England's cathedrals are the nation's glory. They tower over its landscape, outranking palaces, castles and mansions. They attract roughly half the nation's population each year. For a millennium they have been objects of pilgrimage for those seeking faith, consolation and beauty. Still at the start of the twenty-first century, they remain unequalled in their size and splendour. More than any other English institution, cathedrals reflect the vicissitudes of history and should be treasured as such. They are custodians of culture and of the rituals of civic life. They offer welfare and relieve suffering. They uplift spirits with their beauty. In a real sense they are still what they were when first built a millennium ago, a glimpse of the sublime. Gloriously illustrated throughout, England's Cathedrals not only offers us a companion to England's Thousand Best Churches, it takes us on an enthralling tour of the nation and its history, through some of our most astonishing buildings.

The first history of all the English cathedrals, from Birmingham and Bury St Edmunds to Worcester and York Minster England’s sixty-two Anglican and Catholic cathedrals are some of our most iconic buildings, attracting millions of worshippers and visitors every year. Yet although much has been written about their architecture, there is no complete history of their life and activities. This is the first such book to provide one, stretching from Roman times to the present day. The History of England’s Cathedrals explains where and why they were founded, who staffed them, and how their structures evolved. It describes their worship and how this changed over the centuries, their schools and libraries, and their links with the outside world. The history of these astonishing buildings is the history of England. Reading this book will bring you face to face with the Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Normans, Reformation, Civil War, Victorian England, World War Two, and finally modern democracy.

"A brilliant breakthrough in pilgrimage studies. An exemplary study that shows how to bring together different academic and institutional interests in a common cause – understanding the relationship between pilgrimage and English cathedrals over time. A publication that will, hopefully, inspire similar collaborative studies around the globe." - John Eade, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Roehampton, UK "People who oversee, minister, lead worship, guide, welcome, manage, market, promote and maintain cathedrals will find this book an indispensable treasure. It is aware of the awesome complexity inherent in cathedral life but it doesn’t duck the issues: its clear-eyed focus is on the way people experience cathedrals and how these extraordinary holy places can speak and connect with all the diversity represented by the people who come to them. In a spiritually-hungry age, this book shows us how to recognise and meet that hunger. This book will be required reading for all us “insiders” trying to invite and signpost access to holy ground." - The Very Reverend Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield, Chair of the Association of English Cathedrals This book looks at England's cathedrals and their relationship with pilgrimage throughout history and in the present day. The volume brings together historians, social scientists, and cathedral practitioners to provide groundbreaking work, comprising a historical overview of the topic, thematic studies, and individual views from prominent clergy discussing how they see pilgrimage as part of the contemporary cathedral experience.

Among the most magnificent buildings of England are its Anglican cathedrals, great symbols of spiritual and architectural power. There are few experiences more uplifting and humbling than standing in the nave of a cathedral, and no one can fail to marvel at Durham's incomparable Romanesque masterpiece, the elegant stylistic unity of Salisbury, the world-famous stained glass of Canterbury or the striking Gothic scissor arch at Wells. Britain is the top foreign tourist destination for Americans, with 3 million visiting each year, and historic buildings are the top visitor sites. Canterbury Cathedral alone receives over 40,000 visitors each year from the United States and, together with Durham, is a World Heritage Site. In this truly breathtaking book, award-winning Magnum photographer, Peter Marlow, has captured the nave of each of England's 42 Anglican cathedrals. Taken in natural light at dawn, usually looking towards the east window, these remarkable images bring into sharp relief the full splendour of the buildings. Marlow first took up photography as a student, after visiting an exhibition of the photographs of Walker Evans at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The impetus to begin photographing cathedrals came from a commission in 2007 from the Royal Mail for photographs of the interiors or six cathedrals, for use on a set of commemorative stamps. Once the commission was complete, Marlow was inspired to continue the project in his own time. Approaching the Dean and Chapter of each cathedral, he gained permission to enter each building in the early hours of the morning and to turn off all artificial lights. Marlow adopted a kind of ritual, waking as early as 3.00 am to drive to the location and begin working from 6.00 am. In this window of opportunity, he watched the cathedral interior emerge from the darkness and come to life. Marlow's spellbinding photographs are accompanied by his commentary on the project, including sketches, preparatory shots and technical notes; an introduction by curator Martin Barnes on the tradition of church photography, especially the work of Frederick Evans and Edwin Smith; and a concise summary of each cathedral interior by architectural historian John Goodall.

More than two hundred photographs and text trace the development of cathedral design from its Norman beginnings through the flowering of Gothic to the new Roman Catholic cathedral in Liverpool.

The English medieval cathedrals are one of the wonders of the world. But who made them, and why? This fascinating new history of England's cathedrals explores a previously unconsidered view of these extraordinary creations: as constantly-changing structures created by a rich brew of ancient rituals, beliefs, personalities and politics - a living window on to the past. Incorporating the latest historical research, Jon Cannon presents a picture of the English cathedrals as above all products of their time, not just great architectural monuments. These were buildings brought alive by the messages encoded in their sculpture - and the miraculous events that were believed to occur within them. Full of personalities, ideas, stories and novel interpretations, here are the cathedrals of England as you may never have considered them before.