scott Nicholls, Emil Sayfutdinov and World Champions Ole Olsen, Hans Nielsen, Greg Hancock, Billy Hamill, Ronnie Moore and Jack Young.

The famous London black cab taxis are produced by Coventry-based LEVC (formerly LTI); until its 2017 relocation from the historic Holyhead Road factory to a new plant at Ansty Park a few miles outside the city, these were the only remaining motor vehicles wholly built in Coventry.

The last Coventry machine tool manufacturer was Matrix Churchill which was forced to close in the wake of the Iraqi Supergun (Project Babylon) scandal.

The Phoenix Initiative, which was designed by MJP Architects, reached the final shortlist for the 2004 RIBA Stirling Prize and has now won a total of 16 separate awards.

[181] Even as far back as Anglo-Saxon times Coventry—situated as it was, close to Watling Street—was a trading and market post between King Alfred's Saxon Mercia and Danelaw England with a consequent merging of dialects.

[187] Contemporary historians do not dispute that lady Godiva was a real figure, as she was the first woman to be mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086), however her ride is considered mythical.

[200] In 1995, animal rights activist Jill Phipps died during a protest to stop the air export of live calves for veal from Coventry Airport.

[202][203] Labour Party politician Mo Mowlam, who oversaw the talks which led to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement in her role as Northern Ireland secretary, was educated in Coventry.

[206] Stevens employed another Coventry native called Joseph Gutteridge,[207] a silk weaver who became a pioneer of brocades in five colours and later a microscopist.

[208] Samuel Courtauld and Co Ltd's director H. G. Tetley chose Foleshill in Coventry in 1904 as the site of the world's first man-made fibre factory which produced an "artificial silk" later known as viscose rayon.

[citation needed] Sir Frederick Gibberd, architect and designer, was born in Coventry, and amongst the buildings for which he is best known are Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and Didcot Power Station.

[217] Other Coventrians in the arts include comedy film directors Debbie Isitt,[132] Alice Lowe[218] and Sharon Maguire;[219] comedians Reg Dixon,[220] Emma Fryer[221] and Guz Khan;[222] actors Jassa Ahluwalia,[223] Jordan Bolger,[224] Nitin Ganatra,[225] Nigel Hawthorne,[226] Harold Innocent,[227] Charles Kay, Clive Owen,[228] Brendan Price and Robin Parkinson;[229] actresses Gillian Barber,[230] Lisa Dillon,[231] Tamla Kari,[232] Sinead Matthews,[233] Bharti Patel,[234] Carmen Silvera, Melissa Walton,[235] and Billie Whitelaw,[236] musicals star Dave Whillets; theatre producer Dominic Madden,[citation needed] and ventriloquist Dennis Spicer.