| Lichfield Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Chad | |
 The West Front of Lichfield Cathedral | |
  Lichfield Cathedral Shown within Staffordshire | |
| 52°41′08″N 1°49′50″W / 52.6855°N 1.8305°W | |
| Location | Lichfield, Staffordshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Tradition | High church |
| Website | lichfield-cathedral |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Cathedral |
| Previous cathedrals | Early Anglo-Saxon and a second cathedral of undetermined date |
| Style | Gothic |
| Years built | early 13th century–1330 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 113 m (371 ft) |
| Nave width | 21 m (69 ft) |
| Width across transepts | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Height | 76.8 m (252 ft) (central spire) |
| Number of towers | 3 |
| Number of spires | 3 |
| Spire height | 76.8 m (252 ft) (crossing), 60.5 m (198 ft) (western) |
| Administration | |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Diocese | Lichfield (since 669 – 6th diocese) |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Michael Ipgrave |
| Dean | Jan McFarlane (Dean Designate) |
| Precentor | Andrew Stead |
| Canon Chancellor | Gregory Platten |
| Laity | |
| Director of music | Ben Lamb |
| Organist(s) | Martyn Rawles |
Lichfield Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Chad, is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Lichfield, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Lichfield and the principal church of the diocese of Lichfield. There are daily services at the cathedral, which has been designated a grade I listed building.[1]
The diocese of Mercia was created in 656, and a cathedral was concecrated on the present site in 700. Its fifth bishop was Chad of Mercia, whose relics were housed at the cathedral until the English Reformation until 1538.[2][3] In 1075 the seat of the diocese was moved to St John the Baptist's Church, Chester and then from there to St Mary's Priory in Coventry. Lichfield gained co-cathedral status in 1148, and became the sole cathedral in the diocese after St Mary's Priory was dissolved in 1539 and the new diocese of Chester created in 1541.[4][5][6] During the English Civil War the cathedral close was besieged three times; the church was severely damaged, losing all of its medieval glass and many monuments.[2][3][7]
The cathedral was built between c. 1200 and c. 1320 in the Decorated Gothic style. The work probably began with the choir at the east end and progressed west through the transepts, chapter house, nave, and south-west tower. This lady chapel, central tower, south-east tower, and three spires followed. The building was extensively restored after the Civil War under bishop John Hacket and several times in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Many of the details of the building date from the restorations undertaken by George Gilbert Scott, owing to the soft sandstone of which it is constructed as well as war damage.[2]
- ^ Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Chad (1298431)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
- ^ a b c Pevsner, Nikolaus; Metcalf, Priscilla; et al. (and various hands) (1985). The Cathedrals of England: the West and Midlands. London: The Folio Society (published 2005). pp. 169–189.
- ^ a b Greenslade, M W, ed. (1990). "Lichfield: The cathedral". A History of the County of Stafford. Vol. 14, Lichfield. London: British History Online. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Historic England. "Church of St John the Baptist (1375977)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Historic England. "Remains of the west front, nave and aisles of Coventry Priory (1076588)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Lewis, C P; Thacker, A T, eds. (2003). "Early medieval Chester 400-1230". A History of the County of Chester. Vol. 5: the City of Chester: General History and Topography. London: British History Online. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
- ^ Greenslade, M W, ed. (1990). "Lichfield: From the Reformation to c.1800". A History of the County of Stafford. Vol. 14, Lichfield. London: British History Online. Retrieved 24 October 2024.