Research into Anglo-Saxon life in the region is set to be presented at Lichfield Cathedral as preparations get into full swing for the arrival of the Staffordshire Hoard in the city.
Keele University will be showcasing their findings on Saturday (June 18) in a series of lectures.
Among the topics covered will be Anglo-Saxon Staffordshire, Mercia and the Cathedral itself.
Canon Pete Wilcox, Chancellor of Lichfield Cathedral, said:
“Here is an opportunity which those who are interested in the Anglo Saxon roots of Lichfield and its Cathedral will not want to miss. We have enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Keele University over many years and are looking forward to what promises to be a fascinating day.”
The study day will take place in The Old Stables of Lichfield Cathedral (formerly the Visitor Study Centre).
Programme:
- 10am: Refreshments.
- 10.30am: David Horovitz – The Battle of Tettenhall 910. In 910 King Edward the Elder campaigned against Viking Northumbria. In retaliation the Vikings sought to ravage the English Midlands. Their army was caught at Tettenhall, or as David argues, in the land to the east near modern Wednesfield, and three Viking kings slaughtered. Northumbria retained its own king until 954 but the unification of England was perhaps inevitable after Tettenhall.
- 11.30am: Alex Rumble – The Bishops of Lichfield. What did it mean to be a bishop in Mercia in the early middle ages? What kind of men were they, and how did they exercise their roles? Over thirty men, including St Chad, held the office in the centuries before the Norman Conquest.
- 12.30pm-2pm: Lunch.
- 2pm: Andrew Sargent – Lichfield and the Lands of St Chad. The Cathedral at Lichfield lay at the centre of vast network of lands across Mercia, and churches across the diocese were dedicated to its bishop, Chad. The Staffordshire Hoard was discovered almost exactly on one of these estate boundaries. What do we know of early Lichfield, its cathedral, and its patron saint?
- 3pm: Philip Morgan – The Lichfield Pedilavium. Lichfield claims to possess a unique example of a pedilavium, an architectural feature constructed to be the site of the ritual of feet washing which we now associate with Maundy Thursday.
Entry to the full day of lectures is £15. To download an application form visit www.lichfield-cathedral.org and click on the news link, or call into the Cathedral Bookshop at No. 9 The Close, Lichfield. For more information ring 01543 306150.