Lichfield City is a pleasant half-hour train ride north out of Birmingham in the Staffordshire countryside, and home to one of England’s great old cathedrals. With its unmistakable three spires (“Three Sisters”), Lichfield Cathedral is a magnificent sight to behold as you approach the historic city center. The environs of the cathedral are a pleasure to explore as is an unhurried walk through the cathedral itself. Lanes leading to the cathedral offer welcoming small-scale cafes, restaurants, and other inviting businesses and attractions, such as museums honoring Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of Charles, and Samuel Johnson, compiler of an important early English dictionary. There is a lovely pond you can stroll beside, pubs offering traditional refreshment, and a village market outside St. Mary’s Church, all just minutes from the cathedral by foot.

The exterior stonework of the cathedral is an imposing dark reddish hue. Its three sky-piercing spires are a unique feature among English cathedrals. It’s easy to spot many interesting and intact gargoyles mounted at various levels on the outer walls of the church, particularly at the east end. Watch out for an especially horrifying one of Medusa’s head. If you’re lucky, you’ll hear a session of change-ringing in the bell tower, the cascading sound of bells mightily rolling around upon themselves with subtle, ever-shifting changes of bell sequence. Change-ringing is one of the aural wonders of English cathedrals and never fails to give me goosebumps and make time seem to stand still. Have a seat on one of many benches placed along the perimeter of the cathedral and enjoy gazing upon any of the many different views of this grand edifice.

A wander through the interior will provide you with several hours immersion in a serene yet historical and awe-inspiring cathedral environment. Lichfield Cathedral traces its origins back to the legend of St. Chad in the 600’s. The present cathedral took about 150 years to build and is largely Gothic. It contains all the major styles within that broad category of time stretching from the 1200’s through the 1300’s and beyond. The crossing and western end of the choir date from 1200 and show both Norman Transitional and Early English work. The Lady Chapel and eastern choir are in the Decorated style, and there are examples of Perpendicular style.

The cathedral suffered much damage at the hands of Henry VIII and during the English Civil War so had to undergo quite a bit of rebuilding in subsequent ages, which continues to the present day. Lichfield and the cathedral close were a battleground during the Civil War in the 1600’s. If you look closely at the many carved heads decorating the side aisles in the nave, you can see slash marks on some of them where swords were sharpened during that upheaval!

History washes over you as you explore this ancient building and marvel over the monuments, effigies, stained glass windows, tiled floors, organ pipes, chantry chapels, massive doors, iron and metal-work, the complex tracery, and myriad of architectural features from the smallest detailed wood and stone carvings to the soaring arches, breathtaking ceiling vaulting, and herculean pillars. One of the cathedral’s treasures is the St. Chad Gospels, an eighth-century Gospel Book with 236 surviving folios, eight of which are illuminated. Priceless exhibits such as this along with the vast cathedral fabric that envelopes and transports you make for a profoundly rewarding experience.

There are two cathedral gift shops. Purchases benefit the cathedral and help you remember your lovely sojourn at Lichfield’s “Three-Sisters” cathedral.

Everything was wonderful. The Guides were so helpful. The Staffordshire Hoard Exhibition was stunning. Very disabled accessible.

We spent a lovely few hours walking around this beautiful cathedral, the volunteers where friendly, the shop well stocked. The cathedral is well worth a visit and having visited many church's and cathedral's I can honestly say this has got to be in my top five. We walked freely around but there are guided tours to go on.

Famous for its three spires the cathedral is welcoming to its visitors despite its name
which means field of the dead.If you enjoy history you will find it in abundance here.
Christian massacres, Saxon angels and the Civil War all play their part in the history
of this beautiful, elegant cathedral.
We would have liked a tour but these have to be booked in advance. There are tower
tours but there were too many steps for us.
We had forgotten that the l6th Century Herkentrode windows had been removed for
restoration and will not be returned for five years. There is some lovely stained glass by
Kempe and the sculpture of the Sleeping Children is very moving.
The Chapter House is currently showing some of the Staffordshire hoard although
some of them are replicas and this is also the place to see the Saxon Angel
Gabriel. There was a guide in their on the day of our visit and he was informative
and helpful in other aspects of the cathedral as well as the Chapter House.
There was no charge for entry to the cathedral but a worthwhile contribution might
go the the glass restoration fund.

There is a café which serves excellent tea and cakes and there are plenty of
eating places nearby. Car parking is not allowed in the Close but there are
car parks within a short distance and at £2. for four hours this is very reasonable

Well worth a visit .

Love Lichfield - quaint streets and lots of lovely coffee and cake shops. Cheap long stay parking right in town centre ( £2 for 4 hours ). Cathedral is beautiful in it's majestic elegance. Spend some time and walk through it's silent aisles and chapter and lose yourself in it's history. People on hand to answer questions See Johnson's memorial ( he's buried in Westminster Abbey) and visit the house where he was born. Sit outside, too and look up at the fantastic carvings and the tall, elegant towers. Just beautiful!

