The Coventry Canal is an early contour canal that begins in the West Midlands and heads north-west across Warwickshire to the east of a ridge of higher land, into Staffordshire. It was promoted by Bedworth mine owners who planned to take Bedworth coal to the Trent & Mersey and Oxford Canals. Boats started shipping coal from 1769. It took a further 22 years to build the rest of the canal, during which time engineer James Brindley was sacked for spending too much of his time on other canal projects. There is still a statue of him in the basin at Coventry, though. Once built, it was one of the most prosperous canals, originally carrying heavy coal traffic from the Warwickshire coalfield but also making much profit from selling water. It was still making a profit when it was nationalised in 1947, although narrowboat traffic ceased after WWII. As far as Lichfield, it is followed by the railway, initially the Coventry to Nuneaton link and then the West Coast Main Line. The Coventry Canal Art Trail also follows to Hawkesbury Junction. Coventry takes its name from Cofa’s tree, Cofa being a tribal leader c.600–650. Coventry’s most famous resident, buried here, was Lady Godiva, who rode naked through the city as part of a challenge set by her husband, Loefric, Earl of Mercia,