Books
History and Imagery in British Churches by MD Anderson (John Murray, 1971) - ever wondered what the significance was of a particular image in a church? Interested in stained glass or misericords? Want to know more about gargoyles or green men? With answers to all these questions and many more, this is the book for you.
Medieval Architecture by Nicola Coldstream (Oxford Paperbacks, 2002) - this new book sets English medieval architecture, both ecclesiastical and secular, into its wider European context. It takes a thematic approach, looking at aspects of architecture such as construction, patronage, function, and symbolic meaning.
Stripping of the Altars by Eamon Duffy (Yale University Press, 1994) - this book challenges the view that the late medieval church was in desperate need of reform. Duffy argues that ‘traditional’ Catholicism was alive and well into the middle of the 16th century. This is a highly polemical book, but also a very readable one.
A Companion to English Parish Churches by Stephen Friar (Bounty Books, 2000) - an encyclopaedia of all the interesting features, fixtures, and fittings found in parish churches. It’s not something to read in one sitting, but it’s a great book to dip into. It’s also the perfect place to start if you want more information about a specific aspect of parish churches.
Churches in the Landscape by Richard Morris (Phoenix Press, 1997) - a fascinating study examining the inter-relationship of society and churches from the earliest days of Christianity in Britain through to the 19th century. By firmly setting churches into the context of the surrounding community, this book makes sense of architectural developments through the ages.
Links
: A searchable database of Romanesque sculpture in Britain and Ireland. Not every area is covered yet, but it already has a lot of good material.
: You'll find this useful site highly informative.
: This site has a fantastic glossary of terms related to architecture, and excellent guides to architectural styles. Related to the Pevsner Architectural Guides (otherwise known as The Buildings of England) series of books - indispensable reference guides to historic architecture..
: This organisation is charged with preserving England’s historic buildings and presenting them to the public. The website has information about many buildings you might like to visit - select 'Understanding the past' to search the National Monuments Record archive of photographs, and 'Images of England' to discover the history of England's 370,000 listed buildings.
: Details of Scotland's listed buildings and scheduled ancient monuments, plus educational resources for schools and information on conservation.
: Details of historic buildings and heritage sites in Wales, with detailed access to events across Wales.
Places to visit
Fairford, Gloucestershire: The church was built by the wealthy wool-merchant family, the Tames, in the 1490-1530s. Unusually, it still retains virtually all of its original stained glass, as well as other medieval fittings and tombs.
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal: If you want to see lots of different types of architecture in one day, this is the place to go. There are plenty of visitor facilities, too. As well as the 12th-century abbey, there is a fabulous 19th-century estate church, beautiful 18th-century gardens, and much more. A recent addition is a restored medieval mill.
Ickleton, Cambridgeshire: The unusual early Romanesque arcades still retain most of their original 12th-century wall paintings, only rediscovered in 1979.
Kilpeck, Herefordshire: Here there is a perfect, small, Romanesque church. The sculpture, both inside and out, must be seen to be believed.
[The Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú is not responsible for the content of external websites.]
Published: 02-02-2005
