Church Going

A Stonemason's Guide to the Churches of the British Isles

Andrew Ziminski

$24.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Profile Books Ltd
02 October 2025

Conservation, restoration & care of artworks; Religious buildings; History of architecture; Gift books

'Joyous and illuminating' Sir Tony Robinson

A Book of the Year in The Times, Telegraph, Church Times and BBC History Magazine

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.

By: Andrew Ziminski
Imprint: Profile Books Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: Main
Dimensions: Height: 196mm, Width: 128mm, Spine: 28mm
Weight: 340g
ISBN: 9781800818699
ISBN 10: 1800818696
Pages: 416
Publication Date: 02 October 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Andrew Ziminski is a stonemason, church conservator and author living and working in Frome, Somerset. He has four decades of experience working on some of the greatest cathedrals and churches in Britain, including the tower of Salisbury Cathedral and the dome of St Paul's in London. He is a SPAB William Morris Craft Fellow, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and conservation advisor to the Salisbury Diocesan advisory committee for the care of churches. He is the author of The Stonemason: A History of Building Britain.

Reviews for Church Going: A Stonemason's Guide to the Churches of the British Isles

'A beautiful book - in which curiosity, hand-skill and creativity combine in a hymn to craftsmanship. Ziminski is a rare and wonderful voice' - Rory Stewart 'A lively and loving anatomy of church architecture' - 'Books of the Year' - The Times 'A penetrating insight into the craftsmanship of the Middle Ages' - Telegraph 'Peerless ... if there is one thing even better than taking a turn around old churches, it is doing so in the company of an expert' - Church Times 'Joyous ... this insightful book is stuffed full of ecclesiastical wonders' - Daily Mail