The Church Monuments Society

LINKS

These links have been subdivided into separate sections. However please note that this is somewhat artificial and there will be some overlap. Please let me know of any of relevance that you find or if any of these sites have dissappeared.

Magazines, Journals and Other Publications

Although these are listed separately, the majority of societies produce journals and other publications of a very high standard

Antiquity This has been the main journal of archaeological research for 74 years. It is published quarterly.

BBC History Magazine A well balanced magazine dealing with history of all periods and all places although somewhat leaning towards UK history

History Today
The world's leading history magazine published monthly in London.

Paper: Tomb of Sir Hugh Caverley Five Medieval Effigies
articles by Claude Blair, late Vice President, Church Monuments Society

Societies and other Organisations
	Ancient Monuments Society and Friends of Friendless Churches The Ancient Monuments Society was founded in 1924 for the study and conservation of ancient and historic buildings and craftsmanship in GB. In association with The Friends of Friendless Churches, founded to save from demolition or ill use places of worship of architectural or historic interest
	The Association for Gravestone Studies The AGS is based in the United States but its aims and coverage are international. It was founded in 1997 for furthering the study and preservation of gravestones. They publish an annual academic journal, Markers, a quarterly magazine, AGS Quarterly and a monthly e-newsletter. They can be contacted at info@gravestonesstudies.org
	The Churches Conservation Trust is a national body that cares for and preserves English churches of historic, architectural or archaeological importance which are no longer needed for regular worship. It promotes public enjoyment of these churches and encourages their use as an educational or community resource. The Trust's 330-plus churches are still consecrated and occasionally used for services. The Trust was set up in 1969 by the Parliament of the Church of England
	The Chapels Society Seeks to promote public interest in the architectural and historical importance of all non conformist places of worship and their associated structures.
Churches!	Ecclesiological Society Founded in 1878. For those who love churches there's everything about churches. A very fine site with many images and a wealth of interesting links.
	English Heritage The Government's lead body for the historic environment in England. Their Viewfinder website contains 30 000 photographs from the archives which include, among other things, churches and monuments. Try searching using the general theme 'commemorative' qualified by county or place name.
	Historical Chapels Trust The HTC takes into its care redundant chapels and other (non-Anglican) places of worship in England of outstanding architectural and historic interest.
	The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) is the professional institute which represents conservation professionals in the public and private sectors in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It has approximately 1360 members, divided between fifteen branches. The institute exists to establish the highest standards of conservation practice to support the effective protection and enhancement of the historic environment.
	Mausolea & Monuments Trust is a charitable trust founded in 1997 for protection and preservation of mausolea and monuments in the United Kingdom. The Trust has recently launched an on-line gazetteer of mausolea, edited and partly compiled by founder-member of the Trust, Teresa Sladen.
	Monumental Brass Society The website for the Society for those interested in any aspect of monumental brasses and incised slabs of all dates in all countries. Includes an extensive bibliography, themed picture library, access to a topographical index to MBS publications and other research tools for those studying brasses and incised slabs.
	National Churches Trust
	National Federation of Cemetery Friends Links various voluntary groups throughout the UK who work to conserve their local cemeteries and churchyards and develop them for environmental, educational and recreational purposes where appropriate.
	The National Trust Founded in 1895 by three Victorian philanthropists who, being concerned about the impact of uncontrolled development, set up a trust for the nation for the acquisition and protection of our environment and heritage. The Trust is a registered charity and independent of government
	North East War Memorial Project aims to record every war memorial between the Rivers Tweed and Tees
	Public Monuments & Sculpture Association For the promotion and preservation of public sculpture and monuments in the British Isles.
	Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales Has a national role in the management of the archaeological, built and maritime heritage of Wales as an organiser and supplier of authoritive information for individual, corporate and governmental decision makers, researchers and the general public; to this end it surveys, interprets and record the man-made environment of Wales, compiles and curates the National Monuments Records of Wales and promotes the understanding of this information by all

	Saving Graves A US organisation but with world wide concerns about endangered cemeteries. A vast amount of links.
	Save Our Parsonages was set up in 1995 oppose the sale by the Church of England of its traditional rectories and vicarages, on pastoral, practical, financial grounds as well as for Church heritage reasons. This organisation provides support and advice to parishes and communities that seek to retain their historic parsonage
	Society for Church Archaeology aims to promote the study of churches and other places of worship along with their associated monuments.
	War Memorial Trust A charitable trust dedicated to ensuring war memorials are properly maintained and preserved.


