With specially commissioned images and text by renowned photographer Derry Brabbs, this illuminating guidebook is informed by an abundant history, extending from the medieval to the modern day. And while the Great Fire of London and the Blitz destroyed many of London’s oldest churches, they were restored or rebuilt each time, offering a fascinating, meandering history.

This gloriously illustrated compendium features architectural designs from Sir Christopher Wren, Nicholas Hawksmoor, James Gibbs, William Butterfield, Edwin Lutyens and many others. From the iconic St Bartholomew the Great and Christ Church Spitalfields to lesser-known gems like St Mary Woolnoth and St. Jude’s in Hampstead Garden Suburb, striking photography portrays the spectacular beauty of each church, with its rich history discussed in detail.

This guide explores how these sacred buildings are intrinsically linked to this historic city’s identity – covering everything from devastation and plague to arts and literature; religion and politics to infrastructure and skylines. Whether you’re a history buff, an architecture enthusiast, or just someone looking to discover the spiritual heart of London, this book is for you.

An unsurpassable, visual tour of the greatest pilgrimage sites of Europe, from North to South; East to West.

Pilgrimage in Europe is currently thriving on a scale that simply could not have been envisaged just a few decades ago. Not only are greater numbers of people now emulating the medieval pilgrims who made their way on foot across Europe to the shrines of martyred apostles in Rome (SS Peter and Paul), Santiago de Compostela (St James) and Trondheim (St Olav), but international religious tourism is also thriving and millions each year are now travelling by air, rail and road to Europe’s major pilgrimage churches and famous sites of Marian Apparition such as Lourdes (France) and Fatima (Portugal).

This book covers those key pilgrimage sites as well as many lesser known ones such as the Marian Sanctuary of La Salette in the French Alps, the cave sanctuary of Covadonga in Northern Spain, the majestic twenty-first-century basilica of Our Lady of Lichen in Poland and the Chapel of Grace in Altötting, Bavaria.

It comprises an atmospheric and colourful portrayal of the pilgrimage churches and cathedrals adorned with sculpture, art and iconography associated not only with the Virgin Mary but also the national saints and Early Christian martyrs revered by both Catholic and Anglican faiths alike. En route the reader will see some of the world’s most impressive examples of medieval art and architecture set amidst historic townscapes or spectacular landscapes.

This volume will serve as both an enticement to take to the road, a treasured aide memoire for those who have visited at least some of these iconic places and hopefully, a source of comfort and inspiration for those unable to travel abroad from wherever they live in the world.

Pilgrimage in Europe is thriving on a massive scale. In 1990 the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela recorded less than 5000 pilgrims: today that figure is at least 200,000 a year. Author Derry Brabbs’ previous book, Roads to Santiago, focused exclusively on the ‘camino’ through France and Spain to Santiago de Compostela; Pilgrimage revisits this classic route, and nine other inspirational journeys across Europe.

Whether you’re truly making a pilgrimage, exploring the world, or simply hiking, Pilgrimage will lead you along deeply historical routes like the ‘Jakobsweg’ in Germany, between  Cologne and Trier. You’ll find great walks in Britain and France, like St. Cuthbert’s Way which winds around the Scottish Borders to the holy island of Lindisfarne, and the World Heritage Site of Mont-St-Michel built on the tiny island off the coast of Normandy.

The most notable addition to the rejuvenated era of pilgrimage is the Via Francigena, now a very well established path through Switzerland and Italy. The Italian section begins on the bleak summit of the Great St  Bernard Pass where a hospice still caters to the needs of passing pilgrims before heading down to Rome through some of Italy’s most beguiling countryside interspersed with medieval hilltop towns and villages.

Astounding photographs combine with an absorbing text that describes the history and key features of each route, as well as brief details of the distances and the number of days it takes to walk, and a list of websites to help plan your journey.