Churchcrawls In Solitude

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

Illington, Norfolk

20210405

At the end of the first lockdown in September 2020 the Oxford Professor of History, Diarmaid MacCulloch, sought sanctuary in his favourite hobby 'churchcrawling', which he defines as the relentless pursuit of churches of all shapes and sizes just for the fun of it, `like a pub crawl, only with churches`. It's been his passion since his early childhood growing up in a rectory in rural Suffolk. In five essays, Diarmaid MacCulloch takes us on journeys around some of Britain's ancient and atmospheric churches to help us get lost in the history, art and personality of these churches as well as digging deeper to reflect on his own experiences of `a historian's life, measured out in churches.`

In his first essay, Diarmaid introduces us to the art of the churchcrawl' and he recalls a very particular journey, when he made a dash from his home in Oxford to Norfolk and Suffolk in early September 2020. `It reminded me of the purposeful silence of lone churchcrawling; my two-days' conversation was with buildings and with myself.` He visited 35 medieval churches in just 36 hours, including to the medieval church of St Andrew at Illington in Norfolk for the second time in his life. The first time he visited in 1966, St Andrew was neglected and unloved, and he has `never forgotten its sadness`. Today Diarmaid finds a `silent welcome` at the church, which is in a much better state than it was half a century ago.

Produced by Melissa FitzGerald

A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 3

Photo credit: Chris Gibbions

Diarmaid MacCulloch explores his life and work through five of Britain's historic churches

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Wetherden, Suffolk

20210406

For the historian, Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch, churchcrawling', which he defines as the relentless pursuit of churches of all shapes and sizes just for the fun and profit of visiting them, has been a lifelong pursuit. In this essay, Diarmaid takes us to the building that he most regards as home at St Mary's church in Wetherden, Suffolk. It's the church that started his lifelong addiction to churchcrawling'. Diarmaid grew up in the adjoining Rectory and recalls how when he arrived at the age of four in 1956, old ladies curtseyed in the street to his father as the Rector and at Christmas and Easter, the squire's gamekeeper would leave a gift pheasant at the Rectory door. It was a world now lost. Diarmaid describes how the church in Wetherden is multi-layered with history from its Saxon circular churchyard onwards, so the building tells the complete story of an average English parish church, century by century. Wetherden is where Diarmaid discovered the art of the churchcrawl' as a child, without even having to leave the comfort of his own home and it also set him on his career path, writing about the history of Christianity and the Church.

Produced by Melissa FitzGerald

A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 3

Diarmaid MacCulloch explores his life and work through five of Britain's historic churches

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Dunwich, Suffolk

20210407

For Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch churchcrawling', defined by him as the relentless pursuit of churches of all shapes and sizes just for the fun of it, `like a pub crawl, only with churches`, has been a lifelong pursuit. Today the historian takes us to Dunwich, on the Suffolk coast, the place of his favourite childhood expeditions, where he meditates on his delight with ruins throughout his life. Dunwich is perilously near the North Sea and as a boy Diarmaid would inspect the ghost of All Saints, the last medieval parish church at Dunwich. The church has a humble Victorian replacement inland, St James, which is built near a 12th-century ruined fragment from one of Dunwich's medieval hospitals. It's also where the very last buttress of All Saints stands, rescued and rebuilt here just before it fell over the cliff. This is, says Dairmaid, `three churches for the price of one, all in a single churchyard: Dunwich is the churchcrawler's bargain bucket.`

Produced by Melissa FitzGerald

A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 3

Diarmaid MacCulloch explores his life and work through five of Britain's historic churches

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Inglesham, Wiltshire

20210408

For Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch churchcrawling', defined as `like a pub crawl, only with churches` has been a constant hobby over seven decades of his life. In this essay, the historian explains how there was also a time when visiting churches became therapy for his personal crisis after the Anglican church rejected his ordination as an openly gay man. Paradoxically his long-established pastime of endlessly looking round church buildings helped him to cope with the Church's rejection. Diarmaid takes us to the Church of St John the Baptist in Inglesham, Wiltshire, which sums up his historical therapy in the 1990s. It's a perfect example of how parish churches were both transformed and preserved after the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. But it is also frozen in time and the sort of Protestant Anglicanism it represents had no room for gay people, `the past is the past, and I wouldn't want to live there` he says.

