The Collegiate Churches of England and Wales

"A collegiate church was the church of a college, which was a religious house served by secular priests. Colleges of priests were one of the most important classes of medieval establishment, comparable to monasteries. Moreover, from the earlier types there developed in the later Middle Ages the academic colleges, which have since flourished and become so important in modern society. Collegiate churches were often large and magnificent, and almost 150 remain to the present day, forming a superb body of architecture." "The book is divided into two main sections. In the first, the author traces the development of the colleges from their beginnings in the Anglo-Saxon era to their dramatic decline in the sixteenth century, and deals with their nature, historical evolution, demise and legacy. The second section comprises an extensive gazetteer, divided into counties, with the history and architecture of every example considered individually. The text is illustrated with 300 photographs."--Jacket.