Wender·Vista
Coventry
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileUnited Kingdom
in the English Midlands, an hour north of Oxford

Coventry

— a cathedral kept beside its own ruin.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“Coventry sits in the West Midlands of England, about a hundred and fifty kilometres north-west of London. On the night of 14 November 1940 the medieval cathedral of St Michael's was destroyed by Luftwaffe incendiaries. The ruins were kept; Basil Spence's new cathedral was consecrated alongside them in 1962. The two stand at right angles, joined by a porch. The city kept the word reconciliation.

from the studio
Coventry
— bring it home

Coventry, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Coventry

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Coventry is a city of about 345,000 people in the West Midlands of England, roughly 150 kilometres north-west of London and 30 kilometres south-east of Birmingham. It grew in the medieval period around its Benedictine priory and a flourishing wool and cloth trade. By the early twentieth century it had become a centre of British car manufacturing, home to Jaguar, Rover, Triumph, and Daimler. The medieval St Michael's was raised to cathedral status in 1918, only twenty-two years before its destruction in the Coventry Blitz.

— informed by Wikipedia — Coventry
— the stone

The shell of the medieval cathedral was left standing as a memorial after the night of 14 November 1940, when more than four hundred Luftwaffe bombers struck the city. The new Coventry Cathedral, designed by Sir Basil Spence and consecrated in 1962, is set at right angles to the ruin and joined to it by a glazed porch. Inside hang Graham Sutherland's woven Christ in Glory behind the altar, John Piper's baptistery window, and Jacob Epstein's bronze of St Michael and the Devil.

— the visit

Both cathedrals are open daily, with a suggested donation for the new cathedral and free entry to the ruin. London Euston is about an hour by direct train. The Herbert Art Gallery and the medieval guildhall sit within a five-minute walk. The city held its year as UK City of Culture in 2021 and continues to draw modest visitor numbers compared with York or Bath, which keeps the cathedral precinct quiet for most of the calendar.

— informed by Coventry Cathedral
— where
United Kingdom · Coventry, West Midlands, England
— elevation
80 m · 262 ft
— position
52.4068° N · 1.5197° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
at the lake
Coventry Cathedral
cathedral
at the lake
Herbert Art Gallery
museum
30 km W
Birmingham
city
16 km S
Warwick Castle
castle
8 km SW
Kenilworth Castle
castle
N
Coventry
Coventry Cathedral
Herbert Art Gallery
Birmingham
Warwick Castle
Kenilworth Castle
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Coventry — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

The medieval cathedral of St Michael was destroyed by Luftwaffe incendiary bombs on the night of 14 November 1940 during the Coventry Blitz. The ruins were preserved and a new cathedral was built next to them and consecrated in 1962.

Sir Basil Spence won the design competition in 1951 and the building was consecrated on 25 May 1962. Spence's design joined the new cathedral to the surviving ruins at right angles via a glazed porch.

On the morning after the bombing, the provost Richard Howard bound three medieval roof nails into a cross and had the words 'Father Forgive' inscribed on the sanctuary wall. The Cross of Nails became an international reconciliation symbol.

Major works include Graham Sutherland's woven Christ in Glory behind the altar, John Piper's stained-glass baptistery window, Jacob Epstein's bronze of St Michael and the Devil at the entrance, and engraved-glass screens by John Hutton.

Coventry is a city of about 345,000 people in the West Midlands of England, the twelfth-largest city in the country. It sits roughly 150 kilometres north-west of London and 30 kilometres south-east of Birmingham.

— about the piece in your home

It has carried well for customers from Coventry, the West Midlands, and the wider Anglican community for whom the cathedral's story matters. A Medium suits a wall; a Coaster Set works for a desk.

The stone-and-stained-glass palette sits well in English-traditional, library, and warm-Minimalist interiors. It pairs cleanly with oak, dark green walls, and brass hardware.

Yes. The cathedral palette aligns with the English-country and quiet-heritage direction running through 2025–2026 interior coverage from House & Garden and Country Living.

A single Large reads from across a room above a sofa. For a longer wall a 4-tile Mural balances the proportions; a 9-tile Mural carries a feature wall.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for splash-prone spots. Both are scratch-resistant and clean with water and a microfibre cloth.

A microfibre cloth and warm water. No abrasive sponges, no ammonia cleaners. The colour lives in the ceramic surface beneath a thin glossy finish.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to the studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Reid Wender curates each place; the visual language is the studio's own and not licensed.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

Hand-picked by the eye that found Sorapis. Same air, same kind of quiet.