Lichfield Cathedral

Lichfield Cathedral

Lichfield Cathedral
4.5
Architectural BuildingsReligious Sites
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:30 PM - 5:00 PM
About
An Ancient Cathedral Full of Life & Wonder There has been a Cathedral in Lichfield for over 1300 years and its story is one bursting with history, art, culture and life. If you're looking for rich heritage, ancient artefacts, and stunning architecture then Lichfield Cathedral has it all. Lichfield Cathedral's story doesn't end with its past, it is very much alive with a vibrant programme of services, events and art projects to capture the imagination of all ages.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
The area
Address
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • bryanmZ8311OL
    26 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing visit to the Cathedral
    Amazing visit to the Cathedral There is a wealth of History in the Cathedral and the Exhibits are fantastic. They have a interactive board where you can learn about the Cathedral or the people that are statues or exhibits and you can play puzzles In late September to early November there is an Earth exhibition in the Cathedral and it makes you think that you are in space, it truly is fantastic and definitely worth a visit. In December the Cathedral put on a beautiful Christmas Light Show I give this a five star rating.. Taynie Hopkinson
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 16 October 2023
  • Roger K
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lichfield and it's Cathedral.
    Such an interesting tour of Lichfield Cathedral. What an amazing building and our guide Malcolm was full of enthusiasm and memorable accounts of its turbulent history. We are planning a second visit already, next July for the music festival! Love Lichfield and it's imposing Cathedral.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 1 November 2023
  • MR19702602
    Staffordshire, United Kingdom1,447 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Christmas Trees
    Visited the cathedral whilst the Christmas tree event was on. Free to go in but please gift aid a donation. 51 trees on display for you to choose you’re fave and vote with the token. Stunning. So much effort gone into this. Well worth a visit
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 8 December 2023
  • Cindy D
    Warrington, United Kingdom1,314 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    In the area so thought I would pop in
    Never been to this Cathedral before, but have been to many others. I was greeted as soon as I entered and given an explanation of what was what. I didn’t have time for a guided tour so just wizzed round on my own. I am sure there is some great history, lovely architecture and stained glass windows. There was a very impressive Christmas Tree festival going on, you paid £1.00 to walk around and look at all the trees, you were given a token to vote for your favourite one. There was a nice buzz of people around. A gift shop selling some nice bits and pieces. If your in the area it’s well worth going into see this historic Cathedral
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 19 December 2023
  • Anna J
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent day out
    This was a fantastic day out, so much to see and learn. Knowledgeable volunteers added fascinating knowledge to our visit. Graham was about to run a tour but took the time to show us so many more unknown and hidden things to see. Highly recommend.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 27 December 2023
  • Amy and the 3 barmy wenches
    Walsall, United Kingdom10 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautifully preserved timeless masterpiece
    I love Litchfield cathedral, it is very peaceful, so many things to see inside and out. Beautifully preserved and still an active place of worship. Highly recommend visiting the cathedral and the surrounding area. History fans will love this place!
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 8 February 2024
  • EGM68
    Gateshead, United Kingdom213 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Impressive
    Impressive building with an interesting history and some stunning architecture. We paid for the guided tour which was excellent and really brought the history of the cathedral to life. Worth visiting for the superb stained glass windows alone.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 26 February 2024
  • helensims61
    Wark, United Kingdom663 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    What a lovely cathedral
    I was at a loose end so took myself off to Lichfield for a day out on my buss pass. Made very welcome by the volunteers inside the cathedral, one pointed out things interesting . Lovely glass windows. You can spend as long as you like having a look around even have a sit if you want. It was nice and warm inside. No charge to go in just asked for donations, there is also a small gift area
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 2 March 2024
  • LyndaMW
    Macungie, Pennsylvania66 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Candlelight library tour
    Check the schedule to see if these tours are offered during your visit. Our tour lasted ~2 hrs & we were shown ~6 different books from the cathedral’s collection — medieval scribe-written on vellum, early illustrated texts, several different type-set texts, both a Wycliffe & Genevan Bible. Different books are chosen for the tours at least annually. One caution…we were standing the entire time while being shown the books.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 27 March 2024
  • Gregory B
    1 contribution
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good setting, good number of spires
    I spent a couple of hours here and thoroughly enjoyed my time. The cathedral is in a nice setting with superb external stonework. There was a small exhibition of old books from the library on a variety of topics which was of interest. Took part in Evensong for the first time, very friendly staff/volunteers.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 29 March 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles2,146 reviews
Excellent
1,625
Very good
433
Average
58
Poor
13
Terrible
17

Big_Jeff_Leo
St Helens, UK22,620 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2022
Famous for its three spires, this Cathedral is really spectacular. The architecture and stonework are outstanding with many carved figures both inside and outside. The stained glass is also outstanding particularly at the right time of day when the light shines through. There's a lot to explore here, and you should calculate at least 1.5 hours to inspect most of the artworks and monuments. The entry is free, and you're allowed to take pictures at no extra cost. Take advantage of one of the free tours as your really will get the best out of your visit. Don't also miss the opportunity to explore the Cathedral Close which has a story entirely of its own.
Written 25 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David B
Oxford, UK47 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021
We checked the cathedral web site and saw that the cathedral had restricted opening for a few days - no indication of why, so we went ahead with a visit. I wish we hadn't...

