English Gothic is an

architectural style An architectural style is a set of characteristics and features that make a building or other structure notable or historically identifiable. It is a sub-class of style in the visual arts generally, and most styles in architecture relate closely ...

that flourished from the late 12th until the mid-17th century. The style was most prominently used in the construction of cathedrals and churches.

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

architecture's defining features are pointed arches,

rib vault A rib vault or ribbed vault is an architectural feature for covering a wide space, such as a church nave, composed of a framework of crossed or diagonal arched ribs. Variations were used in Roman architecture, Byzantine architecture, Islami ...

buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral (s ...

es, and extensive use of

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

. Combined, these features allowed the creation of buildings of unprecedented height and grandeur, filled with light from large stained glass windows. Important examples include

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England. It forms part of a World Heritage Site. It is the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, currently Justin Welby, leader of the ...

and

Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England. The cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Salisbury and is the seat of the Bishop of Salisbury. The buil ...

. The Gothic style endured in England much longer than in

Continental Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by ...

. The Gothic style was introduced from France, where the various elements had first been used together within a single building at the

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

of the Abbey of Saint-Denis north of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, completed in 1144. The earliest large-scale applications of Gothic architecture in England were

and

. Many features of Gothic architecture had evolved naturally from

Romanesque architecture Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 11th century, this lat ...

(often known in England as

Norman architecture The term Norman architecture is used to categorise styles of Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans in the various lands under their dominion or influence in the 11th and 12th centuries. In particular the term is traditionally used f ...

). The first cathedral in England to be both planned and built entirely in the Gothic style was Wells Cathedral, begun in 1175. Other features were imported from the Ile-de-France, where the first French Gothic cathedral, Sens Cathedral, had been built (1135–64). After a fire destroyed the choir of Canterbury Cathedral in 1174, the French architect William of Sens rebuilt the choir in the new Gothic style between 1175 and 1180. The transition can also be seen at

Durham Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly known as Durham Cathedral and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert, is a cathedral in the city of Durham, County Durham, England. It is the seat of t ...

, a Norman building which was remodelled with the earliest

known. Besides cathedrals, monasteries, and

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

es, the style was used for many secular buildings, including university buildings,

palace A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

s, great houses, and

almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...

s and

guildhall A guildhall, also known as a "guild hall" or "guild house", is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commonly become town halls and in some ...

s. Stylistic periodisations of the English Gothic style are * Early English or ''First Pointed'' (late 12th–late 13th centuries) * Decorated Gothic or ''Second Pointed'' (late 13th–late 14th centuries) *

Perpendicular Gothic Perpendicular Gothic (also Perpendicular, Rectilinear, or Third Pointed) architecture was the third and final style of English Gothic architecture developed in the Kingdom of England during the Late Middle Ages, typified by large windows, four-c ...

or ''Third Pointed'' (14th–17th centuries). The architect and art historian Thomas Rickman's ''Attempt to Discriminate the Style of Architecture in England'', first published in 1812, divided Gothic architecture in the British Isles into three stylistic periods. Rickman identified the period of architecture as follows: *

William the Conqueror William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...

() to Henry II () as ''Norman'' * Richard the Lionheart () to

Edward I Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vas ...

() as ''Early English'' * reigns of

Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to ...

() and

Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring r ...

() as ''Decorated'' * from

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father ...

() to

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

() as ''Perpendicular'' From the 15th century, under the

House of Tudor The House of Tudor was a royal house of largely Welsh and English origin that held the English throne from 1485 to 1603. They descended from the Tudors of Penmynydd and Catherine of France. Tudor monarchs ruled the Kingdom of England and i ...

, the prevailing Gothic style is commonly known as

Tudor architecture The Tudor architectural style is the final development of Medieval architecture in England and Wales, during the Tudor period (1485–1603) and even beyond, and also the tentative introduction of Renaissance architecture to Britain. It fo ...

