St Mary's Guildhall
Bayley Lane
Coventry
Coventry
CV1 5RN
England
Website
St. Mary's Guildhall website
Visitor information, bookings and general enquiries
Telephone
02476 833328
Fax
02476 833329
St. Mary's Guildhall is one of the finest surviving medieval guildhalls in England. First built in the 1340s for the merchant guild of St. Mary, it was enlarged between 1394 and 1414 and extensively embellished at the end of the 15th century. Soon after it was built it became the headquarters for the mayor and corporation of Coventry and remained so until the early 20th century when Coventry Council House was built. It served as the centre of King Henry VI's court during the War of the Roses and as a prison to Mary, Queen of Scots. William Shakespeare is thought to have staged his plays here and writer George Eliot, who knew the hall well, features it in a scene from one of her novels
The building still occupies a central role in the civic calendar, being the venue of choice for high-profile conferences, civic banquets and other ceremonies.
Venue Type:
Historic house or home, Heritage site, Museum
Additional info
No specific parking on site, but limited disabled parking available in Bayley Lane. Public car parks and coach parks available within walking distance
The civic collection at St. Mary's Guildhall includes a diverse range of items and artworks that have been amassed at the Guildhall over the centuries, some as donations and bequests, others as specific commissions by the guilds or civic leaders.
In the 1960s, some of the collection of art, archives and 'curios' previously at the Guildhall were relocated to Coventry's new Herbert Art Gallery and Museum
Collection details
Costume and Textiles, Architecture, Fine Art, Weapons and War, Social History
Key artists and exhibits
- Coventry Tapestry circa 1500
- MacDonald 'Max' Gill
- Merton Abbey works
- W.C.Marshall
- Gothic Furniture
Arms and Armour
The collection of arms and armour at the Guildhall is all that survives of a much larger collection, that was stored in the Guildhall's Armoury in readiness for any need to defend the city. Dating from the early 16th to early 17th centuries, the remaining assortment of pole arms and armour owes its survival to being retained for use in the annual Godiva Festivals, as costume for characters in the procession. The famous 15thC 'Coventry sallet' is now on show at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum
Furniture
The collection of period furniture at the Guildhall covers several centuries of domestic design, from a 13th century muniment chest, through high Gothic to Georgian benches and seats, carved with Civic insignia. A star item of the collection is a fine example of a mid 15thC Gothic-carved seat, quite possibly the 'cathedra' from Coventry Priory, moved to the Guildhall at the time of the Dissolution.
Pictures
The collection of pictures at St. Mary's Guildhall chiefly comprises portraits in oil, of English and British monarchs, civic leaders and benefactors associated with the city of Coventry from the 16th to 19th centuries. Large state portraits dominate the Great Hall, whilst smaller works can be seen in adjoining rooms
Sculpture
St. Mary's Guildhall holds a small quantity of finely carved and sculpted artworks, including 16th century stone carvings of saints, and two representation sof Lady Godiva (one of which was exhibited at the 1851 Great Exhibition).
Tapestries
The textile collection centres principally on the magnificent 'Coventry Tapestry' one of the finest and rarest examples of the art in the country. Dating to circa 1500, it is celebrated not just for its age and remarkable state of preservation, but also for the fact that it remains on the very wall for which it was made over 500 years ago. The tapestry collection also includes panels designed by MacDonald Gill in the 1930s, which were amongst the final productions of the Morris Art Workers of Merton Abbey
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