The story of Lichfield Cathedral library is unusual. The core part of the current collection was bequeathed by the Duchess of Somerset, Frances Seymour, in 1674, and is what you might expect of a 17th century gentleman's library rather than a cathedral. Despite it being rare and of exceptional quality, this internationally significant collection is little known by the public. With many items requiring conservation, there is limited opportunity to display these stunning books and manuscripts.

We secured grant funding in 2022 to conserve two items, the Armorial of the Garter (c1580) and Froissart's Chronicles of The Hundred Years War (c1559), enabling their display to visitors for the first time in 2023. This year we are undertaking a full assessment of the Seymour bequest, identifying books and manuscripts which are in most urgent need of conservation.