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Lichfield AngelThe Lichfield Angel

Discovered in 2003 the Lichfield Angel is a remarkable survival of early medieval sculpture. The carved limestone panel, which is dated to around 800 A.D., comprises three separate fragments which are thought to have formed the corner of a shrine chest, possibly that of St Chad (d.672).

gospel_icon.jpgThe Chad Gospels

Also known as the Lichfield Gospels, this is an eighth century Gospel Book. There are 236 surviving folios, eight of which are illuminated. Another four contain framed text. The manuscript is also important because it includes, as marginalia, some of the earliest known examples of written Welsh. Why not turn the pages of the gospel online?

The Chad Gospels are not displayed in the Chapter House during Lent. They will be available to view there once more from Easter Day. Meanwhile, visitors have the opportunity to see a first edition copy of Henry VIII's Great Bible (1539) instead – a centrepiece of the English Reformation.

herckenrode_icon.jpgHerkenrode Glass

The windows of the Lady Chapel contain some of the finest medieval Flemish painted glass in existence. It came from the Abbey of Herkenrode (now in Belgium) in 1801 having been purchased by Brooke Boothby when that abbey was dissolved during the Napoleonic Wars. It was then sold on to the cathedral for the same price. It dates from the 1530s.

For more information and photographs on the windows we have a publication called 'Herkenrode Windows' which can be purchased at the Cathedral Bookshop for £3.99.

Herkenrode Glass major disruption

The Race to Save the Herkenrode Glass

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InSpires News

The Dean of Lichfield Cathedral has welcomed a recommendation from the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts that cathedrals should receive direct funding from Government.

The recommendation, contained in the Committee's newly-published report on Promoting Participation with the Historic Environment, states: “English cathedrals represent some of our most important architectural heritage yet many of them charge the public for entry. These buildings are expensive to look after and the Department and English Heritage should work together to find ways to fund their conservation so that they can be less reliant on charging for entry, which could deter people from visiting.”
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