OUR meeting on May 19 was Churches of Warwickshire.

Some of our best historic gems are not in museums. They are to be found in daily use in Warwickshire villages and towns. Our speaker,Tim Bridges, of the Victorian Society, included Wixford and Stratford-upon-Avon as locations of ancient and beautiful churches: these churches have continued in regular use for a 1000 years, or more.

In a lavishly illustrated talk Tim summarised the development of church design and their building through the mediaeval period to the present day, funded by a local Lord, monastery or college. Communities also using these churches as places to meet, maintained the nave of the church building, adding aisles and sometimes towers. Particular features, notably doorways, windows and arches, help to date construction .

Tim is able to sweep across hundreds of years of church building and whet the appetite to visit churches of note. Their remarkable features speak of history and way of life of people at the time of their construction.

The venue for the Society’s next meeting on Friday 9 June is the Crawford Hall Bidford on Avon B50 4DA when Professor Gary Sheffield will talk on Passchendaele.

CHRIS SMITH