The following history was researched and published by the Rev. Dr. Alan Munden, third vicar of the modern Christ Church. The full publication is available from the Coventry and Warwickshire Historical Association as Pamphlet No. 17 'The Third Spire - A History of Christ Church Coventry' (ISBN 1 873206 17 8) published in 1991.
Coventry Registry Office is all that remains to mark the Cheylesmore Manor House owned by Queen Isobel and the Black Prince. Close by the Manor House, stood the Franciscan friary or Greyfriars, which included a church. In 1538 the friary was dissolved and all the buildings demolished, save the church tower and spire. By the early nineteenth century this mediaeval tower was surrounded by fruit trees and was in use as a store and pigsty!
In 1832 the base of the tower became the chancel for a new church and Christ Church was formed. This church continued until it was destroyed in the bombing of 10-11 April 1941. The mediaeval tower and spire survived, but the walls of the church were unsafe and demolished in the spring of 1950. The tower still remains and was used for a period as a shop and latterly as a cafe - aptly named 'Inspire'.
In 1956 the work was moved to Cheylesmore and a new church was opened in 1958. This church was designed by Alfred Gardner, who commented that:
"We have planned the new church on entirely modern lines and for our inspiration have gone back to the 'Prayer Book' church of the Wren period, rather than to the Gothic tradition, and this plan has been developed on logical lines to suit present day needs."
In terms of architectural or artistic detail, the church boasts decorative arched vaults, sculpture by John Skelton and stained glass by Pierre Fourmaintraux. The glass panels illustrate the life of Christ, are set in concrete and positioned within the larger glass panels.
The link below starts with the interior of the old Christ Church and the transforms to the modern interior (this may take some time to load on a slow connection!)