Things to do in Coventry

As I have mentioned previously, I’m sad to be leaving Warwick this summer. Aside from the fact that I adore campus (especially in the days and weeks before Christmas break), I’ve fallen in love with Coventry.

As you might be aware, Warwick students tend to (but not always) move away from on-campus accommodation after their first year. As a result, most students end up scattered across Royal Leamington Spa, Kenilworth, and Coventry (including Tile Hill, Earlsdon and the city centre).

On that note, a blog by Dom Thornton caught my eye a couple of days ago. The premise is simple, Dom provides a quick list of things to do in Leamington. I thought it was a great idea… so, here are my recommendations for things to do in Coventry.

Sport:

One of my favourite things about Coventry is that there is just so much sport.

Starting with football, Coventry has two major teams: Coventry City and Coventry United.

City, the Sky Blues, play in the second division of men’s football (just one step below the Premier League) and have recently returned to the Coventry Building Society Arena (previously known as the Ricoh Arena).  United, the Red and Greens, play in the second tier of women’s football and contest their home games at Butts Park Arena (which happens to be where some of Warwick’s Varsity fixtures are held). If you like football, there is plenty to watch in Coventry.

The city’s rugby scene is impressive too, Wasps (of the Premiership) and Coventry Rugby (of the Championship) have you covered.

If you love netball, Wasps also compete in the Superleague and train at the University’s Sport and Wellness Hub!

Finally, a shoutout to ice hockey – a sport that is criminally underrated in Britain. The Coventry Blaze compete in the top level of UK hockey (the EIHL) and play their home games at the very conveniently-located Skydome Arena (which is right in the city centre). You needn’t understand the sport to enjoy an evening at the Skydome; it’s my favourite place in Coventry.

All in all, Coventry is an amazing city for sport.

Food:

Now, it is beyond the remit of this blog to recommend individual places to eat – however, I can speak in general terms about Coventry’s culinary environment.

It’s awesome.

Coventry has an amazing mixture of restaurants, cafes, and pubs that serve great food.

I strongly suggest that you try as many independent eateries as possible because there are some hidden gems that you won’t get to enjoy if you stick with the big chains.

War Memorial Park:

During lockdown, I spent a lot of time walking – often aimlessly.

My favourite place to wander in Coventry is War Memorial Park – which is about a ten-minute walk from the train station.

War Memorial Park is home to Coventry’s local ParkRun meet (which I can vouch for) and also has great tennis courts (which I can also vouch for).

Beyond that, the park is just a really lovely place to enjoy a picnic in the summer (which, again, I can vouch for!).

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That’s all of my recommendations for today!

You will, however, have noticed one glaring omission from my blog… I haven’t mentioned the city’s nightlife.

Now (and this is really important for me to stress), I haven’t included Coventry’s night-time economy because I don’t enjoy going out out. In my three years at Warwick, I’ve spent a total of twenty minutes in a nightclub (at which point I left, purchased a kebab and went home).

It isn’t my cup of tea (not that I like hot drinks either) – but I can assure you that there are plenty of venues to explore if you do enjoy that kind of thing 😊

Now, we really are at the end of the blog… see you next time!