. This style is ultimately succeeded by Elizabethan architecture and

Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought ...

under

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...

(). Rickman excluded from his scheme most new buildings after Henry VIII's reign, calling the style of "additions and rebuilding" in the later 16th and earlier 17th centuries "often much debased". Architect and art historian

Edmund Sharpe Edmund Sharpe (31 October 1809 – 8 May 1877) was an English architect, architectural historian, railway engineer, and sanitary reformer. Born in Knutsford, Cheshire, he was educated first by his parents and then at schools locally and i ...

, in ''The Seven Periods of English Architecture'' (1851), identified a pre-Gothic ''Transitional Period'' (1145–90), following the ''Norman'' period, in which pointed arches and round arches were employed together. Focusing on the windows, Sharpe dubbed Rickman's Gothic styles as follows: * Rickman's first Gothic style as the ''Lancet Period'' (1190–1245) * Rickman's second Gothic style divided into the ''Geometrical'' period (1245–1315) and then the ''Curvilinear'' period (1315–1360) * Rickman's third style as the ''Rectilinear'' period (1360–1550). Unlike the Early English and Decorated styles, this third style, employed over three centuries was unique to England. In the English Renaissance, the stylistic language of the ancient classical orders and the Renaissance architecture of southern Europe began to supplant Gothic architecture in Continental Europe, but the British Isles continued to favour Gothic building styles, with traditional Perpendicular Gothic building projects undertaken into the 17th century in England and both Elizabethan and

Jacobean architecture The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James VI and I, with whose reign (1603–1625 in England) it is associated. At the start of James' reign there ...

incorporating Gothic features, particularly for churches. Classical-inspired architecture predominated after the

Great Fire of London The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Thursday 6 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past th ...

The rebuilding of the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

was so extensive that the numbers of workers employed broke the monopoly of the medieval livery company of stonemasons and the

Worshipful Company of Masons The Worshipful Company of Masons is one of the ancient Livery Companies of the City of London, number 30 in the order of precedence of the 110 companies. It was granted Arms in 1472, during the reign of King Edward IV; its motto is “God Is ...

and the role of master-mason was displaced by that of the early modern architect. The new

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London ...

Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 church ...

and his

Wren churches Sir Christopher Wren was 33 years old and near the beginning of his career as an architect when the Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed many of the city's public buildings, including 88 of its parish churches. Wren's office was commissioned to ...

mostly dispensed with the Gothic idiom in favour of classical work. Outside London however, new ecclesiastical buildings and repairs to older churches were still carried out in Gothic style, particularly near the

ancient university The ancient universities are British and Irish medieval universities and early modern universities founded before the year 1600. Four of these are located in Scotland, two in England, and one in Ireland. The ancient universities in Britain and ...

towns of

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

and

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

, where the university colleges were important patrons of 17th-century Gothic construction. By the 18th century, architects occasionally worked in Gothic style, but the living tradition of Gothic workmanship had faded and their designs rarely resembled medieval Gothic buildings. Only when the

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

movement of the late 18th and 19th centuries began, was the architectural language of medieval Gothic relearned through the scholarly efforts of early 19th-century art historians like Rickman and Matthew Bloxam, whose ''Principles of Gothic Ecclesiastical Architecture'' first appeared in 1829. Alongside the new Gothic building work of the 19th century, many of England's existing Gothic buildings were extensively repaired, restored, remodelled, and rebuilt by architects seeking to improve the buildings according to the Romantic,

high church The term ''high church'' refers to beliefs and practices of Christian ecclesiology, liturgy, and theology that emphasize formality and resistance to modernisation. Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term originate ...

aesthetic of the

Oxford Movement The Oxford Movement was a movement of high church members of the Church of England which began in the 1830s and eventually developed into Anglo-Catholicism. The movement, whose original devotees were mostly associated with the University of ...

and to replace many of the medieval features lost in the iconoclastic phases of the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

, the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and the

Wars of the Three Kingdoms The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of related conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, then separate entities united in a personal union under Charles I. They include the 1639 to 1640 Bi ...

