Church of England parish church

In many English villages the church is a prominent landmark and its tower is often the tallest structure in the settlement.

A number are substantially of Anglo-Saxon date, and all subsequent periods of architecture are represented in the country.

Each building reflects its status and there is considerable variety in the size and style of parish churches.

[citation needed] These may include monuments, hatchments, wall paintings, stained glass, floor tiles, carved pews, choir stalls (perhaps with misericords), lecterns and fonts, sometimes even shrines or vestments.

However, by the late 20th and early 21st centuries, with the decline in the number of worshippers and the shortage of Anglican priests, there has been a trend towards team or shared ministries, and many parish churches no longer have a service every Sunday.