Lichfield Cathedral: A Gothic landmark of Mercian red sandstone

Lichfield Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary and Saint Chad, is a Church of England cathedral in the city of Lichfield. The diocese of Mercia was created in 656, and a cathedral was consecrated on the present site in 700. The relics of the fifth bishop, Chad of Mercia, were housed at the cathedral until being removed in 1538 during the English Reformation. The cathedral is a Grade I listed building, constructed primarily of Mercian red sandstone from quarries close to the city.

The structure was built between the early 13th century and c. 1320 in the Decorated Gothic style. Work began with the choir at the east end and progressed west through the transepts, chapter house, nave, and south-west tower. The lady chapel, central tower, south-east tower, and three spires followed. 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. It was later restored by bishop John Hacket and several times in the 18th and 19th centuries, with many details dating from restorations by George Gilbert Scott.

The cathedral's internal length is 113 m and the breadth of the nave is 21 m. The central spire reaches 77 m high, while the western spires are about 58 m, with the southern spire being slightly taller than the northern one. The walls of the nave lean outwards slightly due to the weight of the ceiling vaulting, which required the removal of some 200–300 tons of stone during renovation work in 1788. The Cathedral Close includes a medieval courtyard which once housed the men of the choir, and the three spires are often referred to as the "Ladies of the Vale."

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons