Where To Find England’s Most Breathtaking Stained-Glass Windows

Stained-glass windows aren’t just church decorations, they’re stories told through sunlight. And in England’s cathedrals, these glowing panels have been quietly sharing tales for nearly 900 years. If you’ve ever stared up at one and felt a strange mix of calm and awe, you’re not alone. It’s like history and art teamed up to hit you right in the soul.

A new book called Divine Light: The Stained Glass of England’s Cathedrals by Janet Gough dives straight into these luminous wonders. It’s not just for art buffs or churchgoers either. Whether you're a casual explorer, history fan, or someone who simply loves beautiful things, this book is a treasure trove.

Seeing history through glass

Let’s be real, most of us don’t think about stained glass unless we’re inside a cathedral, maybe on holiday or for a wedding. But these windows are more than pretty patterns. They were the medieval version of graphic novels, explaining religious stories, politics, even who was in charge at the time.

Divine Light starts with a dramatic moment Canterbury Cathedral’s windows from the 1170s, right after the murder of Thomas Becket. That event sent shockwaves through the country, and the church used stained glass to show their side of the story. From there, the book walks through every century, all the way up to a window made in 2019 at Durham Cathedral by Mel Howse.

So yea it’s not just old stuff.

Every window has a story

What makes this book stand out is that Gough got the deans of every Church of England cathedral, plus Westminster Abbey and St George's Chapel in Windsor, to pick their favourite windows and tell us why. It’s like a backstage tour guided by the people who live and breathe these places.

You’ll find:

• Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces like Burne-Jones’s “The Last Judgement” from 1897 in Birmingham Cathedral
• Quirky Victorian windows from the Arts and Crafts movement
• Glass from the turbulent Reformation period
• Cutting-edge designs from the 20th and 21st centuries, proving the art form is very much alive

Each chapter isn’t just a history lesson, it’s personal.

A book, a guide, and a bit of magic

The book isn’t massive 120 pages, but it's packed with around 120 colour photos. Photographers Andy Marshall and Marcus Green capture the glow and detail that you usually miss when craning your neck in real life. Honestly, it works as a sort of travel guide too. With over 11.5 million people visiting England’s cathedrals every year, Gough’s done a bit of a public service by pointing out what to actually look at.

Plus, it’s a reminder that cathedrals are still commissioning art. That’s rightglasswork didn’t stop in the 1800s. We’re still adding to this living tradition.

From church geek to national heritage expert

Janet Gough isn’t new to this game. She used to be Director of Cathedrals and Church Buildings for the Church of England. In 2017, she was awarded an OBE for her work on church heritage. She’s also been involved in everything from helping the V&A on conservation projects to curating Royal Mail’s 2024 Christmas stamps.

This isn’t her first book either. Her previous titles like Cathedral Treasures of England and Wales and Director's Choice have won praise from heritage experts and journalists alike.

A few jaw-dropping examples featured in the book

Let’s drop some names and dates, because honestly, the range is staggering:

• Canterbury Cathedral: The Parable of the Sower, from the 1180s
• York Minster: The Great East Window, begun in 1405
• Truro Cathedral: Colourful Victorian glass by Clayton & Bell, late 1890s
• Durham Cathedral: A shimmering modern piece by Mel Howse from 2019

You don’t have to be religious to get chills looking at these.

What does it cost and where can you get it?

• Paperback with flaps, 120 pages
• ISBN: 978-1-83636-027-8
• £14.95 in the UK, $19.95 in the USA
• Published by Kulturalis, available online at kulturalis.com

Also available as an ebook (ISBN: 978-1-83636-035-3) if you prefer to swipe instead of flip pages.

Why this matters now

In a world of fast-moving everything, stained glass slows you down. It pulls you in. Whether you're a culture fan, Sunday stroller, or just like beautiful things, Divine Light shows that art isn’t always in a museum. Sometimes, it’s glowing through the walls of your local cathedral.

And who knows? The next time you're in one, you might just look up and find a whole story waiting in the light.