A Little History Of The English Country Church

The first narrative history of the English country church - from its origins in Anglo-Saxon times to its uncertain future in the twenty-first century.

[A] treasure of a book...riveting... If the loss of our lovely country churches strikes you as tragic then I urge you to read Strong's passionately penned book and to pass it around among your friends

Riveting... Strong tells this story with expertise and a highly readable style.  He always shows the physical presence of the church as a building in the context of its time.  Anyone who ever enters a church and wonders why it has come to look exactly as it does will find an answer within these pages

Anyone with the slightest interest in the English parish church, of its life today, or its history - or who is only conscious of the same draw of curiosity they give out- will be intrigued, informed and enchanted by this lucid, and occasionally provocative, account

A charmingly produced book... Roy Strong's style, too, is gentle while erudite, affectionate but realistic... His intimate knowledge of one of England's most neglected institutions is profound

Strong's short but rich history of the country church will be a great help in understanding the changes to the physical fabric of our churches over the last five centuries

Roy Strong's enthusiasm for his subject is almost tactile as he [praises the loveliness of the old buildings, explains the places they occupied in the community and describes the changing experience of parishioners through the ages

Roy Strong has written an indispensable book

Sir Roy Strong was educated at the University of London, and the Warburg Institute. He joined the staff of the National Portrait Gallery in 1959 and became its director from 1967 to 1973. He was director of the Victoria &amp; Albert Museum from 1974 to 1987, when he resigned to become a full-time writer, broadcaster and consultant. His books include The Cult of Elizabeth, Gloriana, Painting the Past, The Story of Britain, The Arts in Britain, Feast and Coronation.

Beautifully illustrated narrative history of the English country church In his engaging account, Sir Roy Strong celebrates the life of the English parish church 
 
From the arrival of the missionaries from Ireland and Rome, to the beautiful architecture and rich spirituality of medieval Catholicism; from the cataclysm of the Reformation, to the gentrified cleric we meet in Jane Austen novels, Roy Strong takes us on a journey - historical, social and spiritual - to explore what men and women experienced through the age when they went to church on Sunday. 
 
‘Anyone with the slightest interest in the English parish church, of its life today, or its history will be intrigued, informed and enchanted by this lucid, and occasionally provocative, account’ Country Life

Roy Strong

Compelling and essential... It is so uplifting to read... An answer, one among many, to the deconstructors and under-cutters of the very idea of Englishness... It is based on conviction and experience

We should be grateful to Sir Roy Strong for this book. It is an exploration of the themes that shape our sense of England: a meditation, a hymn, a road map

Insightful and provocative... Strong's emphasis on the pastoral tradition is a valuable reminder of the essential continuity that binds together English history

For someone who would like to know what it is to feel identifiably English, Sir Roy provides a useful tour

Or Why We Still Dream of a Place in the Country

Why do we still get misty-eyed about England's green and pleasant land? 
 
What explains our obsession with country houses - from the National Trust to Downton Abbey? 
 
Why do we still dream of a place in the country? 
 
In this delightul book Roy Strong explores the definition of Englishness. Celebrating our literature, music, art, gardening and drama, Strong identifies those icons and traditions that still speak to us - it is a vision of England that is inclusive and relevant for everybody living in the country today.

Roy Strong

Praise for Visions of England

Compelling and essential... It is so uplifting to read... An answer, one among many, to the deconstructors and under-cutters of the very idea of Englishness... It is based on conviction and experience

We should be grateful to Sir Roy Strong for this book. It is an exploration of the themes that shape our sense of England: a meditation, a hymn, a road map

Insightful and provocative... Strong's emphasis on the pastoral tradition is a valuable reminder of the essential continuity that binds together English history

Compelling and essential... It is so uplifting to read... An answer, one among many, to the deconstructors and under-cutters of the very idea of Englishness... It is based on conviction and experience

We should be grateful to Sir Roy Strong for this book. It is an exploration of the themes that shape our sense of England: a meditation, a hymn, a road map

Insightful and provocative... Strong's emphasis on the pastoral tradition is a valuable reminder of the essential continuity that binds together English history

Compelling and essential... It is so uplifting to read... An answer, one among many, to the deconstructors and under-cutters of the very idea of Englishness... It is based on conviction and experience

We should be grateful to Sir Roy Strong for this book. It is an exploration of the themes that shape our sense of England: a meditation, a hymn, a road map

Insightful and provocative... Strong's emphasis on the pastoral tradition is a valuable reminder of the essential continuity that binds together English history

Books by Roy Strong

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