Catholic Church of The Most Holy Sacrament and St Osburg, Coventry

Image: © A J Paxton Taken: 12 Jun 2021

This is the mother church of modern Catholic Coventry. The photo has been taken from across Barras Lane to the north. To the left can be seen the presbytery (priest's house), which was built around 1960 to replace a predecessor that was destroyed in the second world war. It is known as the Priory, a monastic term; the parish was run by Benedictine monks until 1992. To the right among the trees can be seen the church primary school. A small brick chapel was built on this site in 1807 by the Benedictines. The present church building opened in 1844. The architect was Charles Hansom, who toured Gothic churches in Germany and Belgium to gain inspiration. He chose an 'Early English' Gothic style with tall, narrow pointed windows (lancets), and a rugged granite as a building material. It was dedicated to St. Osburg, an 11th century abbess in Coventry. The church was damaged in the November 1940 air raid and subsequently restored. https://taking-stock.org.uk/building/coventry-the-most-holy-sacrament-and-st-osburg/

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