Lichfield. Staffordshire's best kept secret.

Several weeks ago I visited Staffordshire’s best kept secret- Lichfield. This small, but ancient city attracts locals and visitors from far and wide.  Saturdays in Lichfield are particularly busy, since like most English towns it is market day and the central market square buzzes with stall holders selling all kinds of basic products.  Overlooking the market square in a well restored Georgian building is the Samuel Johnson museum, Lichfield’s most famous citizen. Dr Johnson (as he was later called) was born here in 1709. His father was a bookseller with a small shop on the ground floor. The house is very well preserved with numerous authentic contemporary exhibits and admission is free.

It is St Chad’s however that attracts the tourists. As the oldest building in Lichfield, it glorifies in its central position, its three majestic spires dominating the valley and making an impressive landmark that literally takes you the visitor by surprise. Inside, the cathedral is equally spectacular, with lofty ceilings and hidden chapels carved out of rich soft sandstone. For many years prior to the reformation, St Chad's was a place of mass pilgrimage.

Besides Dr Samuel Johnson and St Chad’s cathedral, the city also boasts another museum, dedicated to another famous resident: Erasmus Darwin, Charles Darwin’s grandfather. Erasmus Darwin was a renowned 18^th century philosopher and his museum is situated just opposite the cathedral.

Lichfield is probably the most photographed destination outside Alton Towers. It has several well restored medieval buildings and numerous examples of elegant Georgian town houses. It also has several traditional tea shops, and of course, restaurants,  pubs and cafes to rest your tired feet. So why not pay it a visit?

How to get there?  Lichfield is situated only 18 miles from Stafford, from where there are regular train and bus services (Arriva Midlands 825).