Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Chad
Lichfield is the only medieval Cathedral with three spires, representing the Trinity. We ran through hailstones to meet a hesitant welcomer who gave us a beautiful leaflet and didn't ask for a donation. We bought phone licences for £2.
The Cathedral has a major restoration project under way - to save the glass in the East End windows, the Herkenrode glass, which is 'among the finest remaining .. example of its kind in the world.' It will undoubtedly be spectacular on completion, but we had the opportunity to view the Cathedral with pure daylight streaming through its substitute windows - and this had its own magic.
This beautiful wrought ironwork can be seen all over the Cathedral.
The shrine of St Chad, 7th century Bishop of Lichfield, was peaceful. The welcome brochure (and tour guide) suggests reflections all around the Cathedral, and at the shrine, it simply invites, 'light a candle here and leave a prayer request. Offer to God any situations troubling you today.' There was also a separate upstairs chapel for private prayer and the reserved sacraments. This was called St Chad's Head Chapel as his bones were kept there as relics until the 1540s, and 'his skull was exhibited to pilgrims from the balcony'!
The displays of the Staffordshire Hoard and the Angel of Lichfield were a really interesting addition.
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