No English landscape is complete without its parish church. From Norman tower to Gothic spire, from Cotswold stone to the half-timbered churches of Essex, this guide follows their development from the first churches built on pagan sites to their present decline. Each chapter looks at a different aspect; the people who used them, the communities that worshipped in them, the village parsons who preached in them and the tithe wars that were fought over them. Specially commissioned colour photographs illustrate the text and a comprehensive gazetteer provides details of hundreds of parish churches.