The Parish Church of The Holy Trinity Coventry [antikvár]

THE PARISH CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRIN1TY was founded soon after the year 1043. In that year, Earl Leofric and the Lady Godiva, with the support of Edward the Confessor, founded and endowed the new Benedictine Priory in Coventry. The site of this Priory, and the early 'Cathedral' of St. Mary is only a few yards to the North of the church, on the other side of Priory Row. It is certain that the first Holy Trinity was built by the monks of the Priory, as a Parish Church for the lay tenants of the monastic lands. Holy Trinity Church was to the Priory, as St. Margaret's Westminster was to Westminster Abbey. The first Parish Church on the site would have been built before the Norman Conquest in 1066.THE PARISH CHURCH OF THE CITY must have been Holy Trinity from the earliest times. In 1218, the Great Fair Charter fixed the date of Coventry Fair in connection with the Festival of the Holy Trinity. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Curfew was rung from the belfry of Holy Trinity.THE IMORTH PORCH is the oldest part of the existing building, and was constrúcted in the early 13th century. The Porch possesses a splendid roof with diagonal vauiting, and a richly ordered doorway,*with multiple shafts. This was doubtless the Prior's entrance to the Parish Church, as the South Door of the Priory was directly opposite this entrance.THE WALL ABOVE THE NORTH PORCH, AND THE CHAMBERS The rough ashlar construction of the wall above the North Porch points its early 13th century date, 3nd blocked-up lancet windows of the period may have been 'squints' into the church. There is evidence that at one time, the two chambers over the porch which extend over St. Thomas's Chapel, were used as a vicarage ! Certainly we find recorded that in 1570, the Church-wardens leased 'the Chamber over St. Thomas Chappell' to the Vicar, George Cheston, for 12d. a year!THE CHANCEL, NAVE AND TRANSEPTS form the shape of a cross, and the frontcover picture clearly indicates this cruciform nature of the church. THE CHANCEL was rebuilt in 1391, and the great NAVE and TRANSEPTS are of 14th century origin. The originál roofs were very high-pitched gothic structures probably covered with shingles. In the fifteenth century all over England, these gothic roofs were removed, a new line of stonework containing windows called the 'clerestory' built on top of the arcades, bringing much more light into our churches. The fifteenth century work is clearly seen in Holy Trinity both in Chancel and Nave. When this work was carried out, the new roofs were of only slight pitch, in fact almost fiat. Lead replaced the shingles in every case. The roofs were following the architectural trend of the fifteenth century, which was to flatten the gothic pointed arch, reduce stonework to a minimum and to build 'walls of glass'. It is easy to understand the name 'Perpendicular' given to this period of mature gothic building.2THE CHANCEL AND NAVE LOOKING WESTWARD