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Lichfield is a small City and Civil Parish in Staffordshire , 110 miles northwest of London and 14 miles north of Birmingham . It is famous for its three-spired Cathedral and as the birthplace of Dr. Johnson , the writer of the first Dictionary Of The English Language . Today it still retains its old importance as an Ecclesiastical centre, but its Industrial development is relatively small. The centre of the city thus retains an essentially old-world character, with pockets of historic charm and attractivness. It is the main town in the Lichfield district. The population ''of the district'' according to the 2001 census is 93,237; of the city itself 27,900. HISTORY At Wall, 3 miles to the south of the present city, there was a Romano-British village called '' Letocetum '' (from the Celtic for "grey wood"), from which the first half of the name Lichfield is derived. It was based on a Roman fort next to Watling Street which was used in the first centuries AD, until about AD 160-170, when the fort's Mansio was destroyed by fire at the same time the forum in Wroxeter was also destroyed by fire. This suggests a revolt of the local British. The history of Lichfield in the following centuries is obscure. The Historia Britonum lists the city as one of the 28 cities of Britain. In the Welsh poem ''The Lament of Cynddylan'', Caer Luytcoed (cf modern Welsh Caerlwytgoed - Lichfield) or Lichfield is said to have been taken by the sword by pagan opponents, most likely the Mercians to the east. The first authentic notice of Lichfield occurs in , when they were leased to the town corporation. There is evidence that a castle existed here in the time of Henry I , and a footpath near the grammar school retains the name of Castle-ditch. Richard II gave a charter (1387) for the foundation of the gild of St Mary and St John the Baptist; this gild functioned as the local government, until its dissolution by Edward VI , who incorporated the town in 1548, vesting the government in two Bailiff s and twenty-four Burgess es; further charters were given by Mary , James I and Charles II (1664), the last, incorporating it under the title of the "bailiffs and citizens of the city of Lichfield," was the governing charter until 1835; under this charter the governing body consisted of two bailiffs and twenty-four brethren. Lichfield sent two members to the parliament of 1304 and to a few succeeding parliaments, but the representation did not become regular until 1552 ; in 1867 it lost one member, and in 1885 its representation was merged in that of the county. By the charter of James I, the market day was changed from Wednesday to Tuesday and Friday; the Tuesday market disappeared during the 19th century; the only existing fair is a small pleasure fair of ancient origin held on Ash Wednesday ; the annual fête on Whit Monday claims to date from the time of Alfred The Great . In the English Civil War , Lichfield was divided. The cathedral authorities with a certain following were for the king, but the townsfolk generally sided with the parliament, and this led to the fortification of the close in 1643 . Lichfield's position as a focus of supply routes had an important strategic significance during the war, and both forces were anxious to control the city. Lord Brooke , notorious for his hostility to the church, led an assault against it, but was killed by a deflected bullet on St Chad's day, an accident welcomed as a miracle by the Royalists. The close yielded and was retaken by Prince Rupert in this year; but on the breakdown of the king's cause in 1646 it again surrendered. The cathedral suffered extensive damage from the war. It was subsequently restored, particularly the central spire, at the end of the common wealth period, thanks in part to the gratitude and generosity of King Charles II Of England . There is a statue of Charles II by the south door of the Cathedral. During the 18th Century the city thrived as a busy coaching city on the main route to the northwest and Ireland. It also became a centre of great intellectual activity, being the home of many famous people including Samuel Johnson , David Garrick , Erasmus Darwin and Anna Seward , this prompted Johnson's remark that Lichfield was "a city of philosophers". Today the city continues to expand; to the west, a new area of housing has been under development for a number of years. ECONOMY ]] Lichfield's wealth grew along with it's importance as an Ecclesiastical centre. The original settlement prospered as the place where pilgrims gathered to worship at the shrine of St Chad , this practise continued up until the Reformation when the shrine was destroyed. In the Middle Ages the main industry in Lichfield was making woollen cloth. There was also a leather industry in Lichfield. Much of the surrounding area was open pasture and there were many surrounding farms. In the 18th Century , Lichfield became a busy coaching centre, there was little industry, the main source of wealth to the city coming from the money generated by its many visitors. The invention of the Railways saw the decline in coach travel and with it came the decline in Lichfield's prosperity. By the end of the 19th Century , Brewing was the principal industry, and in the neighbourhood were large market gardens. Today there are a number of light industrial areas predominantly in the east of the city, not dominated by any one particular industry. The district is famous for two local products: Armitage Shanks , manufacturers of Bath s/ Bidet s and Shower s, and Arthur Price of England, master cutlers and silversmiths. Many residents commute to Birmingham . FAMOUS LICHFELDIANS in Lichfield's Market Square]]
The Earl Of Lichfield 's seat is about 15 miles away at Shugborough Hall , on the edge of Cannock Chase . PLACES OF INTEREST
OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
TWINNINGS The City of Lichfield is twinned with: TRANSPORT Lichfield is served by two railway stations, Lichfield City and Lichfield Trent Valley, both built by the London And North Western Railway . These stations are now on the Cross-City Line to Redditch via Birmingham . Additionally, Trent Valley station is on the West Coast Main Line with occasional trains to London and more frequent local trains. EXTERNAL LINKS
SEE ALSO
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