Lichfield

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Coordinates: 52°41′07″N 1°49′50″W / 52.6853°N 1.8305°W / 52.6853; -1.8305

City of Lichfield
City of Lichfield shown within Staffordshire
Population	31,000 (Early 2008 estimate)
OS grid reference	SK115097
District	Lichfield
Shire county	Staffordshire
Region	West Midlands
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LICHFIELD
Postcode district	WS13, WS14
Dialling code	01543
Police	Staffordshire
Fire	Staffordshire
Ambulance	West Midlands
European Parliament	West Midlands
UK Parliament	Lichfield
List of places: UK • England • Staffordshire

Lichfield is a city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. One of seven civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated 25 km (16 miles) north of Birmingham and 200 km (124 miles) northwest of central London.

Lichfield is notable for its three-spired cathedral and as the birthplace of Dr. Johnson, the writer of the first authoritative Dictionary of the English Language. Today it still retains its old importance as an ecclesiastical centre, but its industrial and commercial development has been relatively small; the centre of the city thus retains an essentially old-world character. The construction of a major shopping and leisure complex, which will transform the city centre, is due to begin in 2009.^[1]

The population of the district according to the 2001 census is 93,237; of the city itself 27,900, this discrepancy being mainly accounted for by the inclusion of the town of Burntwood in Lichfield District, which has a similar population to Lichfield. The motto on Lichfield's coat of arms quotes Samuel Johnson's tribute to his native city in his Dictionary, "Salve, magna parens" — "Hail great Mother".

Contents 1 History 2 Economy 3 Famous Lichfeldians 4 Places of interest 5 Education 6 Culture 7 Sport 8 Lichfield Suburbs 9 Nearby Places 10 Twinnings 11 Transport 12 See also 13 References 14 External links

[edit] History

At Wall, 3 miles to the south of the present city, there was a Romano-British village called Letocetum (from the Celtic for "grey wood"), from which the first half of the name Lichfield is derived. It was based on a Roman fort next to Watling Street which was used in the first centuries AD, until about AD 160-170, when the fort's mansio was destroyed by fire at the same time the forum in Wroxeter was also destroyed by fire. This suggests a revolt of the local British. Legend has it that a thousand Christians were martyred in Lichfield around AD 300, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, and that the name 'Lichfield' actually means 'field of the dead'. There is however, no evidence to support this legend. ^[2] The history of Lichfield in the following centuries is obscure. The Historia Britonum lists the city as one of the 28 cities of Britain around AD 833. In the Welsh poem The Lament of Cynddylan, Caer Luytcoed (cf modern Welsh Caerlwytgoed — Lichfield) or Lichfield is said to have been taken by the sword by pagan opponents, most likely the Mercians to the east.

The first authentic notice of Lichfield occurs in Bede's history, where it is called 'Licidfelth' and mentioned as the place where St Chad fixed the episcopal see of the Mercians in 669. The burial in the cathedral of individual kings of Mercia, such as Celred in 716, further increased the prestige of Lichfield. In 786, Pope Adrian I raised it at the request of Offa, King of Mercia, to the dignity of an archbishopric, but in 803 the primacy was restored to Canterbury. In 1075 the see of Lichfield was removed to Chester, and thence a few years later to Coventry, but it was restored to Lichfield in 1148. At the time of the Domesday survey, Lichfield was held by the bishop of Chester, where the see of the bishopric had been moved in 1075: it is not called a borough, only a small village. The lordship and manor of the town were held by the bishop of Chester until the reign of Edward VI, when they were leased to the town corporation. In 1291 Lichfield was severely damaged by a fire, which destroyed most of the town, however the Cathedral and Close survived unscathed. ^[3] There is evidence that a castle existed here in the time of Henry I, and a footpath near the grammar school retains the name of Castle-ditch. Richard II gave a charter (1387) for the foundation of the gild of St Mary and St John the Baptist; this gild functioned as the local government, until its dissolution by Edward VI, who incorporated the town in 1548, vesting the government in two bailiffs and twenty-four burgesses; further charters were given by Mary, James I and Charles II (1664), the last, incorporating it under the title of the "bailiffs and citizens of the city of Lichfield," was the governing charter until 1835; under this charter the governing body consisted of two bailiffs and twenty-four brethren. In 1553 Queen Mary made Lichfield a county separate from the rest of Staffordshire. It remained so until 1888.

