St Mary's Church, Lichfield

St Mary’s stands in the middle of Lichfield’s market square, on the south side. A church has occupied the site since at least the 12th century, though the present building dates from 1870. It is built of Derbyshire sandstone in the Victorian Gothic style. The tower and spire from 1853 were kept when the rest was rebuilt. Inside, a chapel on the north side is dedicated to the Dyott family, who once owned Freeford Manor. The church has been a centre of city life for centuries. In the 14th century it housed the guild of St Mary and St John the Baptist, which ran the town until 1538. Samuel Johnson was baptised here in the 16th century. The tower collapsed three times before the present spire was added in the 19th century. A major renovation in the 1980s turned it into a community space with a library and coffee shop. Visitors find a light-filled nave with four bays and a north chapel. Upstairs is a gallery used for concerts, art shows and performances. The library below holds over 200,000 books. The Dyott Chapel remains a place for occasional worship. The building now serves as a meeting place for people of all ages.