"The Cathedrals of England and Wales" Blue Cloth Book

Written In English

Francis Bond’s The Cathedrals of England and Wales is a landmark architectural survey that captures the grandeur, artistry, and regional diversity of England and Wales’s most iconic ecclesiastical buildings. First issued as a revised and expanded version of Bond’s earlier English Cathedrals Illustrated, this edition offers a comprehensive visual and descriptive catalogue, featuring over 200 photographic reproductions and meticulously drawn ground plans, all scaled uniformly. Bond—a distinguished architectural historian and honorary associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects—writes with a scholar’s precision and a traveler’s awe. His mission was to make the architectural language of the cathedrals accessible to a broader audience at a time when national interest in England’s medieval heritage was flourishing. With clear explanations and comparisons between cathedrals, Bond’s work is both a field guide for the curious and a reference for the committed student of Gothic, Norman, and Early English design.

This particular volume was published in London by B. T. Batsford, a leading publisher of architectural books in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The gilt-stamped dark blue cloth binding features heraldic emblems, giving it a crisp, academic presence. The interior includes a handwritten gift inscription dated “Summer Holidays, 1950,” lending a touch of personal history to an otherwise formal book.

Condition:

In terms of condition, this copy is very well preserved structurally. The binding remains tight with just the lightest fraying at the head and foot of the spine. Corners show only minor wear, and the gilt is still bright and legible. Internally, the pages are clean overall but exhibit expected age toning and light foxing on the endpapers and preliminaries. There are no major tears or markings beyond the noted inscription. A solid and charming example of a reference work that beautifully bridges scholarly rigor with visual elegance.