Small size defines the cathedral

Summary.  The cathedral is comparatively small; its size is a defining feature.

     If the current cathedral was a Norman cathedral, it would be solid, bulky and monumental. It would have had extensive grounds and probably an attached monastery. Instead, it is one of the smallest medieval cathedrals. Seven of the 26 medieval cathedrals exceeded 150m in length and 8 exceeded 120m. Lichfield is a mere 113m long and was originally shorter, 98m, when first constructed.

	Length in metres	Length in feet
Glastonbury Abbey ruins	177	580
Bury St Edmunds	174	570
Winchester	169	554
St Albans Abbey	168	550
Canterbury	167	547
Ely	164	537
Wells	127	415

All the cathedrals, Rochester and the earliest Westminster Abbey are unclear, built in the 11th, 12th and 13th-centuries exceed Lichfield in length by more than 10m and even more in width, 21m. If the Lady Chapel, 15m long, is ignored because it was a later addition (1315–1336), it is miniscule and only a little larger than some University chapels. 

	Approx. start of build	Approx. area (m2)	Crypt
York Minster	1220	12,160	ü
St Pauls	1087/1256/1697	7833	ü
Lincoln	1072/1185	6215	ü
Chichester	1075/1199	6000	û
Winchester	1079	5964	ü
Westminster Abbey	1040s/1245/1376	5734	ü
Worcester	1084	5720	ü
Gloucester	1089	5720	ü
Canterbury	1070/1174/1834	5528	ü
Ely	1083	4273	ü
Bath	1090	4000	?
St Albans	1077	3645	û
Durham	1093	3575	ü
Peterborough	1118	3483	tunnels
Norwich	1096	3233	û
Old Sarum, Salisbury	1075/1120	2700	ü
Wells	1175	2700	û
Exeter	1133	2574	û
Hereford	1079	2494	ü
Lichfield	late 11th or 12th century	2,300	û

Relative comparison of cathedral size. Areas are approximations and many are taken from Bell’s handbooks on cathedrals. Many dates are derived.

 

Even the Franciscan Friary built in Lichfield, c. 1237–1538, was near to three-quarters the length of the cathedral. Lichfield was very small compared with its associated cathedral at Coventry, also known as St Mary’s Priory. Dugdale imagined Lichfield was built in imitation of Coventry.[1]

 

Coventry Cathedral started 1115–1140. Only one third of the site has been excavated, so there is some uncertainty in regard to its size. The west front was wider than Lichfield, the nave, 21m wide, the same and overall was more than 3 times larger. The east end was a later addition. It is uncertain whether it had spires. This richly endowed cathedral lost its monastic community and then was destroyed during the 1539 Suppression and Dissolution.

     The small size of the Cathedral reflected the title of the bishop which contained the seats of Chester, Coventry and Lichfield. Before the time of Bishop John Hacket (1661) Lichfield usually came last in the order of the title, though Bishop Scrope, 1386, strangely placed Lichfield first.

          The cathedral might be described as a cute, secure, king’s cathedral. Richard II thought so, see the post, ‘King Richard II liked Lichfield,’ For Bishop Langton it became a small, secure, bishop’s cathedral. Langton in his magnificent palace would not have wanted too many neighbours. In the Civil War it was an impregnable, fortified, compact target difficult to enter. Thus, the reduced size might be explained by it being small and well defended. Savage was of the opinion the small size arose when the Close was walled and this meant the cathedral and clergy houses had to be squeezed into the area within the wall.[2] This opinion depends on the notion that the original vallum-boundary could not be extended, which is questionable. It could be it stayed small because it never was monastic and therefore prone to the building of extra houses, gardens and chapels. Another explanation is Lichfield stayed as a small, market town and the cathedral simply reflected this.

Cathedral church of St Chad and St Mary Lichfield 1790.

Clifton wrote, “other cathedrals are larger; indeed, this is the smallest of them all, grander, or more magnificent; but for simple beauty, for charm, for delicacy of construction and appearance Lichfield may rightly claim to take the foremost place.”[3]

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[1] W. Dugdale, Monasticum Anglicanum (London: 1673)

[2] H, E, Savage, ‘The fourteenth century builders’, Unpub, article on St Chad’s Day held in the cathedral library, (1916) 19.

[3] A. B. Clifton, The Cathedral church of Lichfield. George Bell and Sons (London: 1900).