LHS – Dronfield Heritage Barn

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.

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