Simon Jenkins five-star churches
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Beverley Minster
Beverley, England
c. 1225-1420
Possibly the best Gothic parish church in England, the cathedral-sized Beverley Minster spans the Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular Gothic periods.
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St Mary's Church
Fairford, England
c. 1480
Fairford Church is an exceptionally harmonious and well-preserved Cotswolds church. Funded by a wool merchant and consecrated in 1497, it boasts the most complete set of medieval stained glass in the UK.
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Church of Saint Mary
Warwick, England
The Collegiate Church of St Mary in Warwick has a Norman crypt and 14C chancel; the distinctive tower, nave, and transepts were rebuilt in 1697-1704 following a fire, supervised by Sir Christopher Wren. It is a Grade-I listed building.
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Roman Catholic Church of St Giles
Cheadle, England
Roman Catholic Church. 1841-6 by A.W.N. Pugin for the Earl of Shrewsbury.
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Church of St Botolph
Boston, England
1309-1520
Known as the Boston Stump or simply The Stump from time immemorial (for unknown reasons), Boston's parish church is a Grade-I listed building with the tallest tower in England. Inside are 62 medieval misericords.
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Selby Abbey
Selby, England
1069
According to tradition, Selby Abbey was the earliest Benedictine monastery in the north of England, founded in 1069. Today it is a Grade-I listed parish church featuring Norman and Decorated Gothic architecture and 14C stained glass.
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Church of St Mary
Ottery St. Mary, England
Consecrated by Bishop Bronescombe in 1260. Altered and added to by Bishop Grandison circa 1330.
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St. Mary Redcliffe
Bristol
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.
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Tewkesbury Abbey
Tewkesbury, England
Built in the early 12th century, this abbey church boasts the largest Norman tower in Europe. Its interior is a breathtaking combination of stout Norman pillars and Decorated Gothic vaulting with gilded bosses.
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Cirencester Church
Cirencester, England
Cirencester Parish Church is the largest parish church in Gloucestershire, funded by the thriving wool trade of the 13th century.
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St John the Baptist
Burford, England
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.
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Church of St Wulfram
Grantham, United Kingdom
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.