Lichfield Cathedral is an
Anglican cathedral in
Lichfield,
Staffordshire. A church was first built on the site in 700 by Bishop
Headda to house the bones of
Saint Chad of Mercia. The original wooden building was replaced by a Norman cathedral made from stone, which in turn was replaced by the present
Gothic structure, begun in 1195. The cathedral suffered extensive damage during the
English Civil War: the central spire was demolished, the roofs ruined and the stained-glass windows smashed. Bishop
John Hacket began the restoration in the 1660s, but the damage was not fully repaired until the 19th century. This photograph shows the exterior of the cathedral as seen from the northeast.
Photograph credit: David Iliff