Cathedrals
Romanesque
Gothic
Floor plan of Canterbury, pre 1350
Floor plan of Ely
Salisbury
Mount Saint Michael
Romanesque
•AD 1066-1190
•Inspired by Roman architecture
•Massive and solid construction
•Semi-circular arches
•Church shaped like a cross
•Zig-zag mouldings
•Apsidal east end constructions
•Durham Cathedral nave, choir and transepts
•Norwich Cathedral nave and central tower
Romanesque style of design is attributed to those churches
built by the Normans shortly after their Conquest of Britain in
1066 until the end of the twelfth century. By the end of
William the Conqueror's reign in 1087, many of the major
churches and cathedrals had been rebuilt or were being rebuilt.
The influence of the style came from the continent. The
influence for the design came from Roman architecture. The
church built in this style looks very solidly constructed,
having massive pillars and thick round arches.
Tewkesbury Abbey
Romanesque
Romanesque Germany
Romanesque
Romanesque
Romanesque
Stave church
Norway,
Romanesque
Romanesque
Romanesque
apse:
A vaulted extension or projection, usually from a choir or chapel and
generally circular or polygonal in shape.
Apse
Nave
The main body of a church from the west end to the choir. The nave
could be divided north and south by screens.
Romanesque Nave
Abby church
Cluny
Mont Saint Michael
Traditional or Early English Gothic
•AD 1190-1300
•Pointed arches
•Clusters of small columns to form pillars
•Favorite style for Cistercian Abbeys
•Roche Abbey
•Wells Cathedral
•Salisbury Cathedral
The round arches of the earlier designs gave way to the pointed arch in
the nave, the windows and the doorways. The new Gothic style is
attributed to the area surrounding Paris in France. The abbey church of
St. Denis was the first example of the new style and was the creation of
Abbot Suger. The pointed arch not only looks better than a round arch,
but it is a much stronger construction distributing stress more efficiently.
The walls of the church became much thinner and the windows much
bigger allowing more light to enter. During the thirteenth century this
style of design developed into what is known as the Geometric style. In
this style, the windows became larger with the increased use of mullions,
and the decorations became more complex and geometric in design.
Decorated Gothic
•AD 1250-1350
•Elaborate windows and vaulting
•Higher and more elegant columns
•Exeter Cathedral
•The Octagon at Ely
In the decorated designs, the windows are subdivided by vertical stone
bars known as mullions. The mullions are spaced close together usually
rising the whole height of the window up to the springing line. The
springing line of a window or arch is the line at which the arch shape
starts from. The area above the springing line of the window is full of
complex shapes of stone called tracery. With higher walls and larger
windows, the cathedrals were now becoming more open to the light. The
majority of Exeter Cathedral is built in this style.
Perpendicular Gothic
•AD 1350-1550
•Fan-vaults
•Emphasis on vertical lines
This style is also known as Rectiliner. The need for larger areas of stained
glass windows required larger rectangular areas between the stone sections
Gloucester Cloisters
of the windows. The vaulting became a lot more complex. A good example
being the cloisters at Gloucester cathedral.
Notre Dame
Flying buttress
Notre Dame
Flying Buttresses
Notre Dame
Durham
Bath
Canterbury
C
Canterbury
Ely
Ely
Salisbury
Ely
Mount Saint Michael
Nave of
Notre Dame
Nave at Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury
Chapter room
Gargoyle
Carved ornaments designed to carry rain water away from the side of
buildings.
Gargoyle
Notre Dame