Outstanding Features

Only medieval cathedral with three spires, was once the only fortress cathedral with a surrounding moat and is now a Victorian Gothic Revival building. A significant pilgrimage centre from early times. Has the best-kept Early Medieval stonework sculpture in Europe. Has a very early Gospels. Cells off the Lady Chapel might have been for anchorites. The chapel has 16th-century hand-painted Flemish glasswork. There is an extraordinary foundation to the second cathedral, probably built by King Offa. Once had the most sumptuous shrine in medieval England. Suffered three Civil War sieges, including a heavy bombardment. Has associations with Kings Henry III and Richard II. Only one of two cathedrals located on the same site as the original church.

Dates.

DATES. First Bishop of Mercia in 656. First Bishop of Lichfield in 669. Pilgrimage began 672, 1353 years ago. 8th century shrine tower. Second cathedral, possibly 8th century. Gothic Cathedral built c. 1210 to c.1340. Civil War destruction, 1643-6. Extensive rebuild and repair, 1854-1908.

Saturday, 1 April 2023

Two frescoes in the south aisle

Summary.  Revealing again in 1979 a fresco on the south presbytery aisle showed a trinitarian painting dated 14th or 15th century. The scene is thought to be from Revelation. The lead-white pigments could be carbon-dated.

     Harwood[1] described an ancient painting discovered in the south aisle, on the wall of the cathedral, under whitewash, by the Revd. Theophilus Buckeridge, Master of St. John's Hospital (Master from 1769). He added without reference it was supposed to have been put up by Oliver De Langton, Rector of Wyggan in 1450. This is presumed to be the fresco James Wyatt in c.1787 limewashed over prior to placing Bishop John Hacket’s tomb in the bay of the window. The painting was re-found in 1979 when Hacket’s tomb was moved again to the western end of the aisle opposite the verger’s room (Duckit). This time the limewash was carefully removed to reveal a trinitarian fresco,[2] dated 14th or 15th-century. 

Trinitarian fresco. In front is the upper slab of possibly Bishop Pateshull’s monument.

            The scene is from Revelation 8, 3. “Another angel with a golden censer came and stood at the altar; he was given a great quantity of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that is before the throne.”

            God, only his head and feet showing, sits on a yellow or golden throne; his knees clad with a red tunic. He holds a cross on which is the crucified Christ. Only Christ’s lower torso and legs with nails and the base of the cross are visible. The Holy Spirit, presumably in the form of doves, is missing. Two angels each with large wings and swinging censers flank God. Within the image are words in Latin presumably from Revelation.

 

Trinitarian fresco annotated

             In the wall behind the memorial known as ‘the sleeping children’ is a piscina.  The back of the piscina has a fresco, probably of the fourteenth century. It shows the crucifixion, with figures of Christ, Mary and John.[3]


       Fresco image from A. B. Clifton  


                       


[1] T. Harwood, The history and antiquities of the church and city of Lichfield. London: 1806), 112.

[2] A fresco is a painting done rapidly in watercolour on wet plaster, on a wall or ceiling. The pigments penetrate the plaster and become fixed.

[3] A. B. Clifton, A. B.The Cathedral church of Lichfield. (London: 1900), 96..

 

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