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{{Infobox UK place
| official_name = Lichfield
<!-- | local_name = City of Lichfield -->
| type = [[City status in the United Kingdom|City]] and [[civil parish]]
| country = England
| civil_parish = Lichfield
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| area_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lichfield.gov.uk/cc-statistics.ihtml|title=Lichfield City Council - Statistics|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724162428/http://www.lichfield.gov.uk/cc-statistics.ihtml|archive-date=24 July 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 14.02
| population =
| population_ref =
| os_grid_reference = SK115097
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| shire_county = [[Staffordshire]]
| website = [http://www.lichfield.gov.uk/ www.lichfield.gov.uk]
| module = {{Infobox mapframe|stroke-width=1|zoom=11|height=160|width=240}} City map
}}
'''Lichfield''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|ɪ|tʃ|f|iː|l|d}}) is a [[city status in the United Kingdom|cathedral city]] and [[Civil parishes in England|civil parish]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ons.gov.uk/about-statistics/geography/products/geog-products-area/names-codes/administrative/index.html |title=Names and codes for Administrative Geography |date=31 December 2008 |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=15 September 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100403045115/http://www.ons.gov.uk/about-statistics/geography/products/geog-products-area/names-codes/administrative/index.html |archive-date=3 April 2010 }}</ref> in [[Staffordshire]], [[England]]. Lichfield is situated
Notable for its three-spired medieval [[Lichfield Cathedral|cathedral]], Lichfield was the birthplace of [[Samuel Johnson]], the writer of the first authoritative ''[[A Dictionary of the English Language|Dictionary of the English Language]]''. The city's [[recorded history]] began when [[Chad of Mercia]] arrived to establish his [[Diocese of Lichfield|Bishopric]] in 669 AD and the settlement grew as the ecclesiastical centre of [[Mercia]]. In 2009, the [[Staffordshire Hoard]], the largest hoard of [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] gold and silver metalwork, was found {{convert|
The development of the city was consolidated in the 12th century under [[Roger de Clinton]], who fortified the [[Cathedral Close, Lichfield|Cathedral Close]] and also laid out the town with the ladder-shaped street pattern that survives to this day. Lichfield's heyday was in the 18th century, when it developed into a thriving coaching city. This was a period of great intellectual activity; the city was the home of many famous people including Samuel Johnson, [[David Garrick]], [[Erasmus Darwin]] and [[Anna Seward]], prompting Johnson's remark that Lichfield was "a city of philosophers".
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== Toponymy ==
The origin of the modern name "Lichfield" is twofold. At [[Wall, Staffordshire|Wall]], {{convert|3.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} south of the current city, there was a [[Romano-British culture|Romano-British]] village, [[Letocetum]], a [[Common Brittonic]] place name meaning "
The modern day city of Lichfield, and the Roman villa of Letocetum, are just two miles (3 km) apart. While these names are distinct in modern usage, they had a common derivation in the Brittonic original Letocaiton, indicating that "grey wood" referred to the region inclusive of modern day Lichfield City and the Roman villa.<ref name=":0" />
The earliest record of the name is when Chad (later Saint Chad) moves from York to Lichfield in 669. "Chad was made Bishop of the Mercians immediately after his deposition; Wilfred gave him the place (locus) at Lichfield (Onlicitfelda)<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Sargent |first=Andrew |title=Lichfield and the Lands of St Chad |date=2020 |publisher=University of Hertfordshire Press |year=2020 |isbn=978-1-912260-24-9 |pages=Pages 90, 264 |language=English}}</ref>
The prefix "on" indicates that the place given to Chad by Wilfrid was "in LIchfield", indicating the name was understood to apply to a region rather than a specific settlement.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Johnson |first=Douglas |title=VCH Staffordshire |publisher=Greenslade |edition=Volume 14, page 38}}</ref>
In the Lastingham Narrative (LN) of the same time, it stated that Chad acquired Licidfelth as his episcopal seat (sedes episcolpalem).<ref>Lastingham Narrative section of the Ecclesiastical History of the English People by the Venerable Bede, 731 CE</ref>
Popular etymology has it that a thousand Christians were martyred in Lichfield around AD 300 during the reign of [[Diocletian]] and that the name Lichfield actually means "field of the dead" (see ''[[lich]]''). There is no evidence to support this legend, as with many [[Folk etymology|folk etymologies]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42340|title=Explaining the origin of the 'field of the dead' legend|publisher=British History Online|access-date=20 November 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526054813/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=42340|archive-date=26 May 2011|url-status=live}}</ref>
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Based on the resident's location in Lichfield Distrist, there are technically two MPs. The current Member of Parliament for Lichfield, including the whole of the City, is the Conservative [[Michael Fabricant]], who has been MP for Lichfield since 1997. Fabricant was first elected for the [[Mid Staffordshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Staffordshire constituency]] in [[1992 United Kingdom general election|1992]], regaining the seat for the Conservatives following [[Sylvia Heal]]'s victory for [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] at the [[1990 Mid Staffordshire by-election|1990 by-election]]. Fabricant took the seat with a majority of 6,236 and has remained a Member of Parliament since. The Mid Staffordshire seat was abolished at the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]], but Fabricant contested and won the Lichfield constituency, which partially replaced it, by just 238 votes. He has remained the Lichfield MP since, increasing his majority to 4,426 in [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001]], 7,080 in [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005]], 17,683 in [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010]], 18,189 in [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015]], 18,581 in [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017]] and 23,638 in [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019]].
