Bell's Cathedrals: The Church of St. Martin, Canterbury An Illustrated Account of its History and Fabric

In this illustrated guide the reader is led through the stone, glass and ancient timber of St. Martin’s Church, a modest building that claims England’s earliest Christian house. The author blends architectural description with vivid historical anecdotes, drawing on recent excavations that have reshaped our understanding of the church’s origins before St. Augustine arrived. Each chapter is accompanied by line drawings, early photographs and modern sketches, allowing listeners to visualise the nave, the Saxon doorway and the hidden Roman foundations as they are described.

Routledge’s narrative adopts a scholarly tone, inviting visitors and history lovers alike to explore how the church’s simple hill‑top setting frames a panorama of Canterbury’s rooftops, distant cathedral spires, and wooded hills. The preface explains why a pilgrim might crave a guide that not only records stone by stone, but also weaves the spiritual and civic stories that have surrounded the building for more than a millennium. Listeners will come away with a clearer sense of how archaeology, medieval records and centuries of worship combine to shape the character of this enduring parish church.