#Write photo – Pillars

When ever I travel to England I am always struck by the magnificence of the cathedrals and churches. The attention to detail and incredible carvings leave me at a loss for words to describe their splendor.

On our most recent trip to the UK a few weeks ago we visited Lichfield Cathedral near the city off Birmingham.

I saw the most wonderful carved pillars and arches.

The first cathedral in Lichfield was consecrated on Christmas Day 700. It is dedicated to St Chad, the first Bishop in Lichfield in 669 and was built to house the bones of St Chad which had become a sacred shrine to many pilgrims after his death in 672.

The one remaining volume of the Lichfield Gospels, also know as the Book of Chad, is on display in the cathedral. The second volume went missing around the time of the English Civil War. Unfortunately, the book was closed during our visit as it was being given a rest from the light.

There are many fascinating sculptures and items of interest to see in this cathedral, we spend over 90 minutes there, but the one item that really captures your imagination is the Lichfield Angel. This depiction of the Archangel Gabriel was discovered under the nave of the cathedral in 2003. It was originally part of a stone chest which is thought to have contained the relics of St Chad. The panel was broken in three places but is still very beautiful.

The cathedral also has two ancient stones on display. These are from a Norman cathedral that was built on the same site from 1085 A.D. These carvings had been used as rubble in the foundations of the later building.

Lichfield Cathedral is definitely one of the oldest and most beautiful cathedrals I have visited to date.

This post was written for Sue Vincent’s photograph prompt: Pillars. You can join in the challenge here: https://scvincent.com/2018/09/20/thursday-photo-prompt-pillars-writephoto/