Most of the cathedral was inaccessible due to a music event. The rest of the cathedral was more like a warehouse than an historic place of worship, with chairs lined up to form a narrow one-way system for visitors. The chairs prevented close-up viewing of the historic features and the music event meant you couldn't appreciate the fantastic architecture.

When I mentioned this to one of the staff, I got an officious 'COVID' excuse. The cathedral needs to learn from other cathedrals how to properly manage visitors; the previous day we were in Chester and the cathedral, staff and COVID management were absolutely perfect! If you have the choice, go to Chester instead...
Written 16 July 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cheekycockney190757
Basildon, UK11,485 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
Visited on Sunday 24th October 2021. Parked in Parking Lichfield opposite the Minster Pool, which was convenient for the Cathedral. The walk-up The Close Road provides a stunning view framed by the houses. We walked all the way around the Cathedral before walking in and this provides opportunities to view the building in all its glory as the surrounding buildings frame the Cathedral. Once inside the cathedral is similar to other major cathedrals in structure and unfortunately, the relationship with the visual artist the cathedral has didn't result in an interesting display on our visit but check the cathedral website to see what is on when you visit though some require payment I understand. Inside there are opportunities to make a contribution using contactless payment.
Written 6 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bonjgb1009
Poole, UK901 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
Lichfield Cathedral with its unique three spires may not be as large or as ornate at other UK cathedrals, but walking along The Close the first views of the cathedral is impressive, even dark. The closer you get you realise how spectacular it is, especially the front facade with its enormous number of statues. It definitely has its own specific beautiful. Walk around the outside the rest is equally as good.
Inside is just as impressive. The structure, columns, arches, roof stonework and the beautiful stained-glass windows put it on a par with many other cathedrals. It may not have the grandeur of many but it has its own grandness. The memorials on the walls are very interesting especially the military memorials of the various Staffordshire Regiments and the impact of the various local residents and dignitaries.
Entrance to the cathedral was free, brilliant, donations were discretionary but when given they are very appreciative. The free guided tours taking about 45 mins, at various times during the day are well worth taking if you have the time. The guides, taking small groups, are so knowledgeable and informative and seem happy in their job.
Well worth the visit and fi in Lichfield should not be missed. We will go back.
Written 27 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jeand1624
Lichfield, UK241 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Solo
It doesn't matter how many times I visit this beautiful cathedral there is always something new to see. Christmas is an especially beautiful time with the gorgeous tree displays that have been decorated by people from schools and businesses in the community. There is the Lichfield Gospels exhibition and ofcourse the Lichfield Angel which was found in 2003 during excavations beneath the nave floor. You can sit quietly and reflect or just take in the architecture.
Written 30 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MrsB707
Birmingham, UK23 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021 • Family
We had tickets for the cathedral illuminated, unfortunately the organisers changed it to outdoor only due to Covid, which I could not really see why, on the original instructions it stated to wear a face mask and to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test, which we would have adhered to. Why then change it to outdoor only? The show outside lasted about 30 mins, all the children were bored.
Would not go again. Might have been a different story if it was also inside. Not worth the money.
Written 19 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anne T
Rugby, UK11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2020
We arrived at 11 am to find that under the current restrictions we couldn't visit the interior of the Cathedral until 1.30 which was a disappointment. There was an opportunity for quiet prayer at 11.30 and we sat quietly and peacefully in this beautiful building. We will return in due course to have a proper look around. But what was outstanding was the extremely warm welcome we received from the volunteers manning the door. They were obviously passionate about the building and apologetic that they were unable to welcome visitors in the normal way. They answered our questions and encouraged us to return, which we will. In these difficult times it was good just to 'be', and this was probably far more beneficial than seeing it a site seeing visit.
Written 23 September 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AlisonandSimon87
Hertford, UK14 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2020
We were looking forward to visiting the Cathedral while staying in Lichfield. So we arrived at 1545, with 15 mins left of admission time left (and 45 mins of visiting time), to be told quite abruptly that 'we're closing early today' and the door almost slammed in our faces. No hint of explanation or apology. We did email the Cathedral to explain our frustration and disappointment, but without any response so far.
From the outside it is a stunning structure with an unusual 3 spire design so should be well worth a visit.
Written 5 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jeff M
Paris, France197 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
If you like wandering around English cathedrals, this one is pretty good. The interior is much as you'd expect. The welcome was friendly, and they didn't charge a fee, merely asked if we'd like to make a donation, which is fair.
Written 22 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TriciaBishop
Bradford, UK1,692 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Couples
Enjoyed a walk around this beautiful medieval cathedral whilst visiting Lichfield for the first time. Both the interior and exterior are amazing and you can see the different age of the various areas.
There was an exhibition of scientists through the ages which I really enjoyed. I would love to return and take more time. A small donation is desired as the up keep of the cathedral is £6000 a day I think.
Written 6 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 2,101
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Lichfield Cathedral

All Lichfield HotelsLichfield Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Lichfield
All things to do in Lichfield
RestaurantsFlightsHoliday RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesCar Hire