Letters pray for new cathedral stamp

The image of Lichfield Cathedral will soon be dropping through letterboxes all over the UK as it appears on a new range of stamps.

Taking pride of place as the first class stamp of the Royal Mail's new collectable set being issued on May 13 the cathedral is one of only six most stunning cathedral interiors to feature in the set. The black and white image faces the high altar.

The only medieval English cathedral with three spires, known as the Ladies of the Vale, the present building is on the site of a wooden Saxon church holding the shrine of St Chad.

Other sites celebrated in the set are Belfast, Gloucester, St David's, Westminster and St Magnus in the Orkney Islands.

Lichfield's MP, Michael Fabricant said promoting the cathedral on such a national basis could only benefit the city. He said: "I am delighted that Lichfield will be promoted in this way. I think it's important to get Lichfield's name on the map because by giving Lichfield a high profile it will help stimulate the local economy.

"I've found that while people have heard of Lichfield all over the world, they don't seem to know where it is or what it has to offer.

"With the economy beginning to slow up I worry about the fate of local businesses and by encouraging more visitors and tourists to our city and the surrounding district it will promote the local economy and help support them through this tough time."

The six stamps are accompanied by a four-stamp miniature sheet of St Paul's Cathedral with the entire set celebrating the 300th anniversary of the completion of St Paul's.

Julietta Edgar, head of special stamps at the Royal Mail, said: "The level of detail achieved on the stamps is quite astonishing. The interiors of these cathedrals have been captured on the stamps in breath-taking detail, which perfectly conveys the grandeur of these beautiful buildings."

Following the promotion of Lichfield and its heritage through this first class stamp and through the special issue of a 50 pence Dr Samuel Johnson coin, Mr Fabricant intends to continue to lobby for the city to feature on a bank note.

He said: "I have been in touch with the Bank of England. Worcester Cathedral certainly used to feature on a bank note, but I think Lichfield, which is the only three-spired cathedral in the country, could be on a bank note too."