An insightful and charming history of Britain's churches - by an author who spends his life working in them

'A joyous and illuminating exploration of our glorious heritage of old churches. A must for anyone who's ever stared at an apse or a misericord with no idea what they're looking at' - Sir Tony Robinson 'Captivating ... Brims with humour and humanity' - 'Book of the Week', The Times 'Andrew Ziminski's books are treasure troves of lived and learned experience. They have changed the way I look at buildings and Britain'- Max Porter, author, Grief Is the Thing with Feathers 'From bulletholes in weathervanes to beehives in church walls, Ziminski has an eye for charming details and an ear for a good story' - Peter Ross, author, Steeple Chasing Churches are many things to us - they are places of worship, vibrant community hubs and oases of calm reflection. To know a church is to hold a key to the past that unlocks an understanding of our shared history. Andrew Ziminski has spent decades as a stonemason and church conservator, acting as an informal guide to curious visitors. Church Going is his handbook to the medieval churches of the British Isles, in which he reveals their fascinating histories, features and furnishings, from flying buttresses to rood screens, lichgates to chancels. Beautifully written and richly illustrated, it is a celebration of British architectural history.

"Captivating ... brims with humour and humanity ... A lively guide to the features and furnishings of some of our nation's most evocative buildings" - The Times

"A penetrating insight into the genius and craftsmanship of the medieval years" - Daily Telegraph

"Joyous ... this insightful book is stuffed full of ecclesiastical wonders" - Daily Mail

"Charming ... Ziminski has dug deep into the stone skin of these buildings and can tell you exactly how they were made ... Ziminski provides non-stop revelations ... pitching expert knowledge to the non-expert ... He finds treasure in the unlikeliest of places" - Spectator

"Fascinating stories about the UK's churches ... [Ziminski] has an unparalleled understanding of the UK's stones" - Saturday Live

"This book is an anatomy of buildings we take for granted, an opening-up of architectural bodies to reveal marvellous mechanisms in gold, bone, ancient stone and holy wells of stories" - Storyland

"Andrew Ziminski's books are treasure troves of lived and learned experience. They have changed the way I look at buildings and Britain" - Grief Is the Thing with Feathers

"From bulletholes in weathervanes to beehives in church walls, Ziminski has an eye for charming details and an ear for a good story" - Steeple Chasing

"Andrew Ziminski's joyful, fascinating and often funny book will no doubt inspire a whole new generation of church detectives - and encourage a host of young stonemasons, too. A treasure" - Fabric

"The medieval churches of the British Isles are among the finest and most diverse anywhere in Europe. This superb book brings them to life by examining the details of their construction and decoration. Only a stonemason could explain and reveal the motives that inspired the craftsmen who gave these ancient buildings their unique grandeur, beauty and magic. Ziminski's churches are like people - and many still possess a lively sense of humour" - The Making of the British Landscape