Walking in the footsteps of monks
Dominated by a stunning cathedral, a walk around the picturesque city of Lichfield in Staffordshire takes in stories of pilgrims, prisoners and philosophers
Nestled in the gentle countryside of South Staffordshire, the city of Lichfield basks in the afternoon sun, the three spires of its magnificent cathedral glowing rose pink and gold. This is one of the smallest cities in England, and the cathedral never seems far away as the visitor explores the bustling streets that cluster round its skirts. Lichfield spans a shallow valley, framed to the west by the heaths and woodlands of Cannock Chase and to the east by the rivers Trent and Tame. It was made prosperous by its cathedral; medieval pilgrims travelling from far and wide to pray beside the bones of its saint, Chad, and take its healing waters. Later, having endured three sieges during the English Civil War in the 17th century, the city thrived once more as a coaching town, a natural stop-off point at the centre of the country. It was during this time that Lichfield earned its reputation as the City of Philosophers, home to some of the
brightest minds of the 18th century, who ushered in the ideas and innovations of a new industrial age. A walk just over two miles long passes through the heart of the city, absorbing its stories of prisoners and martyrs, taking in green parks and tranquil pools, and the homes of some of its most famous residents. It begins at the site of the old Friary on the west side of the city centre.
Helping hands
Reached through a handsome stone portico, the small green space of the Friary garden houses the remnants of what was once a resplendent church, built by a group of Franciscan monks who came to Lichfield in 1237. By this time, the town was already an established ecclesiastical centre, having been the seat of the bishops of Mercia since the 7th century. With a mission of preaching, prayer and helping the sick and poor, the monks were popular in the town, and their Friary gradually spread to cover 12 acres, with religious, work and domestic buildings. After thriving for more than 300 years, the Friary fell victim to Henry VIII’s bid to break the grip of the Catholic Church. In 1538, the monastery was disbanded, its wealth confiscated and most of the buildings demolished. Today, the remains
of the nave wall lie amid sweet-smelling flowers in this tranquil garden; stone slabs laid out to mark the extent of the church. The only remnant of the original Friary stands across the busy road that now bisects the monks’ land. Known as the Bishop’s Lodging, it was built in 1295, and today forms one corner of a graceful sandstone mansion built by Gregory Stonynge, a leading Lichfield figure of the time, after the Friary was destroyed. Leaving the garden, the route continues left, past the corner of Bird Street, where the gatehouse to the Friary once stood, and on to Bore Street. These streets would have been familiar to the monks, as the centre of Lichfield retains most of the plan laid out by Bishop Roger Clinton in the 12th century.
Dark history
Today, Bore Street is lined with a mix of shops and cafés, colourful bunting fluttering in the breeze as Victorian facades jostle with more modern buildings and office workers peer out of elegant Georgian windows. Known as Bord Street in the medieval period, over the centuries its name changed to Bor, Boar and then to the Bore of today, the original ‘bords’ thought to be the wooden boards on which goods would be traded in the nearby market place. A black-and-white timber building soon comes into view on the right, its lower storey seeming to sink under the weight of those above. Known as the Tudor of Lichfield, it was built in 1510 as the home of a wealthy townsman. Today, it is a family-run tearoom, whose cheery atmosphere belies a dark past. Lichfield was a Royalist stronghold in the Civil War of the 1640s, and fighting here was fierce, with attack and counter-attack before the Parliamentarians ultimately triumphed. Both sides used the Tudor as a prison, and sockets in the cellar walls where captives were chained are still visible. Prisoners also scratched their names, crosses and other graffiti into the oak doors. One notable signature is that of John Hampden, a leading campaigner for the rights of Parliament and a harsh critic of Charles I. Hampden survived the fighting in Lichfield, but died of wounds he received in later battle. His statue still stands in the lobby of the Houses of Parliament, close to where the King tried unsuccessfully to have him arrested. Next door to the Tudor stands Donegal House, a grand red brick and stucco building constructed in 1730 for merchant James Robinson. Adjoining it is the Guildhall, the seat of governance in Lichfield for more than 600 years. The hall’s facade, with Gothic-style windows and impressive iron-studded door, are the product of a Victorian restoration, but traces of the original 14th century building are still visible in the courtyard. As well as hosting meetings of the city’s aldermen, from 1548, the Guildhall also housed some of Lichfield’s less illustrious residents. The lower floor of the building contained 11 cells, including
“The Evening shines in May’s luxuriant pride, And all the sunny hills at distance glow, And all the brooks that thro’ the Valley flow, Seem liquid gold” Anna Seward, ‘Written on Rising Ground, near Lichfield’
two for debtors and a condemned cell in which prisoners were kept before execution. Some of these can be visited today, reached through the iron gates of the old police station.
