Continuing with my obsession with art-based history and travelogues here is a wonderful book by the artist Matthew Rice. I first became aware of him via an interview with Luke Sherlock of Forgotten Churches (link below) and decided this was a must buy.

This is a brilliant guide for anyone interested in the architecture of churches from the earliest to the more recent. It explains every component part of a church’s structure and given terminology in an easy to follow format with beautiful illustrations making it easy to understand and take with you on your church explorations.

First published in 2013 in small hardback format with textured boards it stems from a series of illustrations and articles commissioned by Country Life magazine and is one of a number of similar books by the author which include Rice’s Language of Buildings, sketchbook guides to Venice, Oxford, Rome and Stoke-on-Trent!

Churches hold a special fascination for me, the sight of a Saxon or Norman church set in a quiet location, its brickwork still intact with the inside a treasure trove of history is a real joy to see and this book gives added valuable insight to ornamental stone and woodwork that we so often take for granted.

Many of Britain’s churches face a bleak future and were it not for volunteers and organisations such as The Churches Conservation Trust and Friends of Friendless Churches, many of them would have fallen into complete disrepair. Books like these are a great reminder of what we have and what we stand to lose, these buildings transcend religion for me, many were built on already sacred ground and continue to provide a place of calm reflection for ourselves and the memories of those who went before us. It is an inspiring way to begin journaling or simply better understanding architectural history.

See also Forgotten Churches