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46863

The Grade I Listed Lichfield Cathedral, in Lichfield, Staffordshire.

Christmas Day 700 saw the consecration of the first cathedral in Lichfield, and, as there had been a church built around 659 Lichfield is among the earliest centres of Christian worship in the UK.

St Chad came in 669 to be the first Bishop in Lichfield, and upon his death his remains quickly became venerated and a place of pilgrimage.

Among the cathedral’s many treasures, from the time of the Anglo Saxons (probably under King Offa) there is an exquisite 8th century sculpture of the ‘Lichfield Angel’ from the St Chad’s tomb chest, as well as the St Chad Gospels - perhaps a little younger than the Lindisfarne Gospels but older than the Book of Kells.

Bishops Lymesey and de Clinton built the Norman Cathedral and Clinton fortified the Close with a wall. In the 13th century Bishop de Langton, (who was also the Treasurer of England), strengthened that surrounding wall for the Close and crenelated it.

Due to the large number of pilgrims flocking to the shrine the cathedral flourished during the time of the Plantagenet kings. Many of the Bishops and Deans appointed then were Close to the ruling dynasty, and the proximity to the rebellious Welsh made Lichfield a key strategic settlement during this period.

Unfortunately, the great wall around the Close proved to be the Cathedral’s undoing during the 17th century since it turned the cathedral and Close into an ideal garrison, first for the Royalists, then for the Roundheads, then again for the Royalists and finally the Roundheads until the Restoration. During these sieges’ cannonballs destroyed both the roof and the central spire.

The Restoration in 1660 found the cathedral and Close in a state of ruination, because the Roundheads had destroyed statues, monuments, documents, carvings and left little roof.

Information Source:
www.lichfield-cathedral.org/about-us/history

Taken in: UK / England / Lichfield District / Lichfield (show map)

Taken on: April 20, 2019

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Sets appears in: • Staffordshire • Lichfield

Groups appears in: • stained glass • Staffordshire more » • Stained Glass Windows • Unlimited! • Staffordshire Album • Staffordshire Photographers • Flickr Photo Album Unlimited & Instant Posting « less

Camera: Nikon D7200, f/6.3, 1/250 sec, 280mm (=420mm), ISO 1400 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D7200
Aperture:	f/6.3
Exposure Time:	0.004 sec (1/250)
Focal Length:	280mm (35mm equivalent: 420mm)
ISO:	1400
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Not Defined
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Gain Control:	High gain up
Contrast:	High
Saturation:	High
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Lightroom 6.1 (Windows)
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