160 Churches to Explore in England

Quarr Abbey Situated just off the south coast of England, which is home to a small group of Benedictine monks who dedicate their lives to the glory of God. Visit this beautiful church and wander around the grounds to experience the tranquil atmosphere. There was a art gallery where local artists display their artwork or browse the bookshop, where you can buy published works by a member of the community of monks along with other Quarr Abbey souvenirs.

Rievaulx Abbey is the perfect choice for a peaceful day out, with its extensive ruins and fascinating museum in a secluded North York Moors valley. The monastery was suppressed in 1538, but the spectacular abbey ruins became a popular subject for Romantic artists in the 18th and 19th centuries. The indoor museum has recently been transformed, featuring previously unseen artifacts, which tell the story of the rise and dramatic fall of the Cistercian abbey, while a new viewing window invites the a

Ripon Cathedral is a cathedral in the North Yorkshire city of Ripon. Founded as a monastery by Scottish monks in the 660s, it was refounded as a Benedictine monastery by St Wilfrid in 672. The church became collegiate in the tenth century and acted as a mother church within the large Diocese of York for the remainder of the Middle ages. The cathedral is notable architecturally for its gothic west front in the Early English style, considered one of the best of its type, as well as the Geometric

Roche Abbey was once home to 50 monks and 100 lay brothers. Unlike other Cistercian monastries in Yorkshire, such as Rievaulx or Byland Abbey, Roche was modest in size which was more typical of the order. Beautifully set in a valley landscaped by ‘Capability’ Brown in the 18th Century, Roche Abbey has one of the most complete ground plans of any English Cistercian monastery, laid out as excavated foundations.

Rotherwas was the family chapel of the Roman Catholic Bodenham family. The chapel features an Elizabethan timber roof, a very striking 18th-century tower topped by a peculiar spire, and extravagant Victorian-era interior paintings. The Victorian remodeling of Rotherwas Chapel was the work of Peter Paul Pugin. Nearby is the site of successive houses: the medieval half-timbered mansion, its stone-built Tudor extension and its Georgian successor, built-in 1732 but itself demolished in 1926.

St Chad's Church is renowned for its rich history, military links, iconic Georgian architecture and varied music programme including popular free Friday lunchtime concerts. It is an inclusive church making everyone welcome especially children and young families. As a Fair Trade church, it supports Fair Trade in the world and social with strong support for organisations such as Amnesty International.

Salisbury Cathedral was built between 1220 and 1258, in a style we now call Early English Gothic style. it houses the best preserved of the four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta; it has the oldest working clock in Europe (1386); it has the largest cathedral cloisters and cathedral close in Britain. The cathedral celebrated the 750th anniversary of its consecration

Sandham Memorial Chapel was commissioned by Mary and Louis Behrend as a memorial to Mary’s brother, Lieutenant Henry Willoughby Sandham, who died at the end of World War One. The Chapel is set amidst lawns and orchards with views across Watership Down. This beautiful garden and the surroundings increase the beauty of this area.

The Cathedral is the seat of the Bishop and a centre of worship for the Diocese of Sheffield, serving the whole of South Yorkshire. It is also a spiritual home for a diverse community of people. Sheffield Cathedral is one of five Grade I listed buildings in the city, along with the Town Hall, Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet, and the parish churches at Ecclesfield and Bradfield.

Sherborne Abbey is a Church of England church in Sherborne in the English county of Dorset. It has been a Saxon cathedral (705–1075), a Benedictine abbey church (998–1539), and since 1539, a parish church. It is one of the county's finest medieval buildings. The first church here was established in the 8th century as part of a Saxon abbey. Of that Saxon building little remains beyond a doorway. It was one of the main religious buildings and also a tourist attraction too.

Shrewsbury Abbey, also known as the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is located to the east of the town centre on the site of an earlier wooden Saxon church. It was founded in 1083 by Roger de Montgomery, Earl of Shrewsbury as a Benedictine Monastery. It grew to be one of the most important and influential abbeys in England, and an important centre of pilgrimage. Although much of the Abbey was destroyed in the 16th century, the nave survived as a parish church, and today serves as the mother

Southwell Minster, the Cathedral of Nottinghamshire, is rich historical and architectural interest. It provides fine examples of the main styles of architecture, particularly Norman and early English. The latter is very evident in the 13th century Chapter House, one of the Minsters most glorious features with some of the finest examples of naturalistic carvings in the country - the Leaves of Southwell.

St Augustine's Abbey was one of the most important monasteries in medieval England. One of Britain’s oldest remaining monastic sites, the abbey was originally built as a burial place for the kings of Kent. Much of the layout of the abbey has been preserved and its ruins can be seen around the grounds. After the abbey's dissolution, it underwent dismantlement until 1848. Since 1848, part of the site has been used for educational purposes and the abbey ruins have been preserved for their histori

St. Bene’t’s Church stands on the eponymous street, close to King’s and Corpus Christi colleges, and The Backs, an area of parkland around the River Cam to the west. The church is dedicated to Saint Benedict of Nursia, the founder of the Benedictine order of monasticism. It is the oldest church in Cambridgeshire as well as the oldest building in Cambridge.

A beautiful little church dedicated to the 7th century Welsh saint, Beuno. The church can only seat about 30 people at any one time, and even that’s a tight squeeze! The original name was Kitnor – meaning ‘hillslope frequented by kites’. The church boasts a Saxon font and carved head that is part-cat, part-man on the north window.

St Botolph's Church is a parish church in the Church of England in Boston, Lincolnshire. It is one of the country's largest and most historically significant churches. Its famous medieval tower, known as Boston Stump dominates the skyline for miles around and for centuries has acted as a beacon for travellers. It was long used as a landmark for sailors, and on a clear day can be seen from Norfolk.

It was one of the first religious houses in England to adopt Augustinian rule built between 1093 and 1100. The site remains under the care of English Heritage and the modestly sized grounds are free to explore, with benches and grassland providing opportunities for picnics.

It was the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in England since the Reformation that features one of the finest decorated church ceilings in the Midlands. The cathedral is located in a public greenspace near St Chad's Queensway, in central Birmingham. The current archbishop is Bernard Longley, and the dean is Monsignor Timothy Menezes. It is one of only four minor basilicas in England.

Church of St Edmund is a church in Rutland. Church of St Edmund is situated in Egleton, close to Egleton Village Hall. The history of the building can be seen in the carvings and arches which reveal its Norman origins. One of the main pilgrimage sites in this area and also a tourist attraction too.