Virtual Societies and Sites
These are societies, and other organisations, which exist only on the Internet; often (because of this) these are very fine web sites with many further links of interest. They may not deal specifically with church monuments but should contain much of interest related to this subject
	ArtServe: Art & Architecture An extensive site, which will takes a good while to explore, on art and architecture in general but has monuments from all over Europe including England.
	Cambridgeshire Churches Website Ben Colburn & Mark Ynys-Mons's county site dedicated to churches of Cambridgeshire
	Church Architecture Website Phil Draper's ongoing celebration of church architecture of all periods. A wonderful site with many fine photographs and links.


	Church Mouse Website The late Peter Fairweather was a long time member of the Society as well as being a nice guy; this is his site about his home town Lincoln, churches and monuments especially cast iron grave markers.
	Digital Atlas of England This site is much reduced now. Howere it still gives detailed maps and lists of which churches are open, which are locked but give the keyholder and which are locked but do not. A very useful link for church crawlers.
	Essex Church Website John Whitworth's county site; however this is so arranged to give easy access to the photographs of church monuments.
	Find A Grave A somewhat lighthearted database of just everybody who is buried just about everywhere. Nevertheless, there is a very effective search facility and the site includes photographs of the graves and much else.
	Gothic Eye This is a site of medieval images, including many tombs, effigies and brasses. Some of these are photographs, others reproductions from antiquarian draftsmen such as C A Stothard and T & G Hollis. This site and well worth a visit to see the reproductions and digital images may be ordered on line.

	Images of England funded by English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund, is a groundbreaking initiative which aims to create 'point in time' photographs of English Listed Building. Church Monuments will be include
	Kent Churches Website More county church sites are appearing: this one - by John E Vigar - deals with churches of Kent. Although not specifically about monuments, there should be plenty of photographs worth seeing.

	Looking at Buildings and Pevsner Architectural Guides These two sites are produced by the Pevsner Architectural Guides and the Buildings Heritage Trust. The first is a new venture about British architecture in general but will contain information on church monuments. The second is about the famous Pevsner architectural guides which will eventually cover the whole of the British Isles; they list (nearly) every church monument.
	Medieval Memoria Research in the Low Countries A website dealing with the study and preservation of sculpture in the Low Countries; includes church monuments. This is an online newsletter/website. Whenever a new online issue of MMR an e-mail will be send; in order to receive this e-mail please contact Charlotte.Dikken@let.uu.nl.
	Maritime Memorials This is a web site produced by the National Maritime Museum of the UK and is a record of over 5000 church, cemetery and public memorials to seafarers and victims of maritime disasters. It includes works by famous sculptors
	Memorial Inscriptions Inscribed

