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• St Mary's Guildhall

• Home
• Culture and leisure
• Historic buildings and local attractions

• St Mary's Guildhall

• The Great Hall
• The Undercroft
• Mercer's Room
• Draper's Room
• Fuller's Room
• Tanner's Suite
• The Armoury
• Godiva's in the Undercroft
• Weddings and Functions at St Mary's Guildhall
• Meetings at St Mary's Guildhall

St Mary's Guildhall

St Mary's Guildhall is one of the finest medieval guildhalls in England, and one of Coventry's most splendid and historic buildings. 

Standing in the heart of Coventry for over 650 years, St. Mary's Guildhall has witnessed events of both local and national importance during its long history.

The Guildhall served as the centre of King Henry VI's court during the Wars 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 Elliot, who knew the hall well, used it as the setting for a scene in one of her novels. Its kitchens have prepared banquets for visiting monarchs and have fed starving weavers. It has been the good-humoured starting point for the famous Godiva Processions and been damaged in violent election riots. It was scarred by, but survived, the Blitz of Coventry during the Second World War and it continues to this day to welcome visitors from all over the world.

Location

The entrance to St Mary's Hall is on Bayley Lane which runs on the south side of the ruins of the 'old' Coventry Cathedral. Passing through the fine outer porch, with its elaborate vaulting and original 15th century gates, you will come to the Courtyard, from where one enters the 'cloister' on the left to gain access to the main Guildhall interiors. Follow the link to the St Mary's Hall location map.

Opening hours 2008

St. Mary's Guildhall is open from Sunday 23 March to Sunday 28 September 2008, Sunday to Thursday, 10:00am to 4:00pm (closed on Friday and Saturday except for Godiva's in the undercroft on Fridays).

Whilst the 2008 visitor season has now finished, individuals, schools and groups are most welcome to visit the Guildhall by appointment during the winter months. Please contact us for details.

Admission Free

To download our current leaflet, please click on the link at the bottom of the page

Accessibility

St Mary's Guildhall is partly accessible to people with wheelchairs. There is a stairlift to the Great Hall and another within the Great Hall to view the tapestry, with staff available to give assistance if required. A stairlift is also available to access the Undercroft. Please contact us should you require any further information regarding accesibility.

Weddings, Functions and Meeting Room Hire

We can provide a selection of spectacular venues for your event, with a choice of distinctive rooms available for civil wedding ceremonies, wedding receptions, private functions, conferences, seminars, and meetings. For more information on weddings, functions, and meeting room hire, please see the links on the left.

Godiva's in the Undercroft

Godiva's is our popular cafe-restaurant, located in the atmospheric 14th century undercroft of St. Mary's Guildhall, offering a relaxed, historic setting for morning coffee, lunch or afternoon tea. There is disabled access and staff will gladly assist with wheelchairs or baby buggies.

We are open from 10.00am to 3.30pm Monday to Friday, with hot lunches available between 12noon and 2.00pm.

Follow the link to find out more about Godiva's in the Undercroft.

Contact details

Downloadable documents

About PDFs and Accessibility

•  St. Mary's Guildhall Visitor Guide  (4493 kb)