Dr. Foyle addresses a big audience at our meeting
Our October meeting was dedicated to an interesting talk by Jonathan Foyle, one of the country’s leading heritage broadcasters and CEO of the World Heritage Fund, Britain.
In a meeting attended by 150 interested city people, Jonathan challenged the city with what he called “Tough Love”. He told Coventry that it was not using its heritage assets to promote the city effectively.
He told us that in mediaeval times Coventry was the fourth largest city in the country. In the 1450s King Henry VI and his wife Margaret of Anjou spent much time here and Coventry housed the Royal Court and Parliament was held here of several occasions.
St. Michael’s Church was the largest parish Church in the country and has the highest spire, yet Coventry allows other towns to claim this privilege. St. Mary’s Guildhall is the finest medieval guildhall in the country and has the most wonderful windows with the oldest tapestry that is in the location it was created for linking into the medieval stained glass window. Bailey Lane is the perfect medieval street that has not fundamentally changed in appearance in six hundred years.
Jonathan told us about the medieval stained from the old cathedral which is now being restored and catalogued as part of a project funded by the World Heritage Fund. The glass was created by Coventry’s own John Thorton who achieved lasting fame through the creation of the East window of York Minster. The glass tells a fascinating story of life in Coventry in the fifteenth century, portraying local crafts, such as hatters, and important people in the city.
Jonathan Foyle trained as an architect and art historian, and holds a doctorate in Archaeology, specialising in early Renaissance architecture in Britain. He is of the opinion that early Tudor England was a more involved participant in European Renaissance culture than is generally acknowledged. He developed a practical knowledge of major and minor historical monuments over fifteen years, first as an assistant surveyor of Canterbury Cathedral, and then as Buildings Curator at Hampton Court Palace and Kew Palace for almost eight years.
Jonathan's talk was featured in the Coventry Telegraph.