Heart of England

The British have never been keen on organized religion, yet they have always had a passion for religious buildings and have erected some of the finest in the world. Today more people than ever before visit them, usually at times when they can wander round undisturbed by priests or preachers. British spirituality is informal and personal. "The Spirit of Britain" is a series of guides to these places of spiritual interest. Each book suggests tours, or pilgrimages, around a particular part of the country. This volume takes in the central counties of England, suggesting four pilgrimages. The first, from Gloucester to Shrewsbury, covers the western part of the region, passing through gently lush, rolling countryside and pictureque towns and villages. The second, from Eyam to Newstead, starts in the more rugged Peak District of Derbyshire, and moves down to the plains of Nottingham. The third, from Birmingham to Repton, is a circle around the west Midlands, one of the most thickly populated areas of Britain.
And the fourth, from Fotheringay to Althorp, is in the southeastern part of the region, which is ignored by tourists yet possesses some of the country's finest and most ancient buildings.