Produced by Melissa FitzGerald

A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 3

Diarmaid MacCulloch explores his life and work through five of Britain's historic churches

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
01	Illington, Norfolk	20210405	At the end of the first lockdown in September 2020 the Oxford Professor of History, Diarmaid MacCulloch, sought sanctuary in his favourite hobby 'churchcrawling', which he defines as the relentless pursuit of churches of all shapes and sizes just for the fun of it, `like a pub crawl, only with churches`. It's been his passion since his early childhood growing up in a rectory in rural Suffolk. In five essays, Diarmaid MacCulloch takes us on journeys around some of Britain's ancient and atmospheric churches to help us get lost in the history, art and personality of these churches as well as digging deeper to reflect on his own experiences of `a historian's life, measured out in churches.` In his first essay, Diarmaid introduces us to the art of the churchcrawl' and he recalls a very particular journey, when he made a dash from his home in Oxford to Norfolk and Suffolk in early September 2020. `It reminded me of the purposeful silence of lone churchcrawling; my two-days' conversation was with buildings and with myself.` He visited 35 medieval churches in just 36 hours, including to the medieval church of St Andrew at Illington in Norfolk for the second time in his life. The first time he visited in 1966, St Andrew was neglected and unloved, and he has `never forgotten its sadness`. Today Diarmaid finds a `silent welcome` at the church, which is in a much better state than it was half a century ago. Produced by Melissa FitzGerald A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 3 Photo credit: Chris Gibbions Diarmaid MacCulloch explores his life and work through five of Britain's historic churches Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
02	Wetherden, Suffolk	20210406	For the historian, Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch, churchcrawling', which he defines as the relentless pursuit of churches of all shapes and sizes just for the fun and profit of visiting them, has been a lifelong pursuit. In this essay, Diarmaid takes us to the building that he most regards as home at St Mary's church in Wetherden, Suffolk. It's the church that started his lifelong addiction to churchcrawling'. Diarmaid grew up in the adjoining Rectory and recalls how when he arrived at the age of four in 1956, old ladies curtseyed in the street to his father as the Rector and at Christmas and Easter, the squire's gamekeeper would leave a gift pheasant at the Rectory door. It was a world now lost. Diarmaid describes how the church in Wetherden is multi-layered with history from its Saxon circular churchyard onwards, so the building tells the complete story of an average English parish church, century by century. Wetherden is where Diarmaid discovered the art of the churchcrawl' as a child, without even having to leave the comfort of his own home and it also set him on his career path, writing about the history of Christianity and the Church. Produced by Melissa FitzGerald A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 3 Diarmaid MacCulloch explores his life and work through five of Britain's historic churches Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
03	Dunwich, Suffolk	20210407	For Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch churchcrawling', defined by him as the relentless pursuit of churches of all shapes and sizes just for the fun of it, `like a pub crawl, only with churches`, has been a lifelong pursuit. Today the historian takes us to Dunwich, on the Suffolk coast, the place of his favourite childhood expeditions, where he meditates on his delight with ruins throughout his life. Dunwich is perilously near the North Sea and as a boy Diarmaid would inspect the ghost of All Saints, the last medieval parish church at Dunwich. The church has a humble Victorian replacement inland, St James, which is built near a 12th-century ruined fragment from one of Dunwich's medieval hospitals. It's also where the very last buttress of All Saints stands, rescued and rebuilt here just before it fell over the cliff. This is, says Dairmaid, `three churches for the price of one, all in a single churchyard: Dunwich is the churchcrawler's bargain bucket.` Produced by Melissa FitzGerald A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 3 Diarmaid MacCulloch explores his life and work through five of Britain's historic churches Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.
04	Inglesham, Wiltshire	20210408	For Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch churchcrawling', defined as `like a pub crawl, only with churches` has been a constant hobby over seven decades of his life. In this essay, the historian explains how there was also a time when visiting churches became therapy for his personal crisis after the Anglican church rejected his ordination as an openly gay man. Paradoxically his long-established pastime of endlessly looking round church buildings helped him to cope with the Church's rejection. Diarmaid takes us to the Church of St John the Baptist in Inglesham, Wiltshire, which sums up his historical therapy in the 1990s. It's a perfect example of how parish churches were both transformed and preserved after the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. But it is also frozen in time and the sort of Protestant Anglicanism it represents had no room for gay people, `the past is the past, and I wouldn't want to live there` he says. Produced by Melissa FitzGerald A Blakeway production for BBC Radio 3 Diarmaid MacCulloch explores his life and work through five of Britain's historic churches Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.