Editing Lichfield (section)

==Geography==

Lichfield covers an area of approximately {{convert|5.41|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}} in the south-east of the county of Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England. It is approximately {{convert|27|km|mi|abbr=on}} north of Birmingham and {{convert|200|km|mi|abbr=on}} north-west of London. The city is located between the high ground of [[Cannock Chase]] to the west and the valleys of the Rivers [[River Trent|Trent]] and [[River Tame, West Midlands|Tame]] to the east. It is underlain by red [[sandstone]], deposited during the arid desert conditions of the [[Triassic]] period. [[Keuper marl|Mercia Mudstone]] underlies the north and north-eastern edges of the city towards [[Curborough and Elmhurst|Elmhurst and Curborough]]. The red sandstone underlying the majority of Lichfield is present in many of its ancient buildings, including Lichfield Cathedral and the [[The Church of St Chad, Lichfield|Church of St Chad]].<ref name=bgs>{{Citation|url=http://maps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyviewer_google/googleviewer.html |title=British Geological Survey:Geology of Britain viewer |access-date=20 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727004018/http://maps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyviewer_google/googleviewer.html |archive-date=27 July 2011 }}</ref>

The ground within the city slopes down from 116m in the north-west to 86m on the sandstone shelf where Lichfield Cathedral stands. To the south and east of the city centre is a ridge which reaches 103 m at [[St Michael on Greenhill, Lichfield|St Michael on Greenhill]]. Boley Park lies on top of a ridge with its highest point on Borrowcop Hill at 113m. To the south-east the level drops to 69 m where Tamworth Road crosses the city boundary into Freeford. There is another high ridge south-west of the city where there are two high points, one at Berry Hill Farm at 123 m and the other on Harehurst Hill near the city boundary at Aldershawe where the level reaches 134 m.<ref name=osmap>{{Citation| url = http://www.bing.com/maps/?FORM=MUKMMP&PUBL=Google&mkt=en-GB&crea=userid2508go2d31d19252d0b114ed487e8ed62ff0c8#JnE9LndzMTQrOWVqJTdlc3N0LjAlN2VwZy4xJmJiPTU2LjY0NzIyMTE5MTgxODYlN2UxMC4xNzMzMzk4NDM3NSU3ZTQ1LjcyNTQyNDg5MzQ3NzYlN2UtMTAuMTczMzM5ODQzNzU=| title = Ordnance Survey Map:Lichfield| access-date = 20 January 2011| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110122184131/http://www.bing.com/maps/?FORM=MUKMMP&PUBL=Google&mkt=en-GB&crea=userid2508go2d31d19252d0b114ed487e8ed62ff0c8#JnE9LndzMTQrOWVqJTdlc3N0LjAlN2VwZy4xJmJiPTU2LjY0NzIyMTE5MTgxODYlN2UxMC4xNzMzMzk4NDM3NSU3ZTQ1LjcyNTQyNDg5MzQ3NzYlN2UtMTAuMTczMzM5ODQzNzU=| archive-date = 22 January 2011| url-status = live}}</ref>

The city is built on the two sides of a shallow valley, into which flow two streams from the west, the Trunkfield Brook and the Leamonsley Brook, and out of which the Curborough Brook runs to the north-east, eventually flowing into the [[River Trent]]. The two streams have been dammed south of the cathedral on Dam Street to form [[Minster Pool]] and near St Chad's Road to form [[Stowe Pool]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}}
{{wide image|Lichfield Harehurst Hill 2.jpg|770px|Panorama from Harehurst Hill {{convert|1.5|mi|km|1|abbr=on}} south west of the cathedral, showing Lichfield's distinctive 5 spires }}

=== Suburbs ===
Lichfield has a number of suburbs including Boley Park, Chadsmead, Christ Church, Darwin Park, The Dimbles, Leomonsley, Nether Stowe, Sandfields, Stowe, Streethay and Trent Valley. A major recent residential development is Darwin Park, to the immediate south-west of the city centre. Designed by the architectural practice BHB in the early 21st century,<ref>{{cite web |title=Darwin Park|publisher=BHB Architects|url=https://www.bhbarchitects.co.uk/our-projects/community/darwin-park |website=www.bhbarchitects.co.uk |access-date=20 February 2025}}</ref> it provides mixed housing together with a range of community facilities.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 December 2008 |title=Two in three support plans for new centre |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2008/12/17/two-in-three-support-plans-for-new-centre/ |access-date=20 February 2025 |work=Express and Star}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Foster-Collins|first1=Lilith |title=Waitrose Lichfield wins Easter shop with attractive displays |url=https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/the-grocer-33/waitrose-lichfield-wins-easter-shop-with-attractive-displays/678062.article |access-date=8 September 2024 |work=The Grocer}}</ref> The development is named after [[Erasmus Darwin]], who was born and raised in Lichfield, and who is commemorated with a sculpture on Cathedral Walk, a footpath which offers a direct traffic-free connection between Darwin Park and Lichfield city centre.<ref>{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=Robin |title=Erasmus Darwin statue inaugurated in Lichfield |url=https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/2012/05/23/erasmus-darwin-statue-inaugurated-in-lichfield/ |work=Lichfield Live |access-date=20 February 2025 |date=23 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Art UK artwork |Erasmus Darwin (1731–1802)  |erasmus-darwin-17311802-286511}}</ref>