Lichfield Registry Office with its ornate architecture was once a free library and museum. The building was erected in 1856 and was in fact only the second free library to be opened in Britain. Local man Chancellor James Thomas Law (1790-1876) chaired the committee responsible for building the public library and his fountain can still be seen in the gardens. These gardens now form part of Beacon Park, and provide a beautiful backdrop for photographs of the many civil weddings photographs now enjoyed here.