This documentary marks our first post-graduate project, following my graduation from Coventry University with a First-Class Honours degree in History, where my final-year dissertation - From Earls to Lords: The Dismantling of Anglo-Saxon Power in Post-Conquest England - allowed me to follow my passion for medieval history. 

 

Born and raised in Coventry, I have lived in almost every corner of the city. Local history has always fascinated me, and this project felt deeply personal, a chance to uncover and share the stories of my hometown and its people. I can barely remember the city before the conservation projects of the late 1990s, but I do remember vividly the first time I visited the priory visitor centre when it opened. I was only five years old when a Benedictine monk - or at least, a very convincing actor - took us children down into the undercrofts as part of a Christmas workshop. We made garlands from dried oranges, and what struck me most was the moment we descended into the undercrofts, where centuries of history suddenly became real.

 

I hope this film shows that history isn’t just for academics or enthusiasts - even those who might shy away from the finer details can still discover wonder in the stories of the past. Above all, I hope people enjoy watching it. We’re not the BBC; we’re just two young history graduates with a passion for history and a deep love for our city, and this film is our way of sharing that love.