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Not to be confused with Litchfield.
City of Lichfield
Lichfield (Staffordshire)
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

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

Lichfield is a town city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using Latitude and Longitude The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of Subdivisions of England used for the purposes of Local government outside Greater London Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. The region, also known as the government office region, is currently the highest tier of local government sub-national entity of England, with only one The West Midlands is an official Region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The, also known as the Walsall postcode area, is a group of postal districts around Burntwood, Cannock, Lichfield, Rugeley, The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. Staffordshire Police is the Home Office police force responsible for policing Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands of The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and The West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust (WMAS is the second-largest ambulance service in the UK West Midlands is a Constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 7 MEPs using the D'Hondt method of Party-list proportional This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Lichfield is a Constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places This is a list of cities, Towns and Villages in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, England. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A civil parish in the United Kingdom is a unit of local government. Staffordshire (abbreviated Staffs) is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland 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. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

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. Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. Samuel Johnson (often referred to as Dr Johnson) (18 September Published on 15 April 1755 and written by Samuel Johnson, A Dictionary of the English Language, sometimes published as Johnson's Dictionary, is among 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, with pockets of historic charm. Ecclesiology (from Greek grc ἐκκλησίᾱ ekklēsiā, "congregation church" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study of the For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious"

Lichfield is the largest and most populous settlement within the Lichfield local government district. 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. Burntwood is a town in Staffordshire, England, lying in the Cannock Chase area approximately four Miles west of Lichfield.

Contents

History

The West Front of Lichfield Cathedral, June 2005
The West Front of Lichfield Cathedral, June 2005

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. Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. Romano-British culture is that of the Romanized Britons under the Roman Empire and later the Western Roman Empire, and of those exposed to Roman culture in the years Letocetum, now known as the village of Wall, Staffordshire, England, is the remains of a Roman settlement The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. 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. Watling Street is the name given to an Ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Celts mainly between the modern In the Roman Empire, a mansio (from the Latin word mansus the perfect passive Participle of manere "to remain" or "to See also Wroxeter (disambiguation Wroxeter (pronounced "Rock-Sitter" is a Village in the county of Shropshire, England, on This suggests a revolt of the local British. 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. The Historia Brittonum, or The History of the Britons, is a historical work that was first written sometime shortly after AD 833 and exists in several 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 term Welsh literature may be used to refer to any Literature originating from Wales or by Welsh writers. Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy.

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. Bede (ˈbiːd (also Saint Bede, the Venerable Bede, or (from Latin Beda (beda (c Saint Chad of Mercia ( Anglo-Saxon Ceadda) (died March 2, 672) was a 7th century Anglo-Saxon churchman who became Abbot Mercia (ˈmɝsiə was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. 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. Pope Adrian, or Hadrian I, (d December 25, 795) was Pope from February 9 772 to December 25 795 Offa was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death in July 796 Canterbury ( ˈkæntəbɹ̩i is a City in eastern Kent in the South East region of England. 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. Chester is the County town of Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77040 Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England. 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 Domesday Book (ˈduːmzdeɪ bʊk also known as Domesday, or Book of Winchester) was the record of the great survey See also List of bishops of Chester The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of 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. Edward VI (12 October 1537 &ndash 6 July 1553 became King of England and Ireland on 28 January 1547 and was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine

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. Henry I (c 1068/1069 – 1 December 1135) was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror, the first King of England after the Norman 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. Richard II (6 January 1367 &ndash ca 14 February 1400 was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399 Edward VI (12 October 1537 &ndash 6 July 1553 became King of England and Ireland on 28 January 1547 and was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine Bailiff (from Late Latin baiulivus, Adjectival form of baiulus) is a Governor or Custodian (cf Burgess is an English word that originally meant a freeman of a Borough or Burgh. Mary I (18 February 1516 &ndash 17 November 1558 was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 19 July 1553 until her death James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625 was King of Scotland as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

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. In the Western Christian Calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday (also known as Monday of the Holy Spirit) is the Holiday celebrated the day after Pentecost, a Movable feast Alfred the Great (also Ælfred from the Old English Ælfrēd ˈælfreːd (c

In the English Civil War, Lichfield was divided. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. 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. Robert Greville 2nd Baron Brooke (1608&ndash 2 March 1643) English Civil War Roundhead General 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. Rupert Count Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Bavaria (German Ruprecht Pfalzgraf bei Rhein Herzog von Bayern) commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, (17 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. Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. There is a statue of Charles II by the south door of the Cathedral.

