Churches are such a fixture of the English and Welsh countryside that I barely pay them much attention, though if I find myself in a town or village with half an hour to spare I usually take a wee wander around a churchyard. In truth, I really haven’t had much of an understanding of how and when these buildings developed, and the social and cultural contexts within which they are built.
Richard Hayman’s Churches and Churchyards of England and Wales has changed that. The book is split into sections — on the churchyard, the exterior, the interior and so on — and for each takes the reader from the earliest churches to more modern times, pointing out different styles, different features to look out for and describing the background to the evolution of the churches as we see them today.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a well-illustrated treasury of knowledge, slotting a lot of new information into the framework of the little I did know about the subject. There was a lot to take in and it’s something I’ll definitely go back to, dipping in and out of it as a source of information. It’s well-laid out, easy to read and has a short but useful section at the back which points the reader towards some of the best places to see some of the features illustrated in the book.
All in all, strongly recommended for anyone with even a passing interest in church history.
Thanks to Netgalley and Shire Publications for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
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