Churches of ...

The churches of Hampshire are as varied as the landscapes they occupy. Remote rural churches that have changed little in 900 years are so far removed from those found in medieval market towns or bustling seaports that one might imagine that they have little in common. Yet the building materials of natural flint, imported stone from Normandy or the Isle of Wight and, later, local brick hold these diverse buildings together. As an early regional capital Winchester attracted powerful individuals whose influence spread through the county. Monastic houses flourished and have left us grand churches. Courtiers and courtesans have left their marks across the county, as have eighteenth- and nineteenth-century industrialists, many of whom rebuilt or restored churches. This book looks at fifty Hampshire churches from the Saxon gems of Breamore and Titchfield through Romsey Abbey to isolated churches in the folds of the Downs at Idsworth and Wield to nineteenth- and twentieth-century churches that rank amongst England's finest. Together with their rich memorials and furnishings there is something for everyone, and Churches of Hampshire will encourage all those who live in the county or are visiting to discover the history on their doorsteps.

The historic county of Yorkshire is the largest county in England, with 157 Grade I listed churches alone in the whole region. This book will cover a selection of churches throughout the southern half of Yorkshire, both well-known and those waiting to be discovered by a wider audience, showing a wide range of styles through the centuries. It covers a huge range of places and landscapes, and its churches reflect this variety, as well as representing the history of this section of Yorkshire. Some of the medieval churches reflect the wealth of their local area at the time, often from trade or monasteries nearby, or the importance of the local town or city, but others served more remote communities and still stand out in the landscape today. Later centuries also made their mark on Yorkshire churches, both in their structures and furnishings, from Georgian simplicity to often spectacular Victorian and twentieth-century architecture in the county's industrialised towns and cities. In Churches of Southern Yorkshire, author David Paul explores a cross-section of historical churches throughout the county, both the well known and those waiting to be discovered by a wider audience. This fascinating picture of an important part of southern Yorkshire's history will be of interest to all those who live in or are visiting this splendid county in England.

- Will appeal to those interested in the history of Gloucestershire - Review coverage in local press and media - Author is available to promote the book

Oxfordshire, once part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia, has always been a wealthy county. Its landscapes vary from the chalk and beechwood Chiltern Hills in the south to the limestone uplands of the Cotswolds in the north-west, which give very fine building stone. The land supports arable and sheep farming, and is watered by the River Thames and its many tributaries. All this is reflected in the variety of its church buildings, architecture that is not necessarily grand but is exceptionally beautiful and atmospheric. This book looks at a small, representative selection of buildings and their contents, some proudly in towns, others settled into their rural landscapes. Since church buildings were almost always modified over the centuries, any that date from the Middle Ages are apt to contain features from several periods. Some have been chosen because they still show their Anglo-Saxon origins. Some are here for their surviving wall paintings, some for remarkable tombs. Work of exceptional Gothic Revival architects is included, as are one or two twentieth-century buildings. Nonconformists are represented by the eighteenth-century Baptist Chapel at Cote and the contemporary Quaker Meeting House at Burford. Illustrated throughout, Churches of Oxfordshire will be of interest to local historians, residents and visitors to the county.

Within the stunning landscape of Derbyshire lies a wealth of historic churches. These buildings have borne witness to the changes that have taken place in the county through the centuries. Towns, villages and cities all have their church buildings, many dating from the Middle Ages. In this book author David Paul surveys the historic churches of Derbyshire. They range from the plague village church of St Lawrence in Eyam, the famous crooked spire of St Mary and All Saints at Chesterfield, Bakewell's medieval church of All Saints with its Saxon crosses and carved stones, and many more. The text is accompanied throughout by attractive photographs of these captivating places of worship. This fascinating picture of an important part of the history of Derbyshire over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in or are visiting this county in England.

Cambridgeshire is a large and diverse county, and this is reflected in its churches. In the south, chalk provided flints for even the grandest of churches. The Fens in the north and east had no building materials of their own, so limestone was transported from further north and may best be seen in those churches that were owned or established by monastic houses. In the former county of Huntingdonshire limestone dominates, and bricks made from the local clays make an early appearance. In this book author John E. Vigar presents a selection of the most interesting churches from across the county, including the former counties of the Isle of Ely, Huntingdonshire and Peterborough, covering every period and type of church, from simple Saxo-Norman churches such as Hauxton, to late medieval churches where money was plentiful such as Whittlesey. Former monastic houses are represented by March and Ramsey, a rare seventeenth-century church at Guyhirn and one of the most important nineteenth-century churches in England at Cambridge All Saints, as well as many other ecclesiastical gems in the county. This fascinating picture of an important part of the history of Cambridgeshire over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in or are visiting this attractive county in England.

Lancashire is a county of contrasts, with heavily industrialised and urbanised areas, remote mountain and moorland and an extensive coastline. These contrasts are reflected in its churches, from buildings that have stood from the Middle Ages in historic towns and villages including the county town of Lancaster, Nonconformist chapels and Georgian structures, to the churches built during the industrial and Victorian age where the wealth and population of Lancashire grew massively and people flocked to popular new leisure destinations such as Blackpool, into the modern era of the last century. In Churches of Lancashire, author David Paul explores a cross-section of historical churches throughout the county, both the well known and those waiting to be discovered by a wider audience. This fascinating picture of an important part of the history of Lancashire over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in or are visiting this attractive county in England.

Pennine hills, unspoilt moorland, dramatic dales, picturesque villages, market towns and a magnificent coastline are all part of the scenery of County Durham. The history is equally rich, from early farming settlement, conquests, rebellion and mining to industrial development, and always present through these times have been the churches. The earliest churches in the county date from the Anglo-Saxon era and the Norman Prince Bishops of Durham instituted a new building programme, including several churches dedicated to the local saint, Cuthbert. Later events all left their mark on the county's churches, from the Reformation and Civil War to the rise of dissenting groups such as Quakers and Methodists. Industrial development and the growth of densely populated urban areas required a new church building programme by the Victorians and in the last century the story of County Durham's churches has continued. In Churches of County Durham, author Colin Wilkinson explores a cross-section of historical churches throughout the county, both the well known and those waiting to be discovered by a wider audience. This fascinating picture of an important part of the history of the county over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in or are visiting this splendid area of England.

The first churches in Shropshire were built in Saxon times and the county has a proud heritage of church building through the centuries. Although the county town of Shrewsbury and the other major towns contain many of the larger churches, villages and smaller rural settlements are also home to many historical churches of interest. This book will cover a cross section of churches throughout the county, both well-known and those waiting to be discovered by a wider audience, covering a wide range of styles through the centuries. This fascinating picture of an important part of the history of Shropshire over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in or are visiting this attractive county in England.

Glasgow has long been an important settlement on the River Clyde but it grew rapidly in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to become one of the largest cities in the world in that period. The largest seaport in Scotland, it was a major city in the Scottish enlightenment and the transatlantic trade brought wealth to the city. At the same time Glasgow was becoming an important industrial city, particularly in shipbuilding, engineering, chemicals and textiles, bringing in large numbers of people. Although many were relocated outside the city in the latter decades of the twentieth century, Glasgow's dynamic history is reflected in its diverse architecture and the heritage of its church buildings. In this book author Gordon Adams surveys the historic churches of Glasgow, outlining their story through the ages and picking out interesting features of each. The churches range from the elegant eighteenth-century St Vincent Street Church, to the intimate Govan Old Parish Church with its unsurpassed collection of medieval monument stones, the unique Queen's Cross, the only church built by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and many more gems. This fascinating picture of an important part of the history of Glasgow over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in or are visiting this fascinating city in Scotland.