The churches of Leicestershire and Rutland represent the history of this area of the East Midlands. Largely rural, their wealth in the Middle Ages came mostly through farming and the wool trade, as well as the largest settlement in the area – Leicester. Later industrialisation also shaped Leicestershire, as Leicester and Loughborough also became known for manufacturing and coal mining, although adjoining Rutland, much smaller, developed less.

Churches of Leicestershire and Rutland travels through a selection of the most interesting churches in these counties, from those with Norman and sometimes Saxon and Roman fragments, through to those of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries when burgeoning populations in the towns needed new places to worship in many denominations. Examples include Leicester Cathedral’s acquisition of a long-lost English king, the rescue of Normanton Church from Rutland Water, and many more. This fascinating picture of an important part of the history of Leicestershire and Rutland over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in or are visiting these attractive counties in England.