. In the process of this Victorian "restoration", much of the original Gothic architecture of the Middle Ages was lost or altered beyond recognition. However, medieval works left unfinished were often completed or restored to their "original" designs. According to James Stevens Curl, the revival of Gothic architecture was "arguably, the most influential artistic phenomenon ever to spring from England". The various English Gothic styles are seen at their most fully developed in cathedrals, monasteries, and collegiate churches. With the exception of

, English cathedrals–having building dates that typically range over 400 years–show great stylistic diversity.

Early English Gothic (late 12th–late 13th centuries)

File:SalisburyCathedral-wyrdlight-EastExt.jpg,

(1220–1258) (Tower and spire later.) File:1023581-Cathedral Church of St Mary (12).jpg,

choir File:Temple Church 1, London, UK - Diliff.jpg,

Temple Church The Temple Church is a Royal peculiar church in the City of London located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters. It was consecrated on 10 February 1185 by Patriarch Heraclius of J ...

choir File:Southwell Minster Choir and High Altar, Nottinghamshire, UK - Diliff.jpg, Southwell Minster choir File:Worcester Cathedral West Window, Worcestershire, UK - Diliff.jpg,

Worcester Cathedral Worcester Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Worcester, in Worcestershire, England, situated on a bank overlooking the River Severn. It is the seat of the Bishop of Worcester. Its official name is the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Bless ...

nave File:Beverley minster 018.JPG,

Beverley Minster Beverley Minster, otherwise known as the Parish Church of Saint John and Saint Martin, in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, is a parish church in the Church of England. It is one of the largest parish churches in the UK, larger than one-thi ...

transept File:SW York Minster 061215 (cropped).JPG, York Minster south transept File:Hereford cathedral 002.JPG,

Hereford Cathedral Hereford Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Hereford in Hereford, England. A place of worship has existed on the site of the present building since the 8th century or earlier. The present building was begun in 1079. ...

(1079–1250) Lady chapel File:Peterborough Cathedral Exterior 1, Cambridgeshire, UK - Diliff.jpg, Peterborough Cathedral west front File:Wells Cathedral West Front Exterior, UK - Diliff.jpg, Wells Cathedral west front File:Wells Cathedral 17 (9320456934).jpg, Wells Cathedral nave File:Lincoln Cathedral Nave 1, Lincolnshire, UK - Diliff.jpg,

Lincoln Cathedral Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln Minster, or the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln and sometimes St Mary's Cathedral, in Lincoln, England, is a Grade I listed cathedral and is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Lincoln. Construc ...

nave File:Worcester Cathedral choir, Worcestershire, UK - Diliff.jpg,

choir File:The first bay of the Lady Chapel (c.1220-30s), Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, Hampshire, England - Flickr - Spencer Means.jpg,

Winchester Cathedral The Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity,Historic England. "Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity (1095509)". ''National Heritage List for England''. Retrieved 8 September 2014. Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Swithun, commonly known as Winches ...

Lady chapel File:Fountains Abbey - North Yorkshire, England - DSC00601.jpg,

Lancet window A lancet window is a tall, narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural element are typical of Gothic church edifices of the earliest period. Lancet ...

, Fountains Abbey File:Whitby Abbey image.jpg, Whitby Abbey choir File:Rievaulx Abbey (206163907).jpeg, Rievaulx Abbey choir File:Lanercost Priory, West Front, Cumbria.JPG,

Lanercost Priory Lanercost Priory was founded by Robert de Vaux between 1165 and 1174, the most likely date being 1169, to house Augustinian canons. The priory is situated at the village of Lanercost, Cumbria, England, within sight of Naworth Castle, with whic ...

west front File:Durham Cathedral - England P1200693 (13335758425).jpg,

east transept Early English Gothic predominated from the late 12th century until midway to late in the 13th century, It succeeded

Norman Architecture The term Norman architecture is used to categorise styles of Romanesque architecture developed by the Normans in the various lands under their dominion or influence in the 11th and 12th centuries. In particular the term is traditionally used f ...

