Coventry Cathedral has won the hearts on the British public according to a poll conducted by English Heritage and Channel 4 television.

The cathedral has been voted the most popular construction of this century, beating off competition from Liverpool Cathedral, Tate Gallery, the Globe Theatre and the Millennium Dome.

Almost 3,500 people voted in the survey, which included every building in Britain that was constructed this century.

Canon Vivienne Faull, the Cathedral’s vice-provost, is delighted with the news and believes it is a boost to the whole of the city.

She said:

"It is great that people across the country will see this news and see that Coventry has the most popular building of the century.

"The good thing is that when the building was first constructed people were quite derogatory about the design, but we have been noticing that opinions have gradually changed over the years.

"1950’s and 60’s architecture is often said to look dated and to be of bad quality, but Coventry cathedral displays excellent workmanship – it was built to last 1000 years and we are confident it will."

Over the last few years the Cathedral has proved to be one of the biggest draws for people to visit the city, and Faull says that is continually growing.

"We did a survey and found that a large percentage of the coach parties coming to the city are attracted by the Cathedral, it is a draw to people who hear about the history behind it.

"On a Sunday when we have our services there is a core of around 200 people who come every week, and then there is almost that again of people who come to experience the surroundings."

And Sir Jocelyn Stevens, chairman of English Heritage believes that the poll shows the growing education of Britons to architecture of the century.