THE Grade 1 listed 14th-century St Mary’s Guildhall remains a disappointingly ‘hidden gem’.
It has long been considered by heritage watchdogs including TV personality Dr Jonathan Foyle as the country’s best surviving medieval guildhall.
It is rich in history and artefacts. Yet it’s often closed to tourists and the public, is marked with graffiti and, most shamefully, the stench of chip fat from its walls pervades. Money-spinning banquets and weddings have taken precedence over conservation.
The latest proposal is to paint over a beautiful stone ceiling in its undercroft cafe, despite Historic England objections.
The Coventry Society and many others are right to emphasise that City of Culture 2021 offers an opportunity for Coventry to finally put these wrongs right.
