THE
P RTAL
May 2016
Page 22
Parish churches of
Greater London: A guide
Dr Gill James reviews a book by one of the Friends of the Ordinariate
This book
is a guide to parish churches in Greater London. The author has omitted the City Churches
from his consideration on the reasonable grounds that they have been documented elsewhere. He has
also focused on Anglican or Catholic parish churches – thereby excluding the Cathedrals, nonconformist
buildings and other “interesting chapels”.
This criterion left some 1200
churches of which he has focused
upon 420 churches. The scope
of this book therefore is broad
rather than focusing on each
church in depth. Points of interest
in each church are illustrated by
photography and a very brief
introduction to the fabric and
architecture.
There is a long introduction
which provides us with some
insight
into
the
author’s
background
and
helps
to
contextualise some of the decisions
he had to make in producing
a guide of this breadth. The
introduction also provides a list of
both churches and, from the Stuart
period onwards, which architects
were responsible for designing
them.
Each
of
the
32
boroughs is included in the
survey and each section contains
an overview of the borough and
relevant parts of its history and
formation. The presentation of the
churches is necessarily brief and
the reader is given a brief overview
focusing on the points the author
has identified as interesting.
It is inevitable, therefore, that
some features will be ignored,
an issue clearly identified by the
author who acknowledges this
aspect. It is of course a function of
the sheer breadth of the coverage
in a (relatively) limited space.
contents page
This book is beautifully
presented with the photographs
being the star of the show. The
author was responsible for this
aspect and it rather confirms the
old adage that a picture is worth a
thousand words! He should
also be congratulated, since it
appears he was taught to use
a camera specifically for this
book. Moreover, the production
values also contribute to the first
impressions when you pick up
the book.
The other thing you notice is
the weight of the volume. One
can feel relieved that only one
third of the eligible churches
were included. It is the weight
and the coverage in breadth
which I think identify this book
as one which the reader can dip
in and out of. Personally, I would
not try to use it whilst visiting
a church. I would suggest that
it is a book you would read and
then make a decision about
whether you wish to visit and
explore. Unfortunately, as the
author identifies, you may find
your chosen church locked. He
does provide some advice about
overcoming this problem.
A labour of love which should
stimulate people to visit churches
which are little known but worth
exploring!
Author: Michael Hodges
ISBN 978-0-946694-08-2 Price: £25
Publisher: The Heritage of London Trust