From one of the earliest stained-glass schemes in Canterbury to mark the murder of Thomas Becket to Portsmouth’s Dunkirk and D-Day windows commemorating a crucial wartime rescue, the stained glass of England’s cathedrals represents a significant national art collection and spans 900 years.

#DivineLight, an Advent/Christmas campaign by the Association of English Cathedrals, is based on the volume of the same name by Janet Gough OBE, which was launched at the V&A this autumn.

We are delighted that Ripon Cathedral’s St Wilfrid Window is featured in the book (available from Ripon Cathedral Shop) and showcased this week in the social media campaign by the AEC in association with the book’s author.

It’s hoped the campaign, like the publication that inspired it, will encourage people to seek out our cathedral glass for themselves and discover a little bit of the story and the artistry behind it.

‘Stained-glass windows combine light and colour with imagery and sophisticated design to illuminate interior spaces, communicate religious and other messages, and perhaps offer us a glimpse of heaven.’ Association of English Cathedrals.

Main picture: extract from Divine Light – The Stained Glass of England’s Cathedrals, by Janet Gough OBE, published by Kulturalis. Photos by Andy Marshall.