[[
==Geography==
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! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 2001
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"| 2011
! style="background:#fff; color:navy;"|2021
|- style="text-align:center;"
! style="background:#9cc; color:navy; height:17px;"| Population
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| style="background:#fff; color:black;"| 27,900
| style="background:#fff; color:black;"| 32,219
| style="background:#fff; color:black;"| 34,738
|- style="text-align:center;"
! style="background:#9cc; color:navy; height:17px;"| %±
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| style="background:#fff; color:black;"| -2.7%
| style="background:#fff; color:black;"| 15.5%
| style="background:#fff; color:black;"| 7.8%
|- style="text-align:center;"
|}
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The city is served by the Samuel Johnson Community Hospital located on Trent Valley Road. This hospital replaced the now-demolished Victoria Hospital in 2006.
==Media==
Local news and television programmes are provided by [[BBC West Midlands]] and [[ITV Central]]. Television signals are received from the [[Sutton Coldfield transmitting station|Sutton Coldfield]] transmitter. <ref>{{cite web|url=https://ukfree.tv/transmitters/tv/Sutton_Coldfield|title=Sutton Coldfield (Birmingham, England) Full Freeview transmitter|date=1 May 2004|website=UK Free TV|accessdate=25 September 2023}}</ref>
The city's local radio stations are [[BBC Radio WM]], [[Capital Mid-Counties]], [[Heart West Midlands]], [[Greatest Hits Radio Birmingham & The West Midlands]], [[Smooth West Midlands]], [[Free Radio Birmingham]] and [[Cannock Chase Radio FM]], a community radio station that broadcast from [[Cannock Chase]]. <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cannockchaseradio.co.uk/|title=Cannock Chase Radio |access-date=25 September 2023}}</ref>
Local newspapers are [[Lichfield Mercury]] and Lichfield Live. <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/|title=Lichfield Live |access-date=25 September 2023}}</ref>
== Places of interest ==
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===Buses===
Lichfield has regular bus services in and around the city, in addition to longer distance services. The bus station is located on Birmingham Road, opposite Lichfield City railway station, although as part of the Friarsgate development plans have been approved for it to be moved next to the railway station. [[Arriva Midlands]], [[Diamond East Midlands]]
Lichfield has college services for the [[Rodbaston]] campus of [[South Staffordshire College]], run by Diamond East Midlands, and school-only journeys for local high schools. Seasonal bus routes run for Boots and Amazon employees only are usually operated by Diamond East Midlands and National Express West Midlands.
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[[File:Julian Arguelles.jpg|thumb|160px|Julian Arguelles]]
[[File:Siobhan Dillon West End Live 2010.jpg|thumb|160px|Siobhan Dillon 2010]]
* [[Alasdair Steele-Bodger]] CBE, FRCVS (1924–2008), veterinary surgeon
* [[Elaine Horseman]] (1925–1999), author
* [[Denis Alva Parsons]] MBE, ARBS (1934–2012), sculptor<ref>[http://stjosephsdarlaston.co.uk/misc.htm St Joseph's R.C. Church, Church Street, Darlaston, Denis Parsons MBE – Artist in wood and stone] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902074514/http://stjosephsdarlaston.co.uk/misc.htm |date=2 September 2018 }} retrieved December 2017</ref>
* [[Michael Laskey]] (born 1944), poet<ref>[http://www.poetryinternationalweb.net/pi/site/poet/item/10932 Poetry International Rotterdam, Michael Laskey, (United Kingdom, 1944)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223044526/http://www.poetryinternationalweb.net/pi/site/poet/item/10932 |date=23 December 2017 }} retrieved December 2017</ref> and editor
* [[Tony Christie]] (born 1943), singer<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/tv/tony-christies-heartbreaking-admission-breaks-26063806.amp | title=Tony Christie's heartbreaking admission as he breaks silence on dementia | date=24 January 2023 }}</ref>
* [[John Hinch (musician)|John Hinch]] (1947–2021) drummer, original drummer of [[Judas Priest]]
* [[Louis Lillywhite|Lieutenant General Louis Lillywhite]] CB, MBE, QHS (born 1948) retired British Army physician,<ref>[https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/58929/supplement/2 The London Gazette, Publication date: 31 December 2008, Supplement:58929, Page:2] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180126031348/https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/58929/supplement/2 |date=26 January 2018 }} retrieved December 2017</ref> [[Surgeon-General (United Kingdom)|Surgeon-General]] 2006/2009
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* [[James Austin (judoka)|James Austin]] (born 1983) judoka, competed at the [[2012 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Adam Christodoulou]] (born 1989), racing driver
* [[Freya Gregory]] (born 2003), footballer
== Twinnings ==
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[[Category:Lichfield| ]]
[[Category:Cities in the West Midlands (region)]]
[[Category:Civil parishes in Staffordshire]]
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