Simon Jenkins 1000 Best Churches

Begun in 1175, Burford Church is a mostly-Gothic parish church with many interesting details and a beautiful setting alongside a peaceful river on the edge of a pretty village.

This splendid former priory church has a Norman nave, a huge collection of medieval tiles, a magnificent set of misericords, and lots of medieval stained glass.

Cirencester Parish Church is the largest parish church in Gloucestershire, funded by the thriving wool trade of the 13th century.

The Grade-I listed Church of St. Wulfram in Grantham, Lincolnshire, is famed for its tall and elegant steeple. Parts of the church date from before 1280. Don't miss the many medieval grotesques carved around the exterior.

The 15th-century parish church in Oxfordshire is notable for its impressive Gothic nave, funded by the lucrative Cotswolds wool trade. It also has a unique hexagonal porch featuring Green Men.

Pershore Abbey was founded in the 7th century and came under the Benedictine rule around the 10th century. Only about half of the abbey church survives, which is now used as a parish church.

A 1729 masterpiece of Sir Christopher Wren's associate, Nicholas Hawksmoor.

Picturesquely located on the wooded banks of the River Avon, Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon is best known as the parish church and burial place of William Shakespeare. It also has some fine Gothic architecture, stained glass and monuments.

This tiny parish church in Kent boasts magnificent Norman sculptures on its portals, corbels, and wheel window.

Dore Abbey is a former Cistercian abbey church built around 1180, which impressive dimensions and decoration, even without its nave. Like most Cistercian abbeys, it has an exceptionally scenic setting.

The parish church of St. Mary Redcliffe is so grand, it is often mistaken for a cathedral. It is the second-largest parish church in England and the tallest building in Bristol.