Number of places: 20, cost £12, organised by the Architecture Section

A gentle stroll of about 90 minutes duration around the Cathedral Close to hear about Erasmus Darwin House, its most famous occupant, the Cathedral, its role as a place of pilgrimage, fortifications, almshouses, the Bishop’s Palace, Dean’s House and much more.

Meet at Erasmus Darwin House, Beacon Street, Lichfield, WS13 7AD.  Complimentary tea and coffee will be available from about 10.30am at the museum, in time to start the tour at 11am.

Parking: Please be advised that some car parks in Lichfield increase their charges on Saturdays; check online for details. The nearest car park to Erasmus Darwin House is Bird Street, which charges £8 for 4 hours or £20 for all day on Saturday. Please note that parking in the Close is restricted to permit holders only.

Travel by car: Exit the A38 at the Swinfen interchange (the exit onto the A5127 at Streethay is closed).  Take the A5206, then the A51 into the city centre.  Ignore the sign that directs you to the left – this is a circuitous route through housing estates. For the return journey the slip road at Streethay back onto the A38 towards Derby is open.

By Train: There are two stations in Lichfield: of these, Lichfield City station is a 10-minute walk to the Cathedral and there is a regular, direct service from Birmingham New Street.

If you would like to continue your visit after the tour, the Cathedral (with the new shrine of St Chad designed by Robert Kilgour who spoke to the Society about the project in December last year) and Erasmus Darwin House museum are both open until 5.00pm while the nearby Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum and Bookshop at Breadmarket Street, WC13 6LG are open until 4.30pm. Please check their websites for details, availability, booking and costs. These are not part of the DAS morning tour.

Library open upstairs on the 1st floor.

Alfreton & District Heritage Trust 10^th anniversary

Archaeological talk and visit to Medieval Whitwell Wood, Whitwell, part of the Rutland Estate.

The British Horological Society’s museum is based at the Grade II* listed Upton Hall near Newark in Nottinghamshire, designed in 1828 in the fashionable Neo-Classical style by architect William Donthorne for Thomas Wright, a notable figure in Nottingham’s banking sector. Our tour will include the history of British Horological Society and of Upton Hall itself as well as the fascinating collection of clocks, watches and timepieces. After a break for lunch (café available at Upton Hall) we will continue to the nearby village of Lowdham where the railway signalbox has been preserved and fitted out with period Midland Railway signalling equipment, with a chance to have a go operating the instruments and levers.

Meet 10.00am at Upton Hall, Main Street, Upton, Newark-on-Trent NG23 5TE. The ground floor of Upton Hall is fully accessible, but the upper floor to the hall and the signalbox are via stairs.

20 places available – £20 per person

Organised by the Industrial Archaeology Section