Ecumenical Chapel Serving Coventry & Warwickshire
Welcome to the Chapel Of Unity
A community working for reconciliation in a unique building in the heart of Coventry.
Welcome to the Chapel of Unity, a community working for reconciliation in a unique building in the heart of Coventry.
The principle of a Chapel of Unity binding the Church of England and the Free Churches together for Christian service in Coventry was born out of the sufferings of war and the ecumenical enthusiasm of the church leaders.
The Chapel was included in the future plans for a new Cathedral from the very beginning. In November 1945 the West Crypt was dedicated to this principle and, with the building of the new Cathedral, the opportunity was taken to create a purpose-built chapel.
The architect, Sir Basil Spence, conceived the Chapel of Unity as that of a medieval style tent, a ‘tent of meeting’, a temporary home of a people always ready to move onwards. He said, ‘The primary object of this Chapel is a room for prayer’.
Basil Spence designed the Chapel to stand apart from but linked to the new Cathedral and deliberately positioned it on an axis in direct line with the Font and the Baptistry Window on the opposite side of the Cathedral. The exterior walls are clad with green Westmorland Slate, with integral stained-glass windows, which distinctly contrast with the pink sandstone of the new Cathedral.
A stone of witness was laid in the entrance on 24th September 1960, and the Chapel of Unity was dedicated on Whit Tuesday, 12th June 1962, a fortnight after the Cathedral itself.
Please read our Dedication Prayer.
In 1962 there was virtually no communication between the Roman Catholic church and other denominations but by 1970 the constitution of the Joint Council had been changed to include them on equal terms.
The Chapel of Unity was owned on a 999-year lease by a Joint Council, independent of the Cathedral, until 2019 when THE CHAPEL OF UNITY, COVENTRY CIO – 1183207 was formed to take over the lease. It is now managed by the Trustees of the Chapel of Unity.
See The Chapel of Unity Governing document.
A small group of Trustees and appointed officers look after the day-to-day management of the Chapel.
Where we are
1 Hill Top
Coventry
CV1 5AB
Enter through the main doors of Coventry Cathedral, speak to the staff on the door and they will direct you across the Nave and up the steps to the Chapel of Unity.
When we meet
Tuesday 1.05pm
Wednesday 8:00am
Other organised events as announced.
Always available to be used whenever the Cathedral is open to the public (usually 10:00am – 4:00pm)
What to expect
Surprising Encounters
Variety of Styles
Thought-provoking Displays
Ecumenical Conversations
Chapel of Unity Partners
