The county of Gloucestershire has a rich and varied past which is reflected in its historic churches. The landscape is dominated by two principal features – the River Severn and the Cotswold hills – and Gloucestershire’s churches help demonstrate the changing face of the county, from the Forest of Dean to the Cotswold escarpment, the Severn Vale to the watery southern boundary by the River Thames. In Churches of Gloucestershire, author Nicola Coldstream explores a selection of the most interesting churches across the whole of the county, both well known and those waiting to be discovered by a wider audience. The buildings range from rural and urban churches, dating from the Anglo-Saxons to the modern age, some displaying Gloucestershire’s wealth from the medieval wool trade, others its industrial past. Selected for their architectural interest or their contents such as tombs, fonts and wall paintings, interesting Roman Catholic and Nonconformist buildings are also included.

This fascinating picture of an important part of the history of Gloucestershire over the centuries will be of interest to all those who live in or are visiting this attractive county in England.