Restorers have stumbled upon nine secret crypts under the remains of Coventry cathedral in the Midlands. In September, 2011, cracks had appeared in the remains of the medieval church and since then the walls had been supported by rather unsightly scaffolding. The building dates back to the 14th century and was originally the city’s main place of worship. But in 1940, during the Second World War, the German Luftwaffe pounded the city for an incredible and horrific ten hours on the night of November 15th.
In what was then a very industrial area, three quarters of the city’s factories were damaged or destroyed as well as thousands of homes. But the most iconic building to be victim to Hitler‘s bombs was the cathedral. It’s near destruction stunned Coventry and the remaining walls – with no roof or stained glass window – were left as a grim memorial to all those who died that night. Next door to it, a modern cathedral was built – consecrated in 1962.
I’ve walked round the remains of the old cathedral and it’s an eerie site. But now it’s even more spooky with the discovery of these crypts. The chief executive of the World Monuments Fund, Dr Jonathan Foyle, has described them as a “subterranean wonderland”. They’re believed to date back to the 1350s and contained the human remains of thousands of medieval citizens of Coventry. It’s hoped they’ll be open to the public in the near future.
One oddity of the Holy Sepulchre is that the church is divided up between different Christian denominations. Since the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic have been custodians. In the 19th century, the church was divided up again to include the Coptic Orthodox, the Ethiopian Orthodox and the Syrian Orthodox. The relationship between these different groups is often competitive and unfriendly.
