People who want to look around Coventry’s medieval town walls during the Heritage Open Day weekend should sign up now for a free tour.

There will be four tours around the routes of the walls at 11am and 2pm on 16 and 17 September.

Local historian Joe Davies will be taking the groups around and pointing out the interesting features.

The walk, which will take around 90 minutes, will start from Swanswell Gate, opposite the old fire station.

It will take in all the surviving stretches of the wall between Lady Herbert’s Garden and Shelton Square.

Admission is free but by ticket only from Coventry’s Tourist Information Centre in Bayley Lane.

The walls, which covered 2.5 miles, were built with red sandstone and had 12 gates. They were started in 1355 and took nearly 150 years to complete.

The city was one of the best-defended in the country and developed a reputation for defying monarchs until Charles II tore them down in the 1660s.

Mr Davies, who has lectured on the history of the wall, said:

“There is more left of it than people think. I think those who come on these walks will be surprised.

“By walking it, you can tell where it went and estimate quite accurately the size of the medieval city.”