Lichfield of all the towns & cities in the West Midlands has the longest & most intriguing history. Its famous son Dr. Samuel Johnson called it 'a city of philosophers' & the extraordinary society of writers scientists & thinkers who lived in the shadow of its great cathedral in the 18th century proved his point. By that time the city already had well over a thousand years of history under its belt since St Chad came down from York in the 7th century & recognised Lichfield as a place of mystery & power perfect for his new church. In the Middle Ages powerful bishops fortified the town & the close & created one of the earliest markets in the Midlands. Such was its importance that every English king included it in his itinerary. In the 1640s Lichfield was the focus for one of the most dramatic conflicts of the Civil War when within four years the city came under siege three times.