The Ladies of the Vale.

A passing reference in an article about English Heritage got me thinking about Lichfield Cathedral. I live only a few miles from Lichfield and going to "feed the ducks" in the Minster Pool was/is a regular treat for my children when they were little, and now for my grandchildren. The cathedral's main claim to fame is that it is the only medieval cathedral in the country built with three spires - there are a few around with three spires because one of the original four has fallen down, but Lichfield is the only one to be built with three. The main entrance - the West Front - is covered with over a hundred statues of monarchs and saints, and presents a very imposing (and strangely, I've always found a rather friendly) image as you walk towards it. I've only recently discovered that, although this may well have been how it looked in medieval times, virtually all the work on this front only dates back just over a hundred years. During the Civil War the cathedral was trashed, and it was only in Victorian times that it was restored to something like its original state. If you get the chance, it's well worth a visit.