Andrew ziminski-(3)
Andrew Ziminkski

Church Going: A Stonemason’s Guide to the Churches of the British Isles

Andrew Ziminkski

Friday, 4 April 2025

12:00pm

1 hour

Pusey House: Chapel

£8 - £15

Stonemason and church conservator Andrew Ziminski says the quietness of today’s churches belies a past when they were the busiest and most prominent buildings of their day. They now offer as close an encounter with the past as you can get.

Ziminski has spent decades working on Britain’s medieval churches and guiding people around them. He says knowing a church is a key to the past that unlocks our shared history. He reveals their fascinating histories, features and furnishings, from flying buttresses to rood screens, lichgates and chancels.

‘A joyous and illuminating exploration of our glorious heritage of old churches. A must for anyone who’s ever stared at an apse or a misericord with no idea what they’re looking at.’ Tony Robinson

Ziminski has worked on some of the country’s great cathedrals, including the tower of Salisbury Cathedral and the dome of St Paul’s in London. He is also author of The Stonemason: A History of Building Britain.

Part of a series of events on the Christian heritage.

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The Oxford Literary Festival sponsors, donors & partners

The Telegraph Festival media partner University of Oxford European Union Supported by the Delegation of the European Union to the UK Cultural Relations Platform Supporter of the festival's Voices of Europe programme Bodleian Libraries Festival cultural partner Oxford Martin School Festival ideas partner Oxford Mathematics Spanish Embassy The Spanish Embassy: supporters of the programme of Spanish literature and culture Cervantes Institute, London The Cervantes Institute, London elBullifoundation Iberia British Airways Embassy of the Dominican Republic Embassy of the Dominican Republic Blackwell’s Festival on-site and online bookseller Symington Wines of the Douro Valley Compassion in World Farming Pasture to Plate Oxford Business College Where learning meets opportunity: education partners of the festival Old Bank Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Old Parsonage Hotel Five-star hotel partners of The Oxford Collection Oxford Brookes University Oxford International Centre for Publishing Critchleys Accountants to the festival Confucius Institute Voltaire Foundation Felicity Bryan Associates Goldmoney Properties Princeton University Press Prestige publishing partner. Celebrating 25 years in Europe in 2024 Oxford University Department for Continuing Education Jewish Book Week Partner of Oxford Literary Festival Jim Mellon Miles Young Tim and Marion Stevenson Martin and Elise Becket Smith Ian and Carol Sellars David Isaac Mary and Cecil Quillen Supporters of the programme of American literature and culture Other donors Yale University Press London New College New College founded 1379 Exeter College Exeter College: college home of the festival. Founded 1314 Worcester College Worcester College founded 1714 Lincoln College Lincoln College founded 1427 Trinity College Trinity College founded 1555 Magdalen College Magdalen College founded 1458 Reuben College Reuben College founded in 2019 Pusey House Founded 1884 Brasenose College Brasenose College founded in 1512 New Dutch Writing Human Ecology Project MACROVegan Bear Ram Elk Festival Digital Strategy & Web Design Racalia Olive Oil Olive oil from Sicily Paul Bloomfield Ltd University of Oxford Alumni Office Alumni Office The Sheldonian Theatre Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Oxford University Images Oxford University Images CAV Oxford The Litmus Partnership Schoolreaders Windrush Group The Oxford Times BBC Radio Oxford Local radio partner Conference Oxford Ox in a Box OX magazine