At St Mary’s Guildhall it’s important to us that everyone can easily access our facilities, this is something we kept in mind when restoring the historical building.
We’ve included:
A stair lift from the Medieval Kitchen to the Muniment Room.
A lift from the Kitchen to the Gallery.
A 360° movable and zoomable image is available to view on the new tablet digital tour, which enable areas which do not have step free access to be viewed.
New spiral staircase in the Great Hall that allows greater access other than through the old stone staircase.
Written interpretation flip books with large print are available in all rooms.
Our tablets have family and adult tours, which can be used with audio or through captioning too.
As part of the restouration works the original and unique stained glass in the Guildhall windows underwent cleaning and repainting by a specialist conservation painter.
The 500 year old Coventry Tapestry has undertaken professional conservation work, resulting in brighter and clearer images. It is also now housed in a bespoke protective case, to help further protect this important artwork for future generations.
The Medieval Kitchen is the standout hidden gem of the Guildhall. The 14th Century kitchen can now be seen by visitors for the first time in 100 years. For the past 60 years is has been covered by a working commercial kitchen, which had luckily protected the Medieval Kitchen from any major damage.
As part of the restouration works the medieval kitchen has been unveiled to its original form and is now one of the finest examples of a medieval kitchen in Britain today. Enjoy imagining the medieval banquets that would have been prepared for Guildhall guests all those years ago and immerse yourself in medieval kitchen life when you visit.
The Muniment Room, was originally added to the Guildhall’s footprint in the 1890s, however this room prior to the renovation was not open to visitors. It is now a part of the unique visitor experience.
It is the first room on the visitor journey and introduces the timeline of the Guildhall and it’s importance to Coventry’s history.
