HISTORY

FEATURES OF THE CATHEDRAL: Only medieval cathedral with 3 spires, fortifications and a wet moat. Pilgrimage centre from early times. Has a sculpted stone; the best kept Anglo-Saxon stonework in Europe. Has an early Gospels. Has an extraordinary foundation to the second cathedral probably built by King Offa. Once had the most sumptuous shrine in medieval England. Suffered 3 ferocious Civil War sieges resulting in its destruction.

Dates.

DATES. First Bishop of Mercia - 656. First Bishop of Lichfield and Cathedral - 669. Shrine Tower - 8th century. Second cathedral - date to be determined. Third Cathedral - early 13th-century to 14th century. Civil War destruction 1643-1646. Extensive rebuild - 1854-1897. Worship on this site started in 669, 1355 years ago.

Saturday 15 February 2020

Lady Chapel reredos

            A gilded and painted wooden reredos in the form of a triptych (really 5 panels) was placed in the Lady Chapel in 1895. The altarpiece was carved by Oskar Zwink in Oberammergau, on the border of Germany and Austria. It was designed by Charles Eamer Kempe, 1837–1907, and tells the story of Christmas.

Triptych with five scenes of Christmas.

King David, Isaiah, John the Baptist and Chad are depicted on the back of the side panels and are seen when the triptych is closed. On the sides of the central panel are the figures of Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine and Gregory. 


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