Local information

Shops, places to eat and sights to see

Coventry is a medium-sized city, and The Britannia is close to the centre. The following are some quick directions which might be helpful, but are by no means exhaustive. If you have time to visit anything, it is worth looking at the twin cathedrals - the ruins of the cathedral destroyed in the war, and its modernist replacement.

About two hundred yards away from the hotel is the Coventry Sports centre, with an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Turn right as you leave the hotel and you can't miss it. The Transport Museum is a short distance in the other direction: turn left as you leave the hotel, and walk up the road for a few hundred yards.

There is a medium-sized branch of Sainsbury's within a couple of hundred yards of the hotel. Turn left as you leave the hotel, and just walk along the road until you see it. Along the way is the closest ATM/cashpoint to the hotel.

To get to the other shops, banks, sights and pubs, turn right as you leave the hotel, and then almost immediately right again into a short street. Ahead of you is a steep cobbled lane called Hill Top, and, at the top, an open space with the old and new Cathedrals and Trinity Church. It's very nice up here for a walk, particularly in fine weather. Lying to the right of Hill Top is a newly developed square called 'Priory Place' with archaeological digs under glass, a fountain, and a few restaurants. If you walk through Priory Place and up the walkway steps you will also come to the Cathedrals.

If you turn right past Trinity Church, you come out into Coventry shopping precinct, which has all the usual high-street shops such as Boots, Marks & Spencer and WH Smith.

If you go straight ahead, passing the cathedrals, you will see Hay Lane, where you will find the Golden Cross Pub, Playwrights Bistro and a Pizza Express. At the end of Hay Lane is Earl Street. This is where you will find all the main banks (HSBC, Lloyds, Barclays etc.). Turn right for the shopping precinct. If you turn left and walk past the Town Hall you will come to the Coventry University student area, with lots of pubs and cheap eating places. Browns has a wide variety of cheap studenty food (including many vegetarian options) and nice beer. Just past Browns is the Art Gallery, which was recently extended.

Further afield

If you have half a day, try to take in Kenilworth Castle, particularly if you are a visitor to England. This is one of the best preserved ruins in England, and very evocative. It's about five miles from the hotel. You can get a bus from the bus station, or go by car (go back onto the ring road, follow it round until you see signs for Kenilworth).

If you have a full day before or after the convention, the 20-mile journey to Stratford is very worthwhile, for the obvious tourist attractions and also for lovely riverside walks.