Early history and elevation to archbishopric , built around 1200
Bede stated that
Chad established his see at Lichfield; and the first cathedral would presumably have been on this site in 669. When he died in 672, his grave site, near the church of St Mary, became a sacred shrine for many pilgrims. In 2003, excavations under the east end of the nave revealed a grave cut into the sandstone bedrock which has been attributed to Chad. It was within the foundation of a tower-like building seven metres square. . The bold lines show the presumed boundaries between the three
ecclesiastical provinces of Canterbury, Lichfield and York. At the
Council of Chelsea in 787, the Bishop of Lichfield,
Hygeberht (or Higbert) was raised to the rank of
archbishop and authority over the dioceses of
Worcester,
Hereford,
Leicester,
Lindsey,
Dommoc and
Elmham were transferred to Lichfield. This was due to the persuasion of
Offa, King of
Mercia, who wanted an archbishop to rival
Canterbury. On Offa's death in 796, however, the Pope removed the archiepiscopal rank and restored the dioceses to the authority of the archbishop of Canterbury. In 1854, a foundation, 1.5 metres wide and 1.7 metres high, was found under the choir and presbytery floor. This basilica-shaped foundation was recognised as the second cathedral. The Victorians assumed this was a Norman cathedral, but its shape, dimensions and material (much concrete hard mortar) suggest otherwise. It has yet to be carbon-dated and a case has been made that the church was built by Offa for his archbishopric. The date for construction of the present
Gothic cathedral is unclear since all fabric accounts were destroyed in the Civil War sieges and early texts are ambiguous. The general opinion is that the cathedral was begun in the early 13th century. It was completed by the building of the Lady Chapel in the 1330s. The Choir dates from 1200, the
Transepts from 1220 to 1240 and the
Nave was started around 1260. The octagonal
Chapter House, which was completed in 1249 and is one of the most beautiful parts of the cathedral with some charming stone carvings, houses an exhibition of the cathedral's greatest treasures, the
Lichfield Gospels, an 8th-century illuminated manuscript and the
Lichfield Angel stonework. Brooke's deputy
John Gell, took over the siege and the garrison surrendered to Gell two days later. In April of the same year (1643)
Prince Rupert led an Royalist expeditionary force from
Oxford to recapture Lichfield.
The siege started on 8 April. During the second assault Rupert's engineers detonated what is thought to be the first explosive mine to be used in England to breach the defences. Unable to defend the Close, Colonel Russell, the parliamentary commander of the garrison, surrendered on terms to Rupert on 21 April. In
1646 the
Parliamentarians were once again victorious, but the Cathedral suffered extensive damage: the central spire was demolished, the roofs ruined and all the stained glass smashed.
Bishop Hacket began the restoration of the cathedral in the 1660s, aided by substantial funds donated by the restored monarch, but it was not until the 19th century that the damage caused by the Civil War was fully repaired. Until the 19th century, on top of an ornamented gable, between the two spires, stood a figure of
Charles II, by
William Wilson. The statue now stands just outside the south doors. Wyatt's
choir-screen had utilised medieval stone-work which Scott in turn used to create
sedilia with clergy's seats in the sanctuary. The new metal screen by
Francis Skidmore and
John Birnie Philip to designs by Scott himself is a triumph of metalwork art, as are the fine
Mintons tiles in the choir, inspired by the medieval ones found in the Choir foundations and some still seen in the Library.
COVID-19 pandemic On 15 January 2021, while closed to services during the
COVID-19 pandemic, Lichfield Cathedral became the first place of worship in England to accommodate the
vaccination programme in the United Kingdom.
Shrine of St Chad On the 7 and 8 November 2022 a new shrine to St Chad was consecrated and a relic of the saint was translated from the Roman Catholic
St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham, at two separate services. ==Royal Visits ==