The font is perhaps the most important part of any church. For centuries, no infant in the parish was thought to be saved from damnation until christened and fonts, as the vessels for this crucial rite of passage, were a pre-eminent tool in the Church's fight against the Devil. Standing within the public space of the church - as with pews, rood screens and chantry chapels - fonts would have been paid for by the parishioners, and so the richness of their decoration was determined by the funds available and the prevailing architectural fashions of the time. Some of the more extravagant have elaborate multi-tiered covers, raised for use via ropes or chains and pulleys. In this fascinating introduction, Matthew Byrne explores the history of fonts in churches all over the nation, highlighting some of the most notable examples and explaining their evolution across the centuries.

This celebration of some of the greatest art, architecture and furniture to be found in English churches offers a fascinating account of centuries of accumulated wealth, and is set off by a selection of breathtaking photographs by Matthew Byrne. It covers changing architectural styles across the centuries, and prominent examples of artistic work, including stained glass, rood screens, church monuments and curious carvings. This book is published in association with The National Churches Trust, a national, independent charity dedicated to supporting church buildings across the UK.