	The National Archive of Monumental Inscriptions Hardly national yet but information from 524 burial grounds in Norfolk and some of Bedfordshire. The material which can be downloaded includes description of memorial, transcript of inscription, photograph of the church and - most interestingly - plan of burial ground. This is not free however and costs between £4 and £7 per record. The 'free trial' is strictly limited!
	Norfolk Churches Website As the Suffolk Churches site (below) but dedicated to Norfolk Churches
	Norwich Historic Churches Trust the website gives details of all 36 Norwich Medieval Churches including architecture, history and monuments. It lists, with photographs, all carved wall monuments with information about the main characters commemorated.
	Poets' Graves This site provides photographs of the graves of poets, the churches where they are buried, a portrait of the poet with links about their writings etc. There is a plan of where these graves are situated.
	Portsmouth Memorials Primarily about memorials in Portmouth, with particular interest in those to the armed forces.
	Scottish Graveyards Aimed at professionals and enthusiasts alike, this website offers free downloads on a range of graveyard related subjects from management and conservation, to recording and researching a graveyards history. Links to over 100 useful contacts. Monthly updates on news, events and publications.
	Suffolk Churches Website Simon Knott's alternative guide to Suffolk Churches which will eventually include the lot! Lots of lots of pictures of monuments.
	Tombstones & Monumental Inscriptions Wakefield based Guy Etchell's page which provides a truly vast amount of links to churches and churchyards. Many interesting photographs.
	Tudor Effigy Database A pilot research by a member of the Church Monuments Society available free to anyone interested in 16th century dress.
	Wiltshire Churches Duncan and Mandy Ball's site on churches but contains photographs of monuments under the heading 'memorials' for each church.
	Worcestershire Churches and Churchyards Sally Lloyd's site with photographs of Worcestershire and surrounding counties.
	World Heritage Alert An online magazine that specialises in highlighting threats to the world's heritage places, particularly focusing on human cultural heritage.
	Ex Videntem Cameron Newham's superb collection of church photographs - including may of church monuments.
	Grave Matters Jill Muir's detailed and interesting site on transcribing monumental inscriptions
University Departments, Museums & Similar Entities
	Centre for Death & Society (University of Bath) is the UK's only centre devoted to the study and research of social aspects of death, dying and bereavement. Established in September 2005, CDAS is an interdisciplinary centre of regional, national and international importance. Visit their web site for details of events, conferences, courses, news etc.
	London Stained Glass Repository Stained glass windows sometimes act as memorials. Between 1969 and 1982 alone almost 1000 Anglican churches were declared redundant and much of the stained glass broken up into small panels for sale or even destroyed. In 1982 the London Stained Glass Repository was established as a charitable trust to rescue good quality glass and find a new home for it.
	Art & Architecture Website from the Courtauld Institute
Monument Records
being a list - provided by member Barbara Tomlinson of the National Maritime Museum - of organisations which hold records of church monuments.
	National Monuments Records Centre, Great Western Village, Kemble Drive , Swindon SN2 2GZ Tel: 01793 414600; Fax: 01793 414606
	Commonwealth War Graves Commission, 2 Marlow Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 7DX Tel: 01628 634221; Fax: 01628 771208
	Society of Genealogists, 14 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7BA Tel: 020 7251 8799
	NADFAS, NADFAS House, 8 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1DT Tel: 020 7430 0730; Fax: 020 7242 0686
	Archaeology Data Service Interesting information about stone etc.
	National Art Library Victorian & Albert Museum, South Kensington, London SW7 2RL

	Westminster Abbey Library, The Chapter Office, 20 Dean's Yard, Westminster Abbey, London SW1P 3PA Tel: 020 7222 5152; Fax: 020 7233 2070 E-mail
	The Ledgerstone Survey of England and Wales This project now has its own webste which may be visited by clicking on the above title

Photographs of Church Monuments
Church Monuments Photographs Hundreds of photographs of monuments taken by several people, including Society members. Despite the title of Monuments Today it is not about contemporary monuments but includes those from all times. Well worth a visit. Also, the following site, although concerned with church furnishing, also contains photographs of monuments: Church Furnishing Photographs More specialised group photographs: Funerary Symbolism - Photographs Church Monuments Materials Portraits on Church Monuments Statua Loricatus Photographs of church monuments and sculpture from Europe, especially Belgium and mainly military
St Lawrence, Towcester, Northamptonshire This takes you to the home page of a site about the church. St Andrew's, Hove, Sussex This is the history section of pages about the church Wikipedia The on-line encyclopedia. This is the main page about church monuments with links to other pages and sites (including this one) Royal Berkshire History Part of David Nash Ford's site on Berkshire history. This links to the church index page with lots of internal links to follow. All Saints, Nocton, Lincolnshire The monuments page of the church site.