Wales: Churches, Houses, Castles

Description

'A monumental achievement . . . ravishing' Thomas Lloyd, Country Life 'Richly detailed, beautifully illustrated, consistently alive to the virtues of the buildings it visits . . . Every lane travelled has an exquisite, often crumbling manor house or chapel . . . Simon Jenkins loves Wales, and this guidebook invites us to love it too' Adam Nicolson, Evening Standard 'The book is one sustained hymn to ravishing beauty, of both great and small buildings, some gorgeously rich, others entrancingly humble . . .There are his compelling descriptions of the great castles built by Edward I, the neo-medieval fantasies of the Marquess of Bute, parish churchyards romantically set on upland pasture, a medieval pilgrimage church . . . outstanding' Marcus Binney, The Times 'What sets Jenkins apart from previous writers is a lively sense of the wider and deeper historical context, and a rare empathy in bringing to life those who used these buildings of Wales . . . The stones of Wales have found their Ruskin' Hywel Williams, The Times Literary Supplement 'Jenkins has driven through a tangle of lanes and walked through seas of sock-soaking grass to capture the plumpest and rarest trophies for his game-bag . . . It is a pleasure for us to join him in an armchair tour' Christopher Howse, Daily Telegraph 'It is impossible to open this book without wanting to dash for the valleys . . . the author has discovered an astonishing number of architectural jewels - nearly 260 of them . . . Individually, the descriptions are a joyful lucky dip; collectively, they're the best history of Wales you're likely to find on the shelves . . . Superb' Nicholas Crane, Countryfile

Simon Jenkins is author of the bestselling A Short History of England, A Short History of Europe, Britain's 100 Best Railway Stations, England's Thousand Best Churches and England's Thousand Best Houses. He is a former Editor of the Evening Standard and The Times, and columnist for the Guardian.