Church Going
Churches are many things to us - they are places of worship, vibrant community hubs and oases of calm reflection. To know a church is to hold a key to the past that unlocks an understanding of our shared history.
Andrew Ziminski has spent decades as a stonemason and church conservator, acting as an informal guide to curious visitors. Church Going is his handbook to the medieval churches of the British Isles, in which he reveals their fascinating histories, features and furnishings, from flying buttresses to rood screens, lichgates to chancels. Beautifully written and richly illustrated, it is a celebration of British architectural history.
Reviews
Brims with humour and humanity.
Andrew Ziminski's books are treasure troves of lived and learned experience. They have changed the way I look at buildings and Britain.
From bulletholes in weathervanes to beehives in church walls, Ziminski has an eye for charming details and an ear for a good story.
This book is an anatomy of buildings we take for granted, an opening-up of architectural bodies to reveal marvellous mechanisms in gold, bone, ancient stone and holy wells of stories.
An illuminating treasury of their architectural glories.
Fascinating – a masterly guide to the detail and meaning but also to the glory of Britain's now most endangered heritage.
Utterly, utterly fascinating, from start to finish. One of the most enjoyable books I've ever read. Thank you, Andrew Ziminski, for opening our eyes to the vast treasure trove of thrilling history which lies in the churches across Britain. The wonders of this book will stay with its readers for years to come.
As a 'son of the manse' I like to think I can tell my apse from an embrasure. After joining Andrew in these pages I now understand a whole lot more.
What a wonderful and uplifting book this is. Ziminski's passion, curiosity and deep love affair with Britain's astonishing array of churches oozes from every page. Cultural, social and religious history are all part of this beautifully written book, but it is also a highly thought-provoking and poignant appeal for greater appreciation of these historical and architectural gems within our midst. Ziminski is not only a highly-skilled stonemason but a wonderful writer too. CHURCH GOING lingers in the mind long after the last page has been turned.
A beautiful book - in which curiosity, hand-skill and creativity combine in a hymn to craftsmanship, and vernacular and sacred architecture. Ziminski is a rare and wonderful voice
A joyous and illuminating exploration of our glorious heritage of old churches. A must for anyone who's ever stared at an apse or a misericord with no idea what they're looking at.
Andrew Ziminski's joyful, fascinating and often funny book will no doubt inspire a whole new generation of church detectives - and encourage a host of young stonemasons, too. A treasure.
The medieval churches of the British Isles are among the finest and most diverse anywhere in Europe. This superb book brings them to life by examining the details of their construction and decoration. Only a stonemason could explain and reveal the motives that inspired the craftsmen who gave these ancient buildings their unique grandeur, beauty and magic. Ziminski's churches are like people - and many still possess a lively sense of humour.
A fascinating tour in the company of an expert: this is an essential guide for anyone intrigued by Britain’s ancient churches. CHURCH GOING is a guided tour of some of Britain’s finest and most curious architecture – treasures hidden in plain sight in the 10,000-odd medieval churches in the British Isles and Ireland. In Ziminski’s expert and enthusiastic care, we are invited to notice new things, understand the artistry of these buildings, and spend time washed in their history. From stonework and monuments in the churchyard, to the glass, embroidery and symbolic architecture you’ll find inside, CHURCH GOING is full of fascinating insight. It will make you look with fresh eyes – and it gives you the tools to seek out wonderful, unique and strange features yourself.
Ziminski writes in a light, readable style, pitching expert knowledge at the non-expert.
This insightful book is stuffed full of ecclesiastical wonders.
If there is one thing even better than taking a turn around old churches, it is doing so in the company of an expert. The stonemason Andrew Ziminski fits the bill perfectly.
Whilst there is much to amuse in Ziminski’s writing, much is also quietly moving.
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