Normally when there isn’t a charge for churches, museums and the like we will give a suitable amount, as we did at Lichfield Cathedral.

Wells Cathedral doesn’t insist on a charge to enter but the way the approach is constructed makes it difficult or embarrassing to avoid. It leaves a small amount of resentment towards the institution and spoils the experience a bit.

Wells Cathedral is quite impressive inside though.

Ceiling:-

Ceiling and altar:-

Perhaps the most striking feature is a set of internal buttresses. These were inserted when the addition to the cathedral of a heightened tower and spire meant the walls started to bend, necessitating internal strengthening and bracing. Three are known as St Andrew’s Cross arches. The fourth side is braced by a choir screen:-

I must have moved my camera on this shot though:-

The Chantry Chapel:-

Inside the Chantry Chapel:-

Another ceiling, by the Chapter House I think:-

Low Altar and St Andrew’s arch:-

Boer War Memorial Dedication:-

Name plaques:-

Memorial flags including the Chindits:-

World War 2 Roll of Honour, Staffordshire Regiment:-

Memorial, to Burmah Campaign, 1853:-

Sutlej Campaign, 1815/1816, Memorial:-

Whatever I had imagined Lichfield Cathedral would contain I certainly wasn’t prepared for a huge model of planet Earth. Called Gaia, it’s an imposing artwork by Luke Jerram.

It brought home to me just how far up the planet from the South Pole the British Isles are. From most angles of the cathedral’s floor they couldn’t be seen:-

Gaia from the cathedral choir:-

Main entrance door and stained glass window:-

Model and floor plan of cathedral:-

Altar and stained glass:-

Stained glass windows:-

High altar:-

Spode Memorial Window:-

The Lichfield Angel, remnant of sculpture:-

On our trip down south last year we had always planned to stop at Lichfield to view the Cathedral. It’s an impressive building, the only mediæval Cathedral in the UK with three spires:-

The West Front (above) is adorned with statues of kings, queens and saints:-

South spire:-

The east spire was shrouded in scaffolding when we were there:-

Mediæval tomb to south side (possibly of a bishop?)-

The Cathedral was badly damaged during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms (once called the English Civil War.) After the Restoration of the Crown King Charles II was instrumental in having repairs done. His statue stands in this corner:-

There were also renovations carried out in Victorian times.