This guide covers 420 Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, about a third of those described in the Buildings of England series. It omits the greater churches, and those of the City of London, as they have been covered elsewhere. Every church has at least one colour illustration.
The author, a retired banker, admits he is “by no means a professional photographer”, but the photos alone make the book really useful. The brief texts for each church contain not only information, but often charmingly quirky comment.
Hodges has a special interest in church monuments, and many are illustrated, as is much stained glass. There is a list of architectural periods, including brief details of architects, and their churches are indicated.
Hodges favours Catholic churches, whether Anglican or Roman, and is not in favour of Evangelical clearances or RC reordering. So St Peter’s, Dagenham, “was reordered in 1985, but the ceiling collapsed in 2005 and the original arrangement was reinstated: ‘God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform’”. The book is very welcome, and will prove entertaining as well as useful and informative.
• Peter Howell taught for 35 years in the department of classics at Bedford and Royal Holloway Colleges, and was the chairman of the Victorian Society from 1987 to 1993. He is currently writing a book on the triumphal arch from Roman times to the present
Michael Hodges
Heritage of London Trust
446pp, £25 (pb)
