Following the success of his Suffolk Churches, David Stanford turns his attention to the neighbouring county of Essex, presenting 50 churches, chosen for their beauty, historical or anecdotal interest, in a series of captivating photographic portraits.



The variety of the churches is breathtaking. The selection includes St Peter and St Paul, an ancient gem hidden away in the back streets of the London suburb of Dagenham, St Andrew Greensted Juxta Ongar, possibly the oldest surviving timber-built church in the world, St Clement West Thurrock, used for the funeral scene in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral, and the Priory Church of St Laurence Blackmore, with its complex and dramatic history.



David Stanford's atmospheric photography captures the spirit of these unique buildings as architectural heritage, as historic monuments and as places of Christian devotion.