Stays near Whitley and Jaguar Land Rover

Whitley is a suburb on the southern side of Coventry and a major centre for Jaguar Land Rover, which has its headquarters here. The name is usually explained as meaning 'from the white meadow'.

Engineering has deep roots on this side of the city. The Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft company had its original factory at Whitley and named its Whitley bomber after the plant in 1935. By the late 1930s the buildings and airfield were too small for modern aircraft, so the work moved to Baginton, the airfield that is now Coventry Airport. During the Second World War, Whitley Common was used to dispose of unexploded bombs.

Before the factories, Whitley took its identity from Whitley Abbey, a grand 14th-century house rather than a monastery, whatever the name suggests. The estate was sold in 1924 and the house fell into disrepair; the school now called Whitley Academy was later built on the site and was formally opened by the Princess Royal in 2012. From 1966 until 1980 Whitley was home to Coventry Zoo. A David Lloyd leisure club has occupied that site since 1983.

For teams on assignment at the Whitley site, Humber Hub in Lower Stoke is about 2 miles by road from Jaguar Land Rover and about a mile from Whitley. All four bedrooms have their own en-suite, the house sleeps 10 and parking is off-road and free, so a project team can share one house and one invoice.