Lichfield Cathedral Tree Festival runs from 26th November, throughout the Festive Season until 2nd January. The trees are decorated by local charities and schools and visitors can vote by putting a token in the box next to their favourite tree. If you are visiting Lichfield, please take look at the Festival and see what you think.
This year our tree at Lichfield Cathedral is focussed on the garden aspect of our trust. Planning started in the summer, so we could reserve the best blooms and not cause too much damage to the plants by taking too many from one source. The colour theme for this years’ tree is Copper and Blue. Hydrangea blooms from members’ gardens have beensprayed blue to varying degrees, depending on how much colour the dried blooms retained achieving a toning hue. Disc decorations have been made from air drying clay, using the imprints from various cut and pressed glass items. These are sprayed blue and metallic copper twine used to hang them. The tree topper was made in the same way, but sprayed copper. Copper highlights have been added using sprayed oak leaves. The names of the twenty parks and gardens that are intact and closest to the Cathedral are displayed on copper plant labels. We chose the ones nearest to the Cathedral as visitors could take the time to spot the ones they knew and perhaps seek out others that they were not aware of for their Christmas and New Years walks (please note not all sites are accessible to the public or on a public footpath). Space for detailed explanations is limited at the Cathedral, so we couldn’t show all the gardens in the area, but to refresh our memories, here is the list:
HISTORIC PARKS AND GARDENS NEAR LICHFIELD
IN CAPITALS INDICATE RECOGNISABLE SURVIVAL OF HISTORIC LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND LAYOUT FEATURED ON THE TREE
Aldershaw Hall
Amington Hall
Armitage Park
BEACON PARK
BEAUDESERT PARK
Bellamour Hall
BERRY HILL HOUSE
Burntwood Asylum
Byrkley Lodge
CANWELL HALL
Castle Pleasure Grounds, Tamworth
CATHEDRAL CLOSE
Clifton Hall
Comberford Hall
Croxall Hall
Drayton Manor
ELFORD HALL
Elmhurst Park
FISHERWICK PARK
Fradley Old Hall
Freeford Hall
Hamstall Hall
HANCH HALL
Haunton Hall
HAWKSYARD PRIORY
Kings Bromley Hall
LITTLE ASTON HALL
LITTLE WYRLEY HALL
LYSWAYS HALL
Manley Hall
MAPLE HAYES
ORGREAVE HALL
Packington Hall
SHENSTONE COURT
Shenstone Park
STATFOLD HALL
Streethay Manor
SWINFEN HALL
THE MANOR HOUSE, TAMWORTH
THORPE HALL
Whittington Hall
WIGGINTON HALL
Wychnor Hall