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The Great Britain Guide

Historic churches · West Midlands

Greyfriars, Coventry

Norman & medievalFree admission

Greyfriars, Coventry — spire in Coventry, United Kingdom.

Greyfriars, Coventry, historic churches in West Midlands

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
30 min–1 h
Nearest railway station
Coventry · 0.6 km
  • Free entry

About

Greyfriars, Coventry is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1201. Heritage designation: Grade II* listed building. Wikidata describes it as: "spire in Coventry, United Kingdom". Coordinates: 52.4057°, -1.5117°.

Photo gallery

Heritage listing

Greyfriars was a medieval Franciscan priory in Coventry, England. The original monastic buildings were lost in the English Reformation; the spire standing on the site today was most recently part of a 19th-century church that was destroyed in an air raid in the Second World War. The spire, also called Christchurch Steeple, is a Grade II* listed building.

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Greyfriars was a medieval Franciscan priory in Coventry, England. The original monastic buildings were lost in the English Reformation; the spire standing on the site today was most recently part of a 19th-century church that was destroyed in an air raid in the Second World War. The spire, also called Christchurch Steeple, is a Grade II* listed building.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The first mention of the Franciscans or Greyfriars in Coventry is in the Pipe Rolls of 1234, which show Henry III allowing them timber to use for their oratory or church. From later documents it is evident that Ranulf de Blondeville, Earl of Chester, permitted them to erect their house on his manor of Cheylesmore, on the south-west side of the city. In August 1289, Roger de Montalt granted the Franciscan friars of Coventry a site for the enlargement of their area. He also obtained a licence, contrary to the wishes of the monks of Coventry, to close the way leading from Kenilworth to Coventry, but this was on condition he made another way on the adjacent land also granted to them by Roger.…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
52.4057, -1.5117
District
Coventry
Parish
Coventry, unparished area
Postcode
CV1 2PS
Parliamentary constituency
Coventry South
Established
1201
Nearest railway station
Coventry0.6 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Greyfriars, Coventry?
Greyfriars, Coventry is in the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode CV1 2PS), in the parish of Coventry, unparished area.
When was Greyfriars, Coventry built?
Built or established in 1201.
Is Greyfriars, Coventry a listed building?
Greyfriars, Coventry is officially recognised as Grade II* listed building listed.
Is Greyfriars, Coventry free to visit?
Yes, Greyfriars, Coventry is free to enter.
How do I get to Greyfriars, Coventry?
The nearest railway station is Coventry, about 0.6 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CV1 2PS.