Pauline Collett
Spiegl Press 2012
209pp. £9.99
This book is full of useful information, written in a very readable style. It has
been written by local teacher and artist Pauline Collett, who has produced the
excellent illustrations, and includes photographs taken by Barry Collett.
The introduction gives a review of the development of the design of churches in
Rutland, including a reference to the types of stone used in construction, and also
an indication of where in the county to see examples of the more important
church features such as woodwork, stained glass, wall paintings and monuments.
The main part of the book contains an interesting description of the location and
history of each church, a review of the architecture, and a panel summarising the
main features, such as the font, the pulpit, stained glass and items of furniture.
There are four appendices. One gives a brief biography of those Victorian
architects who were notable for their work on churches, pointing out where their
work can be seen in Rutland. Another notes the more important stained glass
artists whose windows are to be found in the county. The third is a valuable
glossary of the terms used in describing the architecture of the buildings, and
finally there is a bibliography of relevant publications.
Simon Jenkins in his book England’s Thousand Best Churches says the county ‘has
more good churches per square mile than any other’. Rutland is fortunate in
having such an abundance of fine churches and many people are keen to visit
these historical and architectural gems. No such visit is complete without reliable
information about what there is to see, and so we must be grateful to Pauline
Collett for having provided us with this comprehensive guide.
Peter Tomalin
The Parish Churches of Rutland