Coloured glass windows form one of the most iconic elements of medieval church decoration, reaching artistic maturity in the C13 and C14. These windows often depict APOSTLES, PROPHETS, ANGELS, and narrative FIGURES, creating a luminous counterpart to WALL PAINTINGS and sculptural CARVINGS. The interplay of light and architecture is especially striking in churches with large C15 Perpendicular windows. Even fragmentary survivals offer invaluable insight into medieval craftsmanship and theology.

Later religious reforms dramatically affected their survival. Much glass was destroyed or defaced during the TUDOR and C16 Reformation, leaving only scattered panels or reused fragments. Later restorations sometimes incorporated medieval pieces into new designs, creating windows that blend old and new. Stained glass often interacts visually with ROOD SCREEN, MONUMENT, and patterned TILES, forming a richly layered interior environment. Its survival remains one of the most evocative links to the medieval imagination.