, which had introduced early great cathedrals, built of stone instead of timber, and saw the construction of remarkable abbeys throughout England. The Normans had introduced the three classical orders of architecture, and created massive walls for their buildings, with thin pilaster-like buttresses. The transition from Norman to Gothic lasted from about 1145 until 1190. In the reigns of King Stephen and Richard I, the style changed from the more massive severe Norman style to the more delicate and refined Gothic. Early English was particularly influenced by what was called in English "The French style". The style was imported from

Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,Ile-de-France, where Sens Cathedral had been constructed, the first Gothic cathedral in France. The chancel of

, one of the first Early English structures in England, was rebuilt in the new style by a French architect, William of Sens. The Early English style particularly featured more strongly-constructed walls with stone vaulted roofs, to resist fire. The weight of these vaults was carried downwards and outwards by arched ribs. This feature, the early

, was used at

, the first time it was used this way in Europe. Another important innovation introduced in this early period was the

, a stone column outside the structure that reinforced the walls against the weight pressing outward and downward from the vaults. This evolved into the

flying buttress The flying buttress (''arc-boutant'', arch buttress) is a specific form of buttress composed of an arch that extends from the upper portion of a wall to a pier of great mass, in order to convey lateral forces to the ground that are necessary to pu ...

, which carried the thrust from the wall of the nave over the roof of the aisle. The buttress was given further support by a heavy stone pinnacle. Buttresses were an early feature of the chapter house of

Lichfield Cathedral Lichfield Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England, one of only three cathedrals in the United Kingdom with three spires (together with Truro Cathedral and St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh), and the only medie ...

. Early English is typified by

lancet window A lancet window is a tall, narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural element are typical of Gothic church edifices of the earliest period. Lancet ...

s, tall narrow lights topped by a pointed arch. They were grouped together side by side under a single arch and decorated with mullions in tracery patterns, such as ''cusps'', or spear-points. Lancet windows were combined similarly pointed arches and the ribs of the vaults overhead, giving a harmonious and unified style.

Characteristics

File:Canterbury Cathedral Choir 01.JPG, Choir of

rebuilt by William of Sens and William the Englishman (1174–1184) File:Wells cathedral nave clerestory.JPG, The three levels of the nave (1192–1230) of Wells Cathedral, the first in England to use pointed arches exclusively in the ceiling vaults, the windows of the

clerestory In architecture, a clerestory ( ; , also clearstory, clearstorey, or overstorey) is a high section of wall that contains windows above eye level. Its purpose is to admit light, fresh air, or both. Historically, ''clerestory'' denoted an upper l ...

and arcades of the

triforium A triforium is an interior gallery, opening onto the tall central space of a building at an upper level. In a church, it opens onto the nave from above the side aisles; it may occur at the level of the clerestory windows, or it may be locat ...

, and the arcades on the ground floor. File:Lincoln Cathedral, Dean's Eye window (N.31) (21975539699).jpg, The Dean's Eye Window, a rare English

rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window' ...

, at

(1220–1235) File:Salisbury Cathedral Detail Bosses.jpg, Early four-part

s at

, with a simple carved stone

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...

at the meeting point of the ribs (1220–1258) File:Catedral de Salisbury, Salisbury, Inglaterra, 2014-08-12, DD 35-37 HDR.JPG, Lancet windows in the north transept of

(1220–1258) * The vertical plan of early Gothic Cathedrals had three levels, each of about equal height; the

, with arched windows which admitted light on top, under the roof vaults; the

a wider covered arcade, in the middle; and, on the ground floor, on either side of the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-typ ...

