Church Crawling
The Secret Lives and Hidden Stories of England’s Churches
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Vintage Publishing
Publishing:3rd Sep '26
£22.00
This title is due to be published on 3rd September, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
A transporting and gloriously entertaining journey through the hidden lives of England’s rural parish churches – from building conservator and church ‘rescuer’ Rachel Morley
The poet John Betjeman coined the phrase ‘church crawling’ to describe his days out visiting churches. In the spirit of Betjeman, Rachel Morley’s book captures the magical experience of poking around a dusty village church, only to have it transform – through her expert eyes – into a portal to the past, one that brings England’s people and history to life in the most colourful, moving and unexpected ways.
Through their wall-paintings and monuments, their graffiti and plaques, their jumble of furniture and curios, Morley shows these buildings to be the expression of centuries of communal memory and folk culture – time capsules of connection to ancient and medieval ways of thinking, to revolutions and wars, to lives both glorious and humble. Along our journey we meet the Lincolnshire hermit who squeezed a devil from a man with his belt, the lovers struck by lightning before they could get married and the rope-sliding steeplejack who flew from a spire – before falling to his death. We discover the folk cure, ‘poor man’s aspirin’, and how it explains the gashes in church walls, we follow Victor Frankenstein into a charnel house to collect parts for his monster, and we learn how Thomas Hardy’s heart got eaten by a cat.
Too many of England’s fifteen thousand parish churches are now neglected and crumbling. Church Crawling helps us to see them for what they really are: places that thrum with the drama of life, and an incomparable treasure trove that offers as close an encounter with our past as it is possible to get.
A glorious journey into England’s past, written with infectious wit, flair and passion. This isn’t just an exploration of England’s churches; it’s a book about history and memory, ghosts and relics, full of extraordinary stories and unforgettable characters. It’s a work of rare historical insight and dazzling poetic beauty. I loved it -- Dominic Sandbrook, author of Who Dares Wins and co-host of The Rest is History
Written with astonishing craft, this is a captivating and original telling of the stories of England’s history, geology and theology -- Suzannah Lipscomb, author of Six Lives
Just as the Lorax spoke for the trees, so Rachel Morley speaks for the churches of England. To read her enchanting book is to be granted the chance to share in her love for them: a wonderful thing indeed! -- Tom Holland, author of Pax and co-host of The Rest is History
Hugely enjoyable – I read it in one sitting. This is a thrilling, brilliant book which will make you see these beautiful buildings with new eyes. As churches face growing crises, Church Crawling will be one of the most important books you’ll read this year -- Alice Loxton, author of Eighteen
A wonderful book, learned and yet enjoyable. Rachel Morley gets to the heart of the parish church. It could have no more faithful friend -- Simon Jenkins, author of A Short History of British Architecture
An enchanting voyage through English culture, filled with love, joy and humour. This is a very special book -- James Fox, author of Craftland
A delightful, illuminating love song to English churches -- Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with a Pearl Earring
This charming and impassioned book celebrates the spirit and material of England’s churches. It is a pleasure to read -- Peter Ross, author of Steeple Chasing
A shimmering paean to the parish churches of England, sparkling with history, humour and wisdom -- Anna Keay, author of The Restless Republic
Uncovering the collective memory imbued into the walls of our churches, Morley casts new light on these precious buildings. After reading Church Crawling you will never look at a church in the same way again -- Daniel Wilson, Great British Architecture
Rachel Morley holds a lantern to the mysteries of England’s churches, illuminating their secret histories. An eloquent, witty, and thoughtful guide, she shows the astonishing strata these sites hold, and all they reveal of generations of human life. Meticulously researched and deeply felt, this is a wondrous book to read and reread – I cherish it -- Doireann Ní Ghríofa, author of A Ghost in the Throat
ISBN: 9781847928009
Dimensions: 222mm x 138mm x 40mm
Weight: 500g
320 pages