Shelter for the poor
The route continues up Bore Street until a T-junction is formed with Conduit Street. As its name suggests, this marks the place where a conduit once stood, part of a system of piped water which, by the 1480s, supplied much of the city centre. Turning into Conduit Street and on to the Market Square, the walk passes the stone arcades of the Victorian Corn Exchange, erected on the former site of a ‘market for the poor’. This idea goes back to the Middle Ages, when James Denton, the dean of the cathedral from 1522-1533, built eight arches around the market cross and covered it with a roof, providing a shelter for ‘poor market folks to stand dry in’. To the left of the cobbled square rises the spire of St Mary’s church, around which the market, held every week since 1153, originally took place. This is the fifth church to occupy the site, and today also acts as a heritage centre. Amid the noise and bustle, it is sobering to remember that four people were burned alive in this place. During the reign of Mary I, Thomas Hayward, John Goreway and Joyce Lewis were burned at the stake for their Protestant faith. Later, in 1612, Edward Wightman was convicted of heresy and became the last person in England to suffer this gruesome fate.
Natural pools
Continuing as Conduit Street narrows into Dam Street, the route passes the quaint timber-framed buildings of Quonians Lane, where repair work and stonemasonry for the cathedral were once carried out. Further along, a worn stone plaque above the door of Brooke House marks the place where Lord Brooke, a Roundhead general, died in 1643. He was killed by a single shot fired from the middle spire of the cathedral by a local deaf and mute man named John Dyott. Tradition has it that John’s sharp eyes spotted a flash of Lord Brooke’s distinctive uniform as he briefly came out of his hiding place. The walk now arrives at Speaker’s Corner, and the dam that gave the street its name. This area of the city was once known as Moggs, meaning boggy, marshy ground, and two natural pools form here, filled by the Trunkfield and Leomansley brooks which flow into the city from the hills above. The dam was built to retain Minster Pool, the glittering sheet of
water which now stretches away to the low arches of the causeway bridge. Formerly a medieval millpond, the pool was landscaped in 1772 by the Romantic poet, Anna Seward, known as the ‘Swan of Lichfield’, a prominent member of Lichfield’s close-knit literary circle. Pool Walk is a pleasant stroll along the water’s edge. At the bottom, the route crosses Bird Street into Beacon Park and the Museum Gardens. First laid out in the late 1800s, the gardens are now part of almost 70 acres of green space in the city centre where, as well as woodland walks and a boating pool, visitors can enjoy some notable pieces of sculpture. Beyond the fountain which bubbles near the entrance, Commander Edward Smith, captain of the Titanic, stares, arms folded, from his granite plinth. The statue was made by Lady Kathleen Scott, widow of Scott of the famous Antarctic expedition, and unveiled by Smith’s daughter two years after the sea captain sank beneath the waves with his ship. Smith was born in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, but Lichfield was chosen for the statue’s location because it is at the centre of the diocese that includes Hanley. Lichfield was also a convenient stopping point on the major coaching route between London and Liverpool at that time. The plaque below commemorates his ‘great heart, brave life and heroic death’. The park is also home to the Plaque of the Martyrs, the remains of an 18th century stone slab which was originally on the front of the Guildhall. It depicts an event that was traditionally thought to have given Lichfield its name: the massacre in AD288 of 999 Christians by Roman soldiers. The site became known as ‘the field of corpses’, and from here came Lichfield, ‘lic’ being Old English for a corpse. Today, it is thought the city’s name actually derives from Letocetum, meaning, less dramatically, ‘beside the grey wood’. Exiting the park, the walk crosses the road once more, turning left to pass the Garden of Remembrance, with its memorial to the city’s war dead. Crossing the end of The Close gives a tantalising glimpse of the ornate west front of the cathedral, but first, the route goes to the Palladian mansion which stands on the corner. Now a museum, this was once the home of Erasmus Darwin, doctor, scientist and writer, and one of the most gifted intellectuals of the 18th century. Tucked away at the rear of the museum is a walled herb garden, suffused with the scent of lavender and roses. Closest to the house are the herbs and spices used for cleaning and cooking. Beyond, the beds are filled with medicinal plants that would have been prescribed by Erasmus, such as goldenrod, chicory and wormwood.
