Church architecture and heritage
Ecclesiology
The study of church architecture and associated topics is John Vigar’s specialist subject.
John has written extensively on ecclesiology and leads regular tours to churches across England, both as part of his own programme of activities and for many other organisations, including The Arts Society and The Ecclesiological Society.
He is particularly interested in nineteenth-century church restoration, and his MA thesis was written on church restoration in the Diocese of Rochester. John has written guidebooks for several hundred churches and is the author of books on the churches of Kent, Hampshire, Norfolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Sussex.
Professional
A career dedicated to historic churches
Following a career in academia, John worked for 13 years in the south-east region of The Churches Conservation Trust. For 40 years he was a Trustee of the national charity The Friends of Friendless Churches.
John is a member of the Advisory Council of The Norfolk Churches Trust. He has previously served as Honorary Secretary of the Ledgerstone Survey of England and Wales, Photographic Curator of The Kempe Society, and on the Academic Advisory Board of the Centre for Parish Church Studies. In 2024 he was appointed a Trustee of the Francis Coales Charitable Foundation.
He runs kentchurches.info and hampshirechurches.co.uk.
Details and discoveries
From John’s archive
Watch
John on film
Ecclesiology enquiries
Contact John
For enquiries about John’s research, writing and work with historic churches, please get in touch.