Lichfield sent two members to the parliament of 1304 and to a few succeeding parliaments, but the representation did not become regular until 1552; in 1867 it lost one member, and in 1885 its representation was merged in that of the county. By the charter of James I, the market day was changed from Wednesday to Tuesday and Friday; the Tuesday market disappeared during the 19th century; the only existing fair is a small pleasure fair of ancient origin held on Ash Wednesday; the annual fête on Whit Monday claims to date from the time of Alfred the Great.

The reformation had a dramatic affect on Lichfield, the disappearance of pilgrim traffic following the destruction of St. Chad's shrine in 1538 was a major loss to the city's economic prosperity. That year too the Franciscan friary was dissolved, the site becoming a private estate. Further economic decline followed the outbreak of plague in 1593, which resulted in the death of over a third of the entire population. ^[4] The last person in England to be burnt at the stake for heresy was in Lichfield. Edward Wightman from Burton upon Trent was burnt at the stake in the Market Place on 11 April 1612 for refusing to recant his Baptist beliefs.

In the English Civil War, Lichfield was divided. The cathedral authorities with a certain following were for the king, but the townsfolk generally sided with the parliament, and this led to the fortification of the close in 1643. Lichfield's position as a focus of supply routes had an important strategic significance during the war, and both forces were anxious to control the city. Lord Brooke, notorious for his hostility to the church, led an assault against it, but was killed by a deflected bullet on St Chad's day, an accident welcomed as a miracle by the Royalists. The close yielded and was retaken by Prince Rupert of the Rhine in this year; but on the breakdown of the king's cause in 1646 it again surrendered. The cathedral suffered extensive damage from the war. It was subsequently restored, particularly the central spire, at the end of the common wealth period, thanks in part to the gratitude and generosity of King Charles II of England. There is a statue of Charles II by the south door of the Cathedral.

During the 18th century the city thrived as a busy coaching city on the main route to the northwest and Ireland. It also became a centre of great intellectual activity, being the home of many famous people including Samuel Johnson, David Garrick, Erasmus Darwin and Anna Seward, this prompted Johnson's remark that Lichfield was "a city of philosophers". The arrival of the Industrial Revolution and the railways in the 19th century signaled the end of Lichfield's position as an important staging post for coaching traffic. Whilst the industrial development at nearby Birmingham exploded, along with its population, Lichfield remained largely unchanged in character.

Today the city continues to expand; to the west, a new area of housing has been under development for a number of years which has swelled the city's population by some 3,000. Plans have been approved and construction is about to begin on a major new £100 million shopping and leisure complex, at Friarsgate, opposite Lichfield City Station. Friarsgate garage, Lichfield's multi-storey car park, police station, bus station and public toilets will all be demolished to make way for 22,000 square metres of retail space and 2,000 square metres designated for leisure facilities. It has been announced that this will consist of a flagship Debenhams department store, a six-screen cinema, a hotel, 37 individual shops and 56 apartments.^[5]

[edit] Economy

Lichfield's wealth grew along with its importance as an ecclesiastical centre. The original settlement prospered as the place where pilgrims gathered to worship at the shrine of St Chad, this practice continued up until the Reformation when the shrine was destroyed.

In the Middle Ages the main industry in Lichfield was making woollen cloth. There was also a leather industry in Lichfield. Much of the surrounding area was open pasture and there were many surrounding farms.

In the 18th century, Lichfield became a busy coaching centre, there was little industry, the main source of wealth to the city coming from the money generated by its many visitors. The invention of the railways saw the decline in coach travel and with it came the decline in Lichfield's prosperity.