, wide arcades of columns and pillars, which supported the weight of the ceiling vaults through the ribs. * The most distinctive element of this period was the pointed arch, (also known as the

lancet arch Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. I ...

, which was the key feature of the Gothic

, The original purpose of rib vault was to allow a heavier stone ceiling, to replace the wooden roofs of the earlier Norman churches, which frequently caught fire. They also had the benefit of allowing the construction of higher and thinner walls. They appeared first in an early form in

. Gradually, pointed arches were used not only for rib vaults, but also for all of the arcades and for lancet windows, giving the nave its unified appearance. The first structure in England to be built entirely with the pointed arch was Wells Cathedral (1175–1260), but they were soon used in all Cathedrals. * The Early English

s were usually quadripartite, each having four compartments divided by ribs, with each covering one bay of the ceiling. The horizontal ridge ribs intersected the summits of the cross ribs and diagonal ribs, and carried the weight outwards and downwards to pillars or columns of the triforium and arcades, and, in later cathedrals, outside the walls to the buttresses. * The

, narrow and tall with a point at the top, became a common feature of English architecture. For this reason, Early English Gothic is sometimes known as the Lancet style. The Lancet openings of windows and decorative arcading are often grouped in twos or threes. This characteristic is seen throughout

, where groups of two lancet windows line the nave and groups of three line the clerestory. At York Minster the north transept has a cluster of five lancet windows known as the Five Sisters; each is 50 feet tall and still retains its original glass. *

Stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

windows began to be widely used in the windows of the

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building with ...

and especially west façade. Many were elaborately decorated with

tracery Tracery is an architectural device by which windows (or screens, panels, and vaults) are divided into sections of various proportions by stone ''bars'' or ''ribs'' of moulding. Most commonly, it refers to the stonework elements that support the ...

; that is, thin

mullions A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid supp ...

or ribs of stone which divided the windows into elaborate geometric patterns. as at

(1220). * Rose Windows were relatively rare in England, but

has two notable examples from this period. The oldest is the Dean's Window in the north transept, which dates to 1220–1235. It is an example of an Early English plate-tracery rose window. The geometric design, with concentric tiers of circular window lights, predates the geometric tracery of the later decorated style of Gothic architecture. The principal theme of the window is the second coming of Christ and the last judgement. Some scenes are associated with death and resurrection, such as the funeral of Saint Hugh, the founder of the cathedral, and the death of the Virgin. * Square east end. The typical arrangement for an English Gothic east end is square, and may be an unbroken cliff-like design as at York, Lincoln, Ripon, Ely and Carlisle or may have a projecting Lady Chapel of which there is a great diversity as at Salisbury, Lichfield, Hereford, Exeter and Chichester. * Sculptural decoration. Unlike the more sombre and heavy Norman churches, the Gothic churches began to have elaborate sculptural decoration. The arches of the arcades and triforium were sometimes decorated with dog tooth patterns, cusps, carved circles, and with

trefoil A trefoil () is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings, used in architecture and Christian symbolism, among other areas. The term is also applied to other symbols with a threefold shape. A similar shape with four ring ...

quatrefoil A quatrefoil (anciently caterfoil) is a decorative element consisting of a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially overlapping circles of the same diameter. It is found in art, architecture, heraldry and traditional ...

s, as well as floral and vegetal designs. Simple floral motifs also often appeared on the capitals, the

spandrels A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame; between the tops of two adjacent arches or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently fill ...

, the

roof boss In architecture, a boss is a knob or protrusion of wood, stone, or metal. Description Bosses can often be found in the ceilings of buildings, particularly at the keystones at the intersections of a rib vault. In Gothic architecture, such ro ...

that joined the ribs of the vaults. * The clustered column. Instead of being massive, solid pillars, early Gothic columns were often composed of clusters of slender, detached shafts, which descended the vaults above. These were often made of dark, polished Purbeck "marble", surrounding a central pillar, or

pier Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century.">England.html" ;"title="Brighton, England">Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th ...

