The Churches of Coventry | Page 8

large area to the North of
the two parish churches on the gentle slope descending to the little river
Sherbourne, Priory Row forming its southern boundary.
The church occupied the South-West portion of this site, extending
about 400 feet from the excavated west end to a point a little beyond
the narrow lane called Hill Top. The excavation shows that the church
stood on a sloping site, the floor level being some ten feet lower than
that of Trinity Church. It was cruciform, with two western towers and a
central one, and is believed to have had three spires similar to those of
Lichfield but probably earlier in point of date. On the substructure of
the North-West Tower now stands the house of the mistress of the
Girls' Blue Coat School. The interior of the West end to a height of 5 to
8 feet, with the responds of the nave arcades and of the tower arches, is
visible and in good condition. The beginning of the turret stair in the
South-West tower is exposed, but the basement of the house
unfortunately occupies the lower part of the northern one. The exterior
of this is however easily accessible from an enclosure known as the
Wood Yard, the much decayed spreading plinth and a few feet of
walling above it not having been destroyed. Above this, grievous
damage has been perpetrated by the casing and complete obliteration of
the mouldings and arcading which remained. The towers were placed
outside the line of the aisles as at Wells, the total width of the West
front, 145 feet, being nearly the same in both cases. There are still
indications of the position of the great west door, but the height of the
inner plinth shows that there was always a descent of several steps into
the church. At the south transept where was "the Minster durra that
openeth to the Trinite Churchyarde," the descent must have been
considerable. The remains show that the nave dated from the first half
of the thirteenth century, while fragments of wall near the site of the
transept with indications of lancet window openings are probably a

little earlier than the west end.
[Illustration: REMAINS OF THE N.W. TOWER (IN THE
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY).]
Whether the church of Leofric and Godiva, dedicated in 1043, had
survived wholly or in part until this time cannot be known, but, judging
from the history of most other great monastic churches and from the
known wealth of the monastery, it may almost be taken for granted that
the Norman bishops and priors rebuilt much if not all. Some relics of
Norman work have been found but the covering of the site with roads,
graves and houses precludes the systematic exploration and survey
which alone could solve this question and make clear the outlines of the
plan of the whole establishment.
The entrance to some wine-cellars in Priory Row gives access to the
old pavement level of part of the choir and transept. From the fact that a
brick vault forms the roof the cellars have often been looked upon as
the crypt of the church but this is erroneous; the vault is a later insertion
and if any crypt exists it lies below this level. To the east of the
cathedral was the Bishop's Palace, the gardens of it extending over the
detached burial ground of St. Michael's to the east of Priory Street. The
grandeur of this assemblage of buildings grouping, with the spires of
the churches behind and rising so magnificently above the houses of
the city can best be realized by going to the top of Bishop Street
whence may be obtained the finest view of the two spires that remain
(see p. 2).

ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH
[Illustration: ST. MICHAEL'S FROM THE NORTH.]

ST. MICHAEL'S CHURCH
CHAPTER I

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH
The early history of St. Michael's Church is very obscure. The fact that
Domesday mentions no parish churches proves nothing. There can be
little doubt that one at least existed. Though we have an earlier record
of St. Michael's it is commonly held that Trinity is the elder foundation.
Of St. Michael's the first notice we have is when Ranulph, Earl of
Chester, in the days of Stephen, about 1150, granted the "Chapel" of St.
Michael to Laurence, Prior, and the Convent of St. Mary, "being
satisfied by the testimony of divers persons, as well Clergy as Laity,
that it was their right." Fourteen dependent chapels in the
neighbourhood or within a few miles went with it and the number of
these dependencies is held to show that it was "a primitive Saxon parish
and of considerable importance." In 1192 Ranulph Blundeville,
grandson of the former Ranulph, gave tithe of his lands and rents in
Coventry and bound