By the end of the 19th century, brewing was the principal industry, and in the neighbourhood were large market gardens.

Today there are a number of light industrial areas predominantly in the east of the city, not dominated by any one particular industry. The district is famous for two local products: Armitage Shanks, manufacturers of baths/bidets and showers, and Arthur Price of England, master cutlers and silversmiths. Many residents commute to Birmingham.

It is predicted that once completed, the new Friarsgate retail and leisure development could attract 11,000 more visitors to the city every month, generating annual sales of around £61 million and creating hundreds of jobs in the city. ^[6]

[edit] Famous Lichfeldians

• Samuel Johnson — 18th century writer of the first authoritative English Dictionary
• David Garrick — Famous actor of the 18th century
• Erasmus Darwin — Scientist, inventor and literary man, grandfather of Charles Darwin
• Joseph Addison — Politician and writer
• Anna Seward — Romantic poet, memorialist and letter writer
• Thomas Seward — Clergyman, author and father of Anna
• Bryn Fowler — Bassist and backing vocalist in the band The Holloways
• Elias Ashmole — Founder of Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
• Richard Allinson — Broadcaster
• Helen Baxendale — Actress
• John Floyer — English physician and author of the 18th century
• Richie Edwards — bassist with rock bands The Darkness and Stone Gods
• Siobhan Dillon — singer and actress
• St. Edmund Gennings — Jesuit priest and martyr

The Earl of Lichfield's seat is about 15 miles (24 km) away at Shugborough Hall, on the edge of Cannock Chase.

[edit] Places of interest

• Lichfield Cathedral — England's only medieval Cathedral with three spires. The present building was started in 1195, and completed by the building of the Lady Chapel in the 1330s. It replaced a Norman building begun in 1085 which had replaced one, or possibly two, Saxon buildings from the seventh century.
• The Bishop's Palace (built 1687) and a theological college (built 1837) are adjacent to the cathedral.
• Milley's Hospital dates back to 1504 and was a women's hospital.
• St. John's without the Bars — a distinctive Tudor building with a row of seven tall brick chimneys. This was built outside the city walls (bars) to provide hostel accommodation for travellers arriving after the gates were shut. It now provides home for elderly Gentlemen and has an adjacent Chapel.
• The Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum —a museum to Samuel Johnson's life, work and personality.
• The Lichfield Heritage Centre — in the market square, an exhibition of 2,000 years of Lichfield's history.
• Erasmus Darwin House — once home to Erasmus Darwin was restored to create a museum which opened to the public in 1999.
• The Church of St Chad — ancient though extensively restored; on its site St Chad or Ceadda is said to have occupied a hermit's cell.
• Christ Church Lichfield — an outstanding example of Victorian ecclesiastical architecture and a grade II* listed building. It was founded in 1847 by Ellen Jane Hinckley, the mother of “The Sleeping Children” — subject of a monument in the south choir aisle of Lichfield Cathedral. The choir ceiling is decorated with a recently restored tempera picture by John Dixon Batten of the Birmingham pre-Raphaelite school (1897).
• The Market Square contains two statues, one of Samuel Johnson overlooking the house in which he was born, and one of his great friend and biographer, James Boswell.
• Just outside the city is the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas.

[edit] Education

The Lichfield campus of Tamworth and Lichfield College is located on The Friary.

In addition to numerous Primary schools Lichfield has three secondary schools:

• King Edward VI School (formerly Lichfield Grammar School)
• The Friary School
• Nether Stowe High School

Additionally, based in the Cathedral Close and Longdon is the fee paying Cathedral School.

There is a campus facility of Staffordshire University in Lichfield which opened in 1998.
There is a DfES Approved Independent Special School for dyslexic children at Maple Hayes Dyslexia School, Abnalls Lane.