I love Lichfield and it's silent beauty. The cathedral is so elegantly built and pristine. Everytime I come to Lichfield I visit the main sights in the city centre to take in all the beauty. I recommend to visit all aspects of lichfield.

The ushers insider were very informative about the history of the cathedral and were on hand to answer all our questions. The cathedral does tours up the spire on some days but you need to book.

My first visit here was when I was about 6 years old and I remember it making an impression on me then as it still did today. On that first visit I bought a plaster plaque from the gift shop and still have it hanging in my kitchen. The inside is beautiful but a walk around the exterior is just as rewarding and the close has some beautiful old buildings toboot
free entry

It is like walking into history. The cathedral is beautifully appointed and cared for. surrounded by the close it is both a venue for those who love history and those searching for a spiritual connection.

Today, I visited Lichfield Cathedral, truely a most wonderful Cathedral, one of the best in England!

The Cathedral staff chatty and helpful, information leaflet provided. Shop well stocked, and not overpriced.

The cafe had a good menu and reasonably priced, lovely garden as well, luckily, had good weather to enjoy it!

Loved the chapter house with St Chad's 8th century gospel, the 8th c Litchfield angel, and items from the Staffordshire hoard. The main organ was being tuned while we were there - noisy!

The cathedral is very impressive to look at with some marvellous engineering features and works of art.

The cathedral is in a wonderful setting on its hill above Lichfield and a good set of buildings around it. The West Front is an incredible Victorian re-imagining of what a Gothick Cathedral should be. The detail is great, with a plethora of Kings, Saints and Church Fathers. The proportions don't work for me though. The central gable is pinched between the rather squat towers. Inside, the length of the nave and chancel are really impressive.

There are a few medieval fragments dotted around, the Chapter House in particular, but what caught my eyes was the wealth of Victorian details which overlay everything with rich, detailed ornamentation. The Pulpit, Altar Rails and Reredos are all masterpieces in their own right.

If you like Victorian bling, you'll love Lichfield.

Nice City too - well worth a visit.

The architecture, the long history, the nearby pools, the music, the staff -- all made for a wonderful atmosphere. I didn't want to leave.

A magnificent building with plenty of interesting architecture. Exellent engravings of faces and angels etc. A very peaceful atmosphere. Overall, a great place to go

We had a lovely afternoon here so nice to be able to see such a beautiful place . All the helpers were so welcoming and polite will definitely visit again :-)

The peace when we visited on the Saturday and the a wonderful Sung Eucgarist on the Sunday. There was a visiting Choir from the USA, also staying at the George Hotel which rounded off the whole visit as my wife is a choir leader.

A classic English architectural gem, hidden in a charming town. This cathedral is a beautifully preserved and represents a fine example of English Christian architecture and is still a vibrant working church. Well worth a visit.

This is a large cathedral for the smallest city in England, and the interior is stunning. All the typical attributes are there but there is a fine sense of flow, with wonderful long views and a beautiful ceiling.
The car park is nearby and is a flat walk through pleasant parks with river views. A stroll into the old town - close by - is worth it as there are many pretty shops and quality restaurants to suit most pockets as well as Dr Johnsons house.
Recommended.

This is an amazing Cathedral and it is free entry with donations welcomed. This is an amazing cathedral there's volunteers all around that are very knowledgeable. Very impressed with Lichfield and it's Cathedral

I visited Lichfield Cathedral twice in one day.
While in the area, my mom & I decided to visit and pay our respects to Stephen Sutton, a charity fundraiser who had sadly passed away shortly before. The cathedral is free to enter, though they encourage donations towards the upkeep of the building. We left messages of condolence in the books, and afterwards had a look around the building.
The building really is beautiful - very gothic in style. There is even a kids' area within the cathedral for visiting youngsters! There were lots interesting artifacts and art on display.

We visited again later on in the evening, when Stephen was there for you to walk past and give his signature thumbs-up and pay respects. The cathedral handled the massive turnout very well, handing out water to visitors and offering candles to light and leave on the grounds. It looked gorgeous all lit-up in the dark!

Lichfield Cathedral is a beautiful place to visit, and I would recommend dropping by whether you are religious or not.

I found the spaces awe-inspiring and we were offered a very warm welcome. I enjoyed the art that was displayed and seeing part of the Staffordshire Hoard. There was, however, a lot of chairs stacked around and I felt that spoiled the atmosphere a little.

Great architecture, fantastic setting in the cathedral close, a must see when you are in the vicinity.

Lichfield is a lovely little City and the Cathedral is magnificent inside and out. It is friendly at the best of times but has recently excelled when it became home for the very special occassion of local hero and the inspirational Stephen Suttons's 2 day vigil. Lichfield was aglow with yellow. The Cathedral was the heart of the City and the focal point for the love of the local people and followers of 'Stephen's Story' The Coffe shop and gift shops are in the Catherdral close and there are walks around Stowe pool and Minster pool nearby. Lichfield is close to many midland attractions and would be a great base to explore from.

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Richfield in U.K