, to which they are attached by circular moulded shaft-rings. One characteristic of Early Gothic in England is the great depth given to the hollows of the mouldings with alternating fillets and rolls, and by the decoration of the hollows with the dog-tooth ornament and by the circular

abacus The abacus (''plural'' abaci or abacuses), also called a counting frame, is a calculating tool which has been used since ancient times. It was used in the ancient Near East, Europe, China, and Russia, centuries before the adoption of the Hi ...

or tops of the

capitals Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

of the columns.

Examples

* the east end of

(1174–84) rebuilt by French masons following a fire * transept, nave and west front of Wells Cathedral (1176–1260; western towers added in the Perpendicular period, 1365–1435) * clerestory and vaults of Chichester Cathedral (1187–99) * retro-choir at

(1189–93; not including the Lady chapel) *

and chapter house (1192–1255; Not including the "Angel Choir", south transept, towers, and cloisters) * east end and transept of

Rochester Cathedral Rochester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an English church of Norman architecture in Rochester, Medway, Rochester, Kent. The church is the cathedral of the Diocese of Rochester in the Church o ...

(1200–27) * west front of Peterborough Cathedral (1200–22) * the east end of

(1202–18) * at

; the Lady chapel (1217–25) and upper part of the choir (1235–40) *

(1220–1266; not including Decorated central tower, 1334–80 and Perpendicular crossing arches, 1388–95) * great transept of York Minster (1226–55) * east end of Southwell Minster (1234–50) * east end of

Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is an Anglican cathedral in the city of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. The cathedral has its origins in AD 672 when St Etheldreda built an abbey church. The present ...

(1234–54) * presbytery of

St. Albans Cathedral St Albans Cathedral, officially the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Alban but often referred to locally as "the Abbey", is a Church of England cathedral in St Albans, England. Much of its architecture dates from Norman times. It ceased to be a ...

(1235–50) * the chapter house at

(1239–49) * Chapel of Nine Altars at

(1242–80) * at

Chester Cathedral Chester Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral and the mother church of the Diocese of Chester. It is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. The cathedral, formerly the abbey church of a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Sa ...

; the chapter house (1249–65) and Lady chapel (1265–90) * Whitby Abbey * Rievaulx Abbey

Decorated Gothic (late 13th–late 14th centuries)

The second style of English Gothic architecture is generally termed Decorated Gothic, because the amount of ornament and decoration increased dramatically. It corresponded roughly with the Rayonnant period in France, which influenced it. It was a period of growing prosperity in England, and this was expressed in the decoration of Gothic buildings. Almost every feature of the interiors and facades was decorated. File:North transept window of Westminster Abbey 2006-05-08.jpg,

north transept rose window File:London - Westminster abbey - chapter house 04.jpg,

chapter house File:Salisbury Cathedral Chapter House roof.jpg, The vault of the chapter house at

(1275–85) File:Salisbury Cathedral (St. Mary) (14651659629).jpg,

chapter house and cloisters File:Wells Cathedral Chapter House, Somerset, UK - Diliff.jpg, Wells Cathedral chapter house File:York Minster Chapter House, Nth Yorkshire, UK - Diliff.jpg, York Minster chapter house File:Lady chapel, Chichester Cathedral.jpg, Chichester Cathedral Lady chapel File:Wells Cathedral Choir (42768529955).jpg, Wells Cathedral choir File:Exeter Cathedral Quire, Exeter, UK - Diliff.jpg,

Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The present building was complete by about 14 ...

choir File:York Minster Nave 1, Nth Yorkshire, UK - Diliff.jpg, York Minster nave File:Merton College Chapel Interior 1, Oxford, UK - Diliff.jpg,

Merton College Chapel Merton College Chapel is the church of Merton College, Oxford, England. Dedicated to St Mary and St John the Baptist, the chapel was largely completed in its present form by the end of the 13th century. The building retains a number of original ...

