Great Mistakes at Lichfield Cathedral

This is what I hope to be the first in a series for English Cathedrals, telling their architectural history through the funnest part: the bits where they screwed up!
Here I visit Lichfield Cathedral in Staffordshire, in the Middle Ages joint-head of the diocese of Coventry and Lichfield, heir of an important Mercian religious centre. Its cathedral, despite ravages of the English Civil War, James "Destroyer" Wyatt's hamfisted fixer-uppers and Gilbert Scott's Victorian sheen, still displays many typical thumb-prints of its medieval builders.
Music is short excerpts from each movement of criminally under-regarded English composer Havergal Brian's Symphony No. 1, "The Gothic". They are all taken from a radio recording of the 1980 performance under champion of the unfamiliar Ole Schmidt, not any of the commercial releases. So hope it is educational fair use for this incredible work.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphon...)
Listen to the 1989 recording (the only non-live recording that exists) on Spotify:
open.spotify.com/album/4uQiqP...
I mean, if you have two hours spare and want to spend it listening to a mindbogglingly gigantic orchestral force (nearly unlistenable without Spotify Premium, because it's split into so many tracks)

[@cameramao2716]

I live here and almost grew up in that cathedral, it is a work of art but I find it amusing to keep finding little facts like this to add to the secret toilets and etched-up choir-boy room walls I already have seen. Did you know there are peregrine falcons roosting in the central tower?

[@robertlimestone6248]

The whole thing needs a pressure steam wash to clean all the green mold and black soot off.

[@DrWrapperband]

I thought that once but now seeing new walls quickly succumb to black "mold" in rainy Oldham - I don't think it is soot. Also, pressure washing removes the surface of the stone to remove the mold, not a good idea long term.

[@normanchristie4524]

I habe just revisited your analysis of Lichfield Cathedral. Really enjoyed your observations; It is a truly ‘wonky’ build but that is what makes It LICHFIELD! A bit like it’s inhabitants.

[@Zethanie]

Good eyes for the delightfully organic approximated symmetry; which, is also a means of structural stability abundantly present in flowers & the like.

[@gazalan2234]

😂 I live 5 mins from the cathedral. It’s an amazing building. I had no idea it had all of those “ anomalies”, and I shall go and take a look and have a laff at them. Surprised about the statues around the outside being Victorian. Really enjoyed the video, great job.

[@brandtnightingale9163]

5:39 Oh yes. I do appreciate the nave at Lichfield. Thank you for mentioning it

[@acemic2050]

great video. thanks

[@chriscoughlan5221]

Its always bloody closed when i am in town!!!

[@user-cv6fp2gy3s]

Well I was up there the other day, and everything seemed fine.

[@cheetoboiiii8212]

I was a chorister here.

[@MH-ms1dg]

it's amazing how you read cathedrals like an open, typo-filled book (reading between the lines of "prayers in stone", so to speak)

[@nicolawebb6025]

According to a tour I took years ago, Lichfield was besieged during the Civil Wars. As a result it was heavily damaged and I believe one of the towers (can't remember which one) collapsed under canon fire. It had significant renovation afterwards

[@stainedglassattitudes]

the central spire was hit, it's all late 17thc now.

[@garybowen7057]

Well fancy that. I didn't know that ;)

[@rossm2102]

Any books you can recommend to begin to to learn the terminology? Great video, thanks!

[@gervaisfrykman266]

How about the ribs in the vault of the nine altars at Durham? Drastic but not a mistake. How about the tower at Durham, and at Howden too? They built fine towers and then decided they should be taller, so they put a bit more on the top. Mistake! The additions make the towers worse. How about the fine window next to the demolished North Transept at Dorchester Abbey, Oxfordshire? The left hand surround viewed from outside is missing some components that are present on the right hand side. Mistake? No. The window was originally in a tight corner between the aisle and a chapel attached to the transept. When the chapel was demolished the window was reused. Llandaff Cathedral Presbytery, south side. The North side was reconstructed in the 14th Century as an arcade of two arches. On the south side was an earlier transept chapel. They could have demolished the chapel, or retained it and satisfied themselves with a single arch. But they crammed in the easternmost of a two arch arcade, starved of space, but still couldn't finish it because they hadn't decided to demolish the chapel. So they gave up. The fragmentary 14th century western arch intersects with Norman elements that were being replaced. Very interesting as regards building methods, but as a piece of design, it is the worst of all possible worlds. Mistake!

[@daveunbelievable6313]

when they replaced the vaults in the nave with plaster did they also replace the ribs between the vaults, they do still look quite Stoney. Litchfield cathedral is very continental, a better effort at a more French church that Westminster abbey, which is ugly to the max

[@MH-ms1dg]

I know you focus on English cathedrals (and there are so many more to do), but would you ever do French cathedrals too?

[@Paintheshed]

due to 6:37 I can't use this video

[@judithpovey9208]

I dont believe it!