Angel appears in Chapter House
Anglo Saxon treasures have been put in place in their new permanent display cabinet at Lichfield Cathedral. The Cathedral's St Chad Gospels and the Lichfield Angel stone sculpture can now be seen in the Chapter House.
Anglo Saxon treasures have been put in place in their new permanent display cabinet at Lichfield Cathedral. The Cathedral's St Chad Gospels and the Lichfield Angel stone sculpture can now be seen in the Chapter House.
The gospels, an illuminated Anglo Saxon gospel book which dates from about 730 were previously hidden away behind a pillar in a cabinet which has done good service for more than 30 years but which no longer met conservation standards.
The Lichfield Angel, perhaps the finest surviving piece of late 8th/early 9th century stone sculpture in the country, languished in the transportation crate in which it was returned to the cathedral by the conservator in 2007. It has never before been professionally mounted and displayed.
The display of the treasures is part of a £120,000 upgrade of the Chapter House, including its security, in preparation for the forthcoming exhibition of treasures from the Staffordshire Hoard on Tour later this summer.
Funding has come from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Foyle Foundation, the Staffordshire Hoard Partnership, Friends of Lichfield Cathedral, Lichfield District Council and the Cathedral community.
Canon Pete Wilcox, Chancellor of Lichfield Cathedral, said:"We have been waiting several years for the opportunity to display these national treasures in a way that truly reflects their significance.
"The St Chad Gospels, in particular, deserve to be far better known and we hope that the new display arrangements will begin to give them the profile they deserve.
* The Staffordshire Hoard On Tour will be open daily from July 30 until Details: 01543 412121.