File:Ripon cathedral (25443844272).jpg, Ripon Cathedral east end File:Gisborough priory snow landscape.jpg, Gisborough Priory,

North Riding of Yorkshire The North Riding of Yorkshire is a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point is at Mickle Fell with 2,585 ft (788 metres). From the Restoration it was used ...

File:St Mary's Abbey, York (13442479703).jpg, St Mary's Abbey, York, nave File:Newstead Abbey Church 03.jpg, Newstead Abbey,

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The trad ...

, west front File:Southwell Chapter House1.jpg, Southwell Minster,

, chapter house File:Cathedral antiquities (1814) (14769063331).jpg,

north transept File:Looking across nave.jpg,

Howden Minster Howden Minster (also known as the Minster Church of St Peter and St Paul, Howden) is a large Grade I listed Church of England church in the Diocese of York. It is located in Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire, England and is one of the largest ...

East Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire t ...

, nave File:Howden Minster tower - geograph.org.uk - 1266857.jpg,

south transept File:Augustine Abbey1.jpg,

St Augustine's Abbey St Augustine's Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Canterbury, Kent, England. The abbey was founded in 598 and functioned as a monastery until its dissolution in 1538 during the English Reformation. After the abbey's dissolution, it underwent ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, gatehouse Historians sometimes subdivide this style into two periods, based on the predominant motifs of the designs. The first, the Geometric style, lasted from about 1245 or 50 until 1315 or 1360, where ornament tended to be based on straight lines, cubes and circles, followed by the Curvilinear style (from about 1290 or 1315 until 1350 or 1360) which used gracefully curving lines. File:Hull Minster south view.jpg,

Hull Minster Hull Minster is the Anglican minster and the parish church of Kingston upon Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The church was called Holy Trinity Church until 13 May 2017 when it became Hull Minster. History It is the largest p ...

chancel File:St Marys, Nantwich.jpg,

St Mary's Church, Nantwich St Mary's Church is an Anglican parish church in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building. It has been called the "Cathedral of South Cheshire" a ...

, east end File:St.Andrew's church, Heckington - geograph.org.uk - 183007.jpg, St Andrew's Church, Heckington, nave File:Ely Cathedral Lady Chapel, Cambridgeshire, UK - Diliff.jpg,

Lady chapel (1321–1351) File:Lichfield Cathedral Choir 2, Staffordshire, UK - Diliff.jpg,

choir File:St.Botolph's nave - geograph.org.uk - 992285.jpg,

St Botolph's Church, Boston St Botolph's Church is the Anglican parish church of Boston, Lincolnshire, England. It has been referred to as "Boston Stump" since it was constructed. Its tower is tall, and was long used as a landmark for sailors; on a clear day it can be s ...

, nave File:Ely Cathedral Choir, Cambridgeshire, UK - Diliff.jpg,

choir File:Ely Cathedral Octagon Lantern 1, Cambridgeshire, UK - Diliff.jpg,

crossing and lantern File:Wells Cathedral Lady Chapel, Somerset, UK - Diliff.jpg, Wells Cathedral Lady chapel File:Carlisle Cathedral Choir, Cumbria, UK - Diliff.jpg, Carlisle Cathedral choir File:Ely School buildings including Prior Crauden's Chapel (1324-5).JPG, Prior Crauden's Chapel, Ely File:WTC badgersruleok a18.jpg,

Old Grammar School, Coventry The Old Grammar School, Coventry is a Grade I listed building in Coventry, England on the corner of Bishop Street and Hales Street. History Establishment The Hospital of St John was founded between 1154 and 1179 by Prior Lawrence of the Bened ...

, east end File:Bolton Abbey 7.jpg,

Bolton Abbey Bolton Abbey in Wharfedale, North Yorkshire, England, takes its name from the ruins of