At Nene Valley Firewood, we supply top-quality kiln-dried logs with free delivery and stacking across Coventry and surrounding villages. Whether you’re in town or tucked away in the West Midlands countryside, our local team delivers straight to your door—fast, friendly, and five-star rated. Keep your home warm with sustainably sourced wood, dried and ready to burn.

We also offer free delivery to all of the local areas around Coventry including Bedworth, Warwick, Kenilworth, Binley Woods, Rugby or Balsall Common. Whether you live near Ricoh Arena, along the War Memorial Park, or near Coombe Abbey Park, we’ll bring your logs right to your door.

You might’ve seen our delivery vans near War Memorial Park, Coventry Market, or out on the A46. Whether you’re in a Victorian terrace close to the city centre or a rural cottage on the outskirts, we’re here to keep your firewood topped up all year round.

Send us a picture of one of our vans in Coventry and we’ll add some free firelighters to your next order!

Coventry’s history with wood and fire stretches back over a millennium, shaped by its origins in the Forest of Arden, medieval urban development, and evolving fire-response systems:

Wood: From the Forest of Arden to Urban Timber

Forest Of Arden Origins: Coventry began as a Saxon settlement nestled at the edge of dense oak woodlands, dense clay soil ideal for oak growth, which provided wood for buildings, fuel, and tools.

Place-Name Evidence: Many Coventry suburbs – Binley, Allesley, Cheylesmore, Coundon, use “ley/leah,” meaning woodland clearing.

Medieval Building Materials: Timber-framed houses dominated central Coventry into the 15th century; the city banned thatched roofs in 1474 and wooden chimneys in 1493 to reduce fire risk.

Local Woodlands: Areas like Tile Hill Wood, Wainbody Wood, and Pig Wood were managed for timber, coppicing, firewood, and even pannage (acorn pasturage). In WWII, scrub was cleared as a firebreak after air raids.

Fire: Medieval Hazards To Organized Brigades

Fire-Prone Timber City: With a dense medieval timber-built core, Coventry was inherently vulnerable to fire, prompting early regulations restricting combustible materials.

19th Century Brigade Formation: Coventry established one of the UK’s first volunteer fire brigades in 1862, inspired by American models. Around 50–60 volunteers acquired a steam-driven engine and fire escape, wearing Maltese-cross tunics in public drills.

Fire Station Architecture: A dedicated fire station on Hales Street was built in 1902, later enlarged in 1934, and served until 1976. Today it’s repurposed but retains its historic façade.

Fire In Conflict: The Coventry Blitz

WWII Incendiary Threat: Coventry Cathedral’s wooden roof was directly targeted by incendiary bombs in October 1940. A volunteer “Cathedral Guard” battled fires atop the structure to save pews and prevent lead roofing from cascading into flames.

14 November 1940 Blitz: Massive waves of incendiary bombs hit the city. The Cathedral Guard, using sand and stirrup pumps, made valiant efforts, but the wooden pews and beams were ultimately consumed. Their exhaustion and eventual defeat symbolized the city’s suffering.

Post Blitz Preservation: The ruined cathedral, with charred wooden beams arranged into a cross inscribed “Father, forgive,” stands as a memorial alongside the new cathedral.

From its birth in the Forest of Arden to its near-destruction during the Blitz, Coventry’s identity has been carved by the interplay of wood and fire, shaping architecture, safety practices, and its enduring spirit of resilience.