HERITAGE < RETURN TO BOOKLIST

Lichfield Cathedral, which was consecrated in 700 ad, was built to house the relics of St Chad who became Bishop of Mercia in 669 died in 672. The cathedral still has two rare treasures from the Anglo-Saxon period: an early eighth century volume of the St Chad Gospels and a later carving known as the Lichfield Angel. The present building dates from the end of the twelfth century, with a delightful Lady Chapel that was added some 150 years later. Despite extensive damage during the Civil War in the seventeenth century the church retains its essentially medieval character, and during the Victorian restoration Sir George Gilbert Scott took inspiration from previous centuries. Recent, extensive work on the sixteenth-century Flemish glass in the Lady Chapel has been the latest project in a long history of preservation and innovation which can be seen throughout the building. The cathedral continues to be a place of worship and pilgrimage in the heart of England as it has been for over 1,300 years.

 

This guidebook contains newly commissioned photography of the architecture and atmosphere of the cathedral, whilst accompanying text and ilustrations provide a comprehensive overview of the building from its founding to the present day.