This sculpture by Clarke Fitzgerald was given to the Cathedral by Christ Church, Cincinnati, USA in 1971.

A plumb-line is used to determine whether or not a building is standing straight. This sculpture is based on a passage from the Bible, Amos 7.7-9, where God sets out his intention to assess whether or not his people are aligned with him. Amos is warned that, if necessary, God will take action to put things right…

This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb-line, with a plumb-line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘A plumb-line.’ Then the Lord said, ‘See, I am setting a plumb-line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.’*

*Quoted from a signboard next to the sculpture

This intimate chapel sits beside the nave, close to its immense tapestry and the high altar, both of which are so often, by design, bathed in natural light. In contrast, the Chapel of Gethsemane is small with relatively little lighting. Its mosaic depicts the Angel of Agony by Steven Sykes which, on approach, is viewed through a wrought-iron crown of thorns, designed by Sir Basil Spence. Thus, beside the large, blazing glory of the tapestry and high altar, this quiet, small chapel serves as a reminder of suffering and a place of prayer and contemplation, away from the focal point of the Cathedral.

This chapel, also known as the Chapel of industry, connects us with the everyday world through clear glass.

Christians are not called to step out of the world but to be deeply involved, loving and serving others. Here we give thanks that we meet God in our daily life and work and ask for grace to know God there and make God known.*

*from a signboard at the entrance to the Chapel

Details from Coventry Cathedral website:

The artist John Piper was asked to design the stained glass. His view was that with 198 small areas of window to fill, the glass needed dazzling colour and an abstract pattern to create unity.

Working with glassmaker Patrick Reyntiens, he created the window from thousands of differently-sized pieces of glass to visually vary the space and rest the eye.

The baptismal font is situated in front of the baptistery window and is carved in the shape of a shell. The Inner City Peace Trail provides further information:

The font is carved into a boulder that was donated by the government of Jordan as a gesture towards Muslim, Christian and Jewish cooperation. It was shipped from a hillside near Bethlehem in 1960 and placed before John Piper’s stunning Baptistry window.

The font was carved into it by Ralph Beyer. He was a German letter-cutter, sculptor and teacher. He is most noted for his work on the new Coventry Cathedral, including carving not only the baptismal font but also the foundation stone of the cathedral, the greetings set into its floor and, what is perhaps his most famous work, the huge inscriptions in the nave.

Born in Berlin, Beyer served in the British Army during WWII. His mother was murdered in Auschwitz.

From Wiki:

The tapestry depicts a seated Risen Christ, within an oval mandorla on a green background, surrounded by the four living creatures mentioned in Chapter 4 of the Book of Revelation, which are also symbols of the Four Evangelists. The tetramorph (four shapes) of the title are the lion for St Mark, eagle for St John, calf for St Luke, and angel for St Matthew.

For the four living creatures, Sutherland sketched eagles and lions at Maidstone Zoo. The composition also draws influences from Egyptian sculpture, Italian mosaic, and images of Christ Pantocrator in Greek and Romanesque churches.^[5]

The face of Christ is bearded, and is deliberately made more human than divine: it is based on several sources, including photographs of cyclists in Paris Match magazine.^[6] The Christ figure wears a white robe, and is sitting on a throne, face on, with both hands raised towards his face. Loops around the head suggest a halo.

Between his feet is a life sized figure of a man, made diminutive by the colossal scale of the Christ-figure. At the base of the tapestry is a small Crucifixion scene.^[4]

The reflection of the ruined Cathedral Church of St Michael is reflected in the glass that surrounds the entrance to the new Cathedral in Coventry.

On 23rd March 1956. Her Majesty the Queen (Elizabeth II) laid the foundation stone for the New Cathedral.

*The ruined Cathedral Church of St Michael dates from 1300AD. One of the largest parish churches in England, built originally for the Earl’s half of Coventry, it became ‘The Cathedral’ of the diocese of Coventry in 1918.

The magnificent west tower and spire built 1374-1450 is 295 feet high. It dominates the city centre and survived the air raid of 14 November 1940 which destroyed the remainder of the church.*

*information from a plaque within the ruined church

History of the hospital quoted from a sign on the gateway that enters the courtyard:

“Take a moment to imagine coming home to me more than 500 years ago for very little here has changed. Founded by wealthy wool merchant and benefactor William For, I began life in 1509, the same year Henry VIII ascended to the throne…. I wonder did he ever visit during  his dissolution of Coventry’s monasteries?

I am proud to be a Grade I listed building and generally considered to be one of the finest examples of 16th century domestic building in England.

I was originally built to house 5 elderly men along with a lady housekeeper but with later endowments I grew to accommodate ii couples all of whom would also receive a weekly allowance. Presently I have 5 residents of “good character” under my roof. along with many of my neighbours I suffered badly during WWII. My matron, her assistant and 6 residents taking shelter in the matron’s chamber all perished when on 14th October 1940 I took a direct hit during an air raid. While searching through the bomb damage Coventry historian John Shelton discovered some 14th century floor tiles, one of which bore the Black Eagle, a design of the Earl of Leofric. It is now believed that even before me a Chapel once stood on this site.

By 1953 I had been resorted, using wherever possible original materials and I remain an attraction to many visitors to the city today.

So as you look through the iron gate into the courtyard you are witnessing the site of a meeting between two of the nation’s great literary figures. Dr Who meets William Shakespeare!! Yes in 2006 David Tennant and his crew filmed and episode right here in my yard.

Who knows what else the future, or the past may hold for me?”

Two of the Green Iguanas that reside at Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm.

The green iguana’s extensive range comprises the rain forests of northern Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean Islands, and southern Brazil. They spend most of their lives in the canopy, descending only infrequently to mate, lay eggs, or change trees.

Primarily herbivores, iguanas are active during the day, feeding on leaves, flowers, and fruit. They generally live near water and are excellent swimmers. If threatened, they will leap from a branch, often from great heights, and escape with a splash to the water below. They are also tough enough to land on solid ground from as high as 40 feet and survive.

Green Bean stick insects are native to the Caribbean including the islands of Grenada, St Vincent and Guadeloupe.

Both males and females have vestigial wings. This means that their evolutionary ancestors had wings and were capable of flight. However, the ability to fly became less useful and so their wings diminished over many generations until they became small and no longer worked.

Males are small and brown whereas females are large and green.

They feed on a variety of tree leaves native to the Caribbean but will happily eat bramble, eucalyptus and oak in the UK. *

*Information from a signboard next to the Stick Insects