Backpacking in the United Kingdom - Cathedral City of Lichfield

February 26, 2023 | Tagged: United Kingdom

I was in Birmingham, backpacking the city's canals and having a flash of brilliance, I went to visit the Cathedral City of Lichfield.

Why not? After all, I had never been there before.

Backpacking in the United Kingdom - Cathedral City of Lichfield

Since arriving back in the UK, I have really been backpacking it in.

I toured London over 5 days, visiting Mail Rail, The Churchill War Rooms, the famous Abbey Road CrossWalk and The Thames Barrier.

I went and visited Oxford for a day, and 4 days in Birmingham, backpacking the canals and the RAF Museum at Cosford, all of which will be written about soon.

And here I detail my visit to Lichfield. The top highlight in this historical city is the Lichfield Cathedral which is one of only three cathedrals in the United Kingdom to have 3 spires.

But there are more things to see in Lichfield than just the 3 spire cathedral. The city has over 230 listed buildings, so follow the story >>

Letocetum Roman Baths and Museum

I took the train out of Birmingham New Street to Lichfield City but jumped out at Shenstone and walked the 2½ miles to Wall, and the Roman settlement of Letocetum which was a military posting station, right next to the A5 Watling Street which runs from Marble Arch to Holyhead.

It is thought that the name Lichfield was taken from Letocetum.

You can see the ruins of the Letocetum Bath House. The entrance is free. There is a museum as well which was closed when I visited. Just Google it. Letocetum is a National Trust property.

St. John the Baptist Church:

Lichfield Friary Clock Tower

The Friary Clock Tower dates from 1863 but was moved to its present location in 1928 and was restored in 1991.

Franciscan Friary Garden

The Friary was founded in 1237 but was destroyed in 1538 following orders given by Henry VIII and the site is now a public garden.

The portico was taken from Shenstone Court in 1937 and rebuilt here as an entrance to the ruins of the Franciscan Friary.

Tudor of Lichfield

This black and white Tudor-style building on the high street of Lichfield dates from 1519 when Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon ruled England. It's now a coffee house.

Guildhall

The first Guildhall was built here in 1387 and takes its name from the Guild of St. Mary and St. John the Baptist. The present Guildhall was built in 1707 and extended in 1741 and is a Grade II listed building.

Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum and Bookshop

This is the birthplace of Samuel Johnson who was born in 1709. He was the son of a bookseller and became one of the greatest literary figures of the 18th century and was most famous for A Dictionary of the English Language in 1755. He died in 1784 and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

The Olde Nook

The Olde Nook is an 18th-century coaching inn located on Dam Street which leads to the Lichfield Cathedral. I had pinpointed it on GoogleMaps but was sadly closed when I visited.

Free Library and Museum

Formerly the Free Library and Museum, now Lichfield's Registry Office, was erected in 1856 and was only the 2nd free library in The United Kingdom.

Lichfield Cathedral

The Lichfield Cathedral is 1 of only 3 three spire cathedrals, the other 2 being the Truro Cathedral and St. Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh and is the only Medieval three spire cathedral in the country.

It was built between 1195 and 1340 and is dedicated to St. Chad (The anglo-Saxon monk who was canonised as a saint) and Saint Mary (wife of Joseph, who was chosen by God to conceive Jesus).

The centre spire is 253 ft high and the 2 twinned spires are 190 ft high. It's a Grade I listed building.