The national open-topped bus tour operators City Sightseeing, used to operate a tour around the Coventry area. This tour no longer operates. This virtual tour is still very useful as it shows many other tourist sights around the locality. All of the pictures below were taken from the top of the bus. The principal departure point was from outside Coventry Cathedral, shown here.

Leaving the Cathedral, the bus turns down Gosford Street, passing the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum.

The bus passes along Fairfax Way, and past the site of Coventry's former Benedictine Priory, now the site for the new Phoenix Initiative development project.

We pass Lady Herbert's Garden, two of the remaining City Gates (the Swanswell Gate shown here), and some of the old City Wall.

The bus turns back into the City Centre, passing along Hales Street, and past the medieval building of John Hales Hospital. The tall offices of the Axa Assurance building form the background.

And further along Hales Street, past the Museum of British Road Transport.

The Museum of Road Transport is about to be redeveloped. This is an impression of the planned building.

We turn up into Broadgate, past Holy Trinity Church, briefly glimpsed through some trees, and around the statue of Lady Godiva, which is at the centre of the shopping area. Coventry was the first city to have a pedestrianised shopping precinct (and the first to have a ring road), created as part of its post-war redevelopment.

We pass along Bailey Lane, by the City Guild Hall, and close alongside the walls of the Old Cathedral.

And as we leave the City Centre, past the Council House.

The bus stops at Coventry Railway Station, which is a picking up and setting down point, and then along the Warwick Road out of the city, passing over the railway. The station (and the Belgrade Theatre, see below) are both post-war listed buildings. This is the West Coast Main Line. The rail journey from here to London takes 70 minutes.

Passing along the Warwick Road, we pass the King Henry VIII's Grammar School.

The bus's next destination is Baginton, on the outskirts of the city. We pass along the A45 trunk road. Before the motorway network was built, this was part of the main road between London and Birmingham. It now forms a Southern by-pass round Coventry, and stills forms the main road from Coventry to Birmingham.

The A45 crosses over the A46 trunk road. The A46 is the major trunk road within Warwickshire, linking Coventry, Kenilworth, Warwick and Stratford. The A46 also connects with the M40 motorway from London, and also goes onwards to Leicester in the North.

At Baginton we reach the city's International Airport, and close by the airport, the Midland Air Museum. Frank Whittle, the inventor of the jet engine came from Coventry, and the Frank Whittle Heritage Centre forms part of the Air Museum.

The tour bus stops at the Air Museum, and from here we get a good view over the City. The white buldings in the foreground are the Jaguar Research and Development site at Whitley. The tour commentary tells us about Jaguar's foremost place in British motor racing history.

Also at Baginton, and quite near to the Air Museum, is the Lunt Fort, mainly hidden from view by trees. This was an old Roman fortress, which has been reconstructed.

We then return back along the Kenilworth Road, and back into Coventry City Centre. Returning to the City centre we pass along Corporation Street, and by St John's Church, and the Belgrade Theatre.

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