The Fenland Black Oak Table: 5,000 years of history

Come and view this spectacular 13-metre-long table made from a section of 5,000-year-old black oak. Learn more about the ancient black oak it is made from and the many centuries of history it has witnessed.

The ‘Table for the Nation’ will be in residency at Lichfield Cathedral for 1 year for all to see. It will be celebrated as a magnificent piece of craftsmanship and will provide a focal point for community events, hospitality, worship, and services across the year.

A fascinating exhibition accompanies the table providing insights into the project and a brilliant timeline of historical events across 5,000 years.

“At the heart of every church, Lichfield Cathedral included, stands a table. It’s a place of meeting, of hospitality, of being fed at Holy Communion with, ‘the living bread in whom all our hungers are satisfied’. It’s a constant reminder that God calls us to live in communion with him and with one another, building inclusive and welcoming communities from which no-one is excluded. It’s a reminder of God’s abundant generosity towards us, and how in response to that generous love, we’re to go out and care for our world, seeking to give rather than expecting to receive.

"The Fenland Black Oak Table made from a 5,000 year old tree reminds us of the wonder of God’s creation and the future of our fragile world, together with our responsibility to care for, and conserve, it for future generations. And as we reflect on the skill of those who have created such a stunningly beautiful table we can be gently challenged to consider the impact our lives, our actions, and the right use of our God-given gifts, might have on those around us. 

“The Fenland Black Oak Table will stand in our Cathedral as a constant reminder of all of this, and as a meeting place for feasting, conversation and gentle challenge. We hope that you will find your place at the table, for Lichfield Cathedral is your cathedral, my cathedral, our cathedral – and you are always welcome here.”

The Rt Revd Jan McFarlane, Dean of Lichfield