Welcome to my Churches gallery.
Photographs of parish churches, bell towers, spires, religous structures and churchyards, located mainly in the UK.
The parish church in Christianity has been fundamental to the life of the community. The styles of architecture and the size of churches are considerably varied, with many churches dating back to the Middle Ages.
A common feature on most churches is the spire, steeple or bell tower. Apart from the more obvious need to house the bells; the spire served another less well known purpose, which was to provide a sufficiently tall landmark to guide visitors to the church. These spires also assisted travellers to navigate across the country. In the early days, before our present road systems were built, people travelled the countryside on foot or on horseback and the church steeple being the most prominent feature of any village was an identifiable landmark which could be seen for several miles. This is the reason why a church built on a hill usually has a low steeple, but a church in a valley will have a tall one.
The images in this gallery are mainly of English churches, but I will include churches from other countries when possible.
I will be adding more photographs, so please check back occasionally. Thank you for your visit.
Copyright © 2000 - 2013 Rod Johnson All rights reserved.