Description: Major interdisciplinary study of medieval church porches, bringing out their importance and significance.
The church porches of medieval England are among the most beautiful and glorious aspects of ecclesiastical architecture; but in comparison with its stained glass, for example, they have been relatively little studied. This book, the first detailed study of them for over a century, gives new insights into this often over-looked element. Focussing on the rich corpus of late-medieval East Anglian porches, it begins with two chapters placing them in a broad cultural outline and their context; it then moves on to consider their commissioning and design, their architecture and ornamentation, their use and their meaning. This book will appeal to all those interested in church fabric and function.Brief description: Dr Helen Lunnon is an independent researcher specialising in the art and architectural histories of the English Middle Ages. She is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
Review Quotes: As someone who has spent most of the last decade and more visiting and studying East Anglian churches, often in minute detail, I can only state that this work is an inspiration to do just that. It is a rarity when a volume appears that allows you to see a subject that you thought you were largely familiar with, through totally fresh eyes.--Matthew J. Champion "Norfolk Archaeology"