Cathedral houses
A narrow alleyway leaves the courtyard at the top right corner, opening out on to the stunning West Front of the cathedral.
“Here high in air the rising stream he pours To clay-built cisterns, or to lead-lined towers; Fresh through a thousand pipes the wave distils, And thirsty cities drink the exuberant rills” Erasmus Darwin, ‘The Botanic Garden’
Here, beneath spires that tower almost 200ft (60m) into the air, stand tier upon tier of angels, bishops, kings and prophets, and although most of the statues are Victorian replicas of the medieval originals, their effect is no less spectacular. Around the cathedral loops The Close, where those involved with the cathedral lived and worked. To the left, Vicars Close is reached through a small passageway set back from the curve of the road. In 1315, this land was given to the Vicars Choral, who sang offices at the cathedral. Most of these timber-framed buildings still stand, leaning crookedly into two courtyards, surrounded by pots of bright flowers. The route makes its way around the cathedral, passing a late 17th century building now used by Lichfield Cathedral School, and built on the site of the medieval bishop’s palace. On reaching Dam Street, the walk takes the first turning left, between the red brick walls of Reeves Lane. At the end of the lane, the route splits in two, the right-hand path opening out to a sparkling sheet of water.
Waterside path
Once a medieval millpond, by the 18th century Stowe Pool had become a popular place to take a stroll away from the city. In 1856, the water level was raised to create a reservoir, with a path lined by ornamental trees skimming its banks. It is still a cherished beauty spot; geese and ducks gliding on the calm water and fishing rods poking out from tents as anglers stalk carp and perch. Walking clockwise, it is worth pausing at a willow tree standing close to a bench. Known as Johnson’s Willow, this tree is a direct descendant of one that stood here in the 1700s which was famed for its size and beauty. This tree was much loved by Lichfield’s most famous son,
the lexicographer, wit and man of letters, Samuel Johnson, whose father, Michael, owned a parchment factory nearby. Johnson used to rest in the shade of the willow and visited the tree when returning to Lichfield after moving to London. As the path rounds the pool, the square tower of St Chad’s church grows larger on the horizon, marking one of the most significant sites in the city. It is reached by leaving the path down steps at the top of Stowe Pool and crossing the road. Chad was the youngest of four Northumbrian brothers involved in the early church, renowned for his piety and for walking long distances to preach the gospel. He came to Lichfield in AD669, having been appointed bishop of the Mercians and Lindsey people. He was gifted land to build a small monastery and chose a spot beside a spring, where he used to pray and baptise converts. He built a small wooden church close by, replaced in the 12th century by the mellow stone structure that now stands amid the yews. A sweeping path to the left of the church leads down to St Chad’s Well. On his death, only three years after he came to Lichfield, Chad was already regarded as a saint, and his well became a place of pilgrimage as stories of cures from the water circulated. He was buried near his church, but in AD700, his bones were moved to the newly completed cathedral.
Famous son
The walk now returns to complete the circuit of Stowe Pool, with panoramic views of the cathedral spires soaring above the town. At the end of Reeves Lane, there is a left turn, retracing the route along
Dam Street to the market place. Now the walk goes to the bottom of the square, to a white-stuccoed building dating from 1708, whose jutting upper storeys are supported by pillars. Here, above his father’s bookshop, Samuel Johnson was born in 1709, giant of the literary world. Johnson is most famous for his Dictionary of the English Language, published in 1755, which took nine years to complete. He was also a noted essayist, poet and literary critic, and was renowned for his wit and sharp intellect. Today, the house where he spent a difficult childhood, plagued by ill health and poverty as his father’s business failed, houses a collection of artefacts. A statue depicting Johnson sitting deep in thought, faces the house; close by stands a second statue, of his famous biographer and friend, the diarist, James Boswell. The walk draws to an end along Breadmarket Street, passing St Mary’s. Opposite, a plaque marks the place, now solicitors’ offices, where Elias Ashmole, lawyer, scholar and founding member of the Royal Society, was born in 1617. Elias had a deep interest in alchemy, astrology and magic, and was also a keen collector of books and antiquities. His collection became the basis of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford University. Breadmarket Street then joins Bore Street and the return to the Friary, to come full circle on a fascinating walk through history.
“...who is there so insensible of the beauties of nature, so little delighted with the renovation of the world, as not to feel his heart bound at the mention of the spring?” Samuel Johnson, The Adventurer