Among the early prominent families of Lichfield was the Levett family, for whom several streets in Lichfield today are named. Levett is an Anglo-Norman territorial Surname deriving from the village of Livet-en-Ouche now Jonquerets-de-Livet, in Eure, Normandy [1] The first Levett of note was Theophilus Levett, who was chosen Town Clerk in 1721. [2] His descendants became prominent in the region, serving Lichfield in Parliament and holding vast tracts of land, as well as marrying into such local families as the Babingtons, the Floyers, the Gresleys, the Arkwrights and others. [3] Theophilus Levett was an early friend of Samuel Johnson, and carried the mortgage on Johnson's mother's Lichfield home. Samuel Johnson (often referred to as Dr Johnson) (18 September [4][5] His son John Levett was a member of the Lunar Society, an investor in Matthew Boulton's industrial schemes, an MP and a friend of the Darwin family (of whom there was an Edward Levett Darwin). John Levett (1721 - 1799 of Wychnor Hall (or Park Staffordshire was an English landowner and investor and a Tory member of Parliament for Lichfield Staffordshire for one The Lunar Society was a dinner club and informal Learned society of prominent Industrialists natural philosophers and intellectuals who met regularly between Matthew Boulton ( September 3, 1728 &ndash 18 August 1809) was an English Manufacturer and Engineer. Edward Levett Darwin ( 12 April 1821 – 23 April 1901) author under the Pen-name High Elms of Gameskeeper's Manual

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". Samuel Johnson (often referred to as Dr Johnson) (18 September David Garrick (born 19 February 1717 in Hereford &ndash 20 January 1779) was an English Actor, Playwright, Erasmus Darwin (12 December 1731&ndash18 April 1802 was an English Physician, natural philosopher physiologist inventor and poet Anna Seward ( December 12, 1747 &ndash March 25, 1809) was an English poet often called the Swan of Lichfield. Today the city continues to expand; to the west, a new area of housing has been under development for a number of years.

Economy

The Tudor Café in Bore Street was built in 1510
The Tudor Café in Bore Street was built in 1510

Lichfield's wealth grew along with its importance as an ecclesiastical centre. Ecclesiology (from Greek grc ἐκκλησίᾱ ekklēsiā, "congregation church" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study of the 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. Saint Chad of Mercia ( Anglo-Saxon Ceadda) (died March 2, 672) was a 7th century Anglo-Saxon churchman who became Abbot The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time

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. "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation.

By the end of the 19th century, brewing was the principal industry, and in the neighbourhood were large market gardens. Brewing is the production of Alcoholic beverage and Alcohol fuel through fermentation.

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. Armitage Shanks is a British manufacturer of Bathroom fixtures and Plumbing supplies A bath (bɑθ bathtub ( AmE) or Tub ( informal) is a Plumbing fixture used for Bathing. A bidet is a low-mounted Plumbing fixture or type of Sink intended for Washing the Genitalia, inner Buttocks, and Anus. A shower (also called shower bath is a booth for washing usually in a Bathroom, having an overhead nozzle that sprays water down on the body Many residents commute to Birmingham. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um

Famous Lichfeldians

Statue of Dr. Johnson in Lichfield's Market Square
Statue of Dr. Johnson in Lichfield's Market Square

The Earl of Lichfield's seat is about 15 miles (24 km) away at Shugborough Hall, on the edge of Cannock Chase. Saint Edmund Gennings (1567&ndash 10 December 1591) was an English Martyr, who was executed during the English Reformation for being Earl of Lichfield is a title that has been created three times in British history Shugborough is a country estate in Great Haywood, near Stafford, England, on the north-eastern edge of Cannock Chase. Cannock Chase ( is a mixed area of countryside in the county of Staffordshire, England.

