A journey across some of the quietly spectacular rural churches of England, telling their stories and significance, and building a picture of how they trace the history of the nation. Written by Luke Sherlock (@EnglishPilgrim) and illustrated throughout by Ioana Pioaru (@IoanaPioaru).
Spending his weekends exploring historic churches across the idyllic English countryside - and sharing their beauty and unsung history across social media - Luke Sherlock is bringing English history and the heritage of our rural countryside to a new audience.
England is full of incredible churches, from small stone chapels and quiet Romanesque masterpieces, to thousand-year-old Saxon stalwarts, dramatic Gothic monuments and high Victorian treasures. These special places, often under-celebrated and overlooked, dot the English landscape but collectively tell a remarkable story of our nation.
Travelling to all corners of England - from the Kent marshlands to the Norfolk fens, Yorkshire hills, Somerset lanes and beyond - Sherlock carefully documents these unique buildings, celebrating their histories and decoding their hidden meanings. Bringing together 70 of the most unusual, intriguing and atmospheric of England's churches, Sherlock tells stories of craftsmanship and local community, whilst centering these buildings at the heart of our national story and revealing their forgotten secrets and cultural significance.
