Dr J R Hunt "Researching parish churches in the western midlands."

The stone-built parish churches scattered across the English landscape are among the most visible and familiar of medieval monuments. By about 1200, England possessed between 8,000 and 9,000 parish churches, and the Church of England today has around 16,000 churches in its charge, the vast majority of which are parish churches. The aesthetic attractions of parish churches that engaged the scholarship of past generations, their architectural accomplishment and achievements as works of art, continues to hold its fascination, but in addition our research agenda has developed and broadened, taking these buildings into the context of the communities that built and used them, seeking insights into local society, and pursuing increasingly multi-disciplinary approaches. Parish churches, which represent our most tangible material entrée into medieval society, are explored in this talk from the perspective of the medieval west midlands region.