[edit] Culture

The Garrick Theatre was opened in 2003 replacing the Civic Hall, which was built in the 1970s. Each year in July The Lichfield Festival takes place, based primarily around the cathedral and the Garrick Theatre, it is celebration of classical music, dance, drama, film, jazz literature, poetry, visual arts and world music.^[7] Since 1995 the Festival has incorporated a Medieval Market, taking place in the Cathedral Close.

Once every three years, The Lichfield Mystery Play cycle is performed in the Cathedral, the Market Place and on Stowe Fields. It is a cycle of 26 medieval plays involving nearly 1000 people, making it one of the largest community arts events in Europe. ^[8]

The 20th annual Lichfield Real Ale, Jazz & Blues Festival will take place from 25th - 28th June 2009.

The Lichfield Bower takes place on Spring Bank Holiday Monday, it dates back to the Middle Ages, when the townsfolk, after fulfilling their duty of attendance at the Court of Arraye, were given the rest of the day as holiday. A procession of marching bands and carnival floats makes its way through the city, where the Bower Queen is crowned outside the Guildhall at noon. There is also a fun fair in the city centre, and a fair and jamboree in Beacon Park.

[edit] Sport

Historically rugby was more popular in the city than soccer, this was largely due to the fact that it was the main sport at Lichfield Grammar School. However, both sports have remained at amateur level. Lichfield Rugby Union Football Club was founded in 1874. As of 2008-09 season they play in the Midlands 3 West (North) League. The team plays at Cooke Fields located on the road to Whittington village, next to the Horse and Jockey public house. The club moved there in the 1980s after their former home was sold for housing.

Lichfield City Football Club (formerly known as Beacon Park F.C. until June 2006) played in the Burton & District League until 2008, when the club gained entrance to the Midland Football Combination. The 1st team play at Brownsfield Park next the new Lichfield City FC Social Club (formerly known as Enots). LCFC are a FA Charter Community club with teams from under 7's to Adults.

Lichfield Diamonds LFC is at the forefront of girls football in Staffordshire, being the first all female club to achieve Charter Standard Status. The team plays at the Collins Hill Sports Ground.

Lichfield Cricket Club is a cricket team currently playing in the Third Division of the Birmingham and District Premier League. They also play at the Collins Hill Sports Ground.

[edit] Lichfield Suburbs

Stowe | Nether Stowe | Chadsmead | Curborough | Christchurch | Sandfields | Leomansley | Boley Park | The Dimbles

[edit] Nearby Places

Tamworth | Burntwood | Burton-on-Trent | Birmingham | Whittington | Shenstone | Sutton Coldfield | Rugeley | Armitage | Wall | Stafford | Cannock | Uttoxeter

[edit] Twinnings

The City of Lichfield is twinned with:

• Limburg an der Lahn, Germany
• Sainte Foy les Lyon, France.

[edit] Transport

Lichfield is served by two railway stations, Lichfield City and Lichfield Trent Valley, both built by the London and North Western Railway. These stations are now on the Cross-City Line to Redditch via Birmingham. Additionally, Trent Valley station is on the West Coast Main Line with hourly direct semi-fast services to Euston, and also to Stafford, Stoke and Crewe, supplemented by occasional fast services.

Despite being north of Birmingham, trains between Lichfield Trent Valley and London Euston can take as little as 1 hour 10 minutes.

[edit] See also

• Lichfield Cathedral
• The Lichfield Festival
• Letocetum
• Bishops of Lichfield
• The Lichfield Gospels
• Earl of Lichfield
• Lichfield Cricket Club
• Lichfield Canal
• Garrick Theatre
• Heart of England Way
• Lichfield bower
• Lichfield Rugby Union Football Club
• Luit-Coyt

[edit] References

[edit] External links

This article's external links may not follow Wikipedia's content policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links.

• Lichfield Cathedral
• Lichfield Cathedral Choir
• The Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum
• Lichfield Festival
• The Lichfield Mysteries
• Lichfield City Council
• Lichfield Garrick Theatre
• Lichfield Diamonds LFC
• Lichfield Archers
• Lichfield news - Express & Star
• Lichfield - Cultural Capital of The Midlands

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