Sights in Lichfield
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Erasmus Darwin House
After turning down the job of royal physician to King George III – perhaps a lucky escape, considering the monarch's descent into madness – Erasmus Darwin became a leading light in the Lunar Society, debating the origins of life with such luminaries as Wedgwood, Boulton and Watt, decades before his grandson Charles came up with the theory of evolution. The former house of the 'Grandfather of Evolution' contains some intriguing personal effects, and at the back is a fragrant herb garden leading to Cathedral Close.
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Lichfield Cathedral
Crowned by three dramatic towers, Lichfield Cathedral is a stunning Gothic fantasy, constructed in stages from 1200 to 1350. The enormous vaulted nave is set slightly off line from the choir, creating a bizarre perspective when viewed from the west door, and carvings inside the cathedral still bear signs of damage caused by Civil War soldiers sharpening their swords.
In the octagonal Chapter House, you can view the illuminated Chad Gospels, created around AD 730, an ornate Anglo-Saxon bas-relief known as the Lichfield Angel, and a faded but glorious medieval wall painting above the door.
At the time of writing, the seven splendid 1530s Flemish stained glass windows – the…
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Lichfield Heritage Centre
A nicely presented series of exhibits covering 1300 years of Lichfield history, set in the old St Mary's Church. Climb the tower for sweeping city views.
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Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum
A short walk south of Erasmus Darwin House, this absorbing museum charts the life of the pioneering lexicographer, wit, poet and critic Samuel Johnson, who moved to London from his native Lichfield and devoted nine years to producing the first dictionary of the English language. Johnson was later immortalised in James Boswell's famous biography The Life of Samuel Johnson. Ten years in the making, Johnson's first dictionary helped define the word 'dull' with this example: 'to make dictionaries is dull work'. It's a lovely property to explore and a short dramatised film on a flatscreen TV upstairs narrates Johnson's life story.
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