N. T. Wright, current Bishop of Durham and leading New Testament scholar, was Dean of Lichfield Cathedral until the mid 1990s. Nicholas Thomas "Tom" Wright (born 1 December 1948) is the Bishop of Durham in the Church of England and a leading New Testament See also List of Bishops of Durham The Bishop of Durham is the Anglican Bishop responsible for the Diocese of Durham in

Places of interest

Education

The Lichfield campus of Tamworth and Lichfield College is located on The Friary. Tamworth and Lichfield College is a college based in Staffordshire that provides Further education and Higher education.

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

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. Staffordshire University is a University with its main Campus based in the City of Stoke-on-Trent, and with other campuses in Stafford
There is a DfES Approved Independent Special School for dyslexic children at Maple Hayes Dyslexia School, Abnalls Lane.

Other items of interest

Suburbs

Stowe, Nether Stowe, Sandfields, Leomansley, Boley Park

Other developments

The population of the town is likely to have grown by at least 3,000 since the 2001 census due to the construction of a major housing development on the western edge of the city. Lichfield's estimated population as of early-2008 is approximately 31,000 inhabitants. A Waitrose supermarket has opened as part of this development, which was partly built on the site of the old cricket field.

Twinnings

The City of Lichfield is twinned with:

Transport

Lichfield is served by two railway stations, Lichfield City and Lichfield Trent Valley, both built by the London and North Western Railway. Lichfield City railway station serves the city of Lichfield, in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield Trent Valley is a split-level railway station on the outskirts of the City of Lichfield in Staffordshire, England. The London and North Western Railway (LNWR L&NWR was a Railway company of the United Kingdom which existed between 1846 and 1922 These stations are now on the Cross-City Line to Redditch via Birmingham. The Cross-City Line is a Suburban Railway line in the West Midlands region of England. Redditch is a Town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Additionally, Trent Valley station is on the West Coast Main Line with occasional trains to London and the north and more frequent local trains. The West Coast Main Line (WCML is a busy mixed-traffic railway route in the United Kingdom. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

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

See also: Energy efficiency in British housing. Domestic Housing in the United Kingdom presents one of the major opportunities for achieving the 20% overall cut in UK Carbon dioxide emissions targeted by the Government

Sport

Football : The city is represented by Lichfield City F. C. (formerly Beacon Rangers FC until June 2006) who play in the Marstons Burton & District FA Pedigree League, in the lower echelons of the English league system. The 2007-2008 season is so far a successful one with promotion a distinct possibility (as of mid-March 2008 they were in second position). The team play at the Beacon Park ground on the west side of the city.

Lichfield Diamonds LFC has been at the forefront of girls football in Staffordshire for many years, being the first all female club to achieve Charter Standard Status. The facilities at their Collins Hill Sports Ground home are second to none, befitting their status as Staffordshire's premier ladies football club.

Rugby : Lichfield has a thriving rugby club located on the road to Whittington village, next to the Horse and Jockey public house. With both the Friary School and King Edward VI School having accomplished youth teams, LRFC has a wide variety of talented up-and-coming young players in their team, and a strong XI team.

See also

References

  1. ^ History of the City and Cathedral of Lichfield, John Jackson, 1805
  2. ^ Lichfield Town Government, Victoria County History, A History of the County of Stafford, M. W. Greenslade, 1990, British History Online
  3. ^ Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, Bernard Burke, 1847
  4. ^ History, Gazeteer and Directory of Staffordshire and the City and County, William White, 1834
  5. ^ Johnsonian Miscellanies, George Birkbeck Norman1897

External links

Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. Letocetum, now known as the village of Wall, Staffordshire, England, is the remains of a Roman settlement The Bishop of Lichfield is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Lichfield in the Province of Canterbury. The Lichfield Gospels (also known as the Chad Gospels the Book of Chad the Gospels of St Earl of Lichfield is a title that has been created three times in British history The Lichfield Cricket Club, though not the best cricket club in the Birmingham Premier Cricket League endeavours to have the most fun The Lichfield Canal, as it is now known was historically a part of the Wyrley and Essington Canal, being the section of that canal from Ogley Junction at Brownhills The Lichfield Garrick is a council-run Theatre in Lichfield, a city in Staffordshire, England that was formed when the old Civic Hall was remodelled The Heart of England Way is a long distance walk of around 161 km (100 mi through the Midlands of England. The Bower is well known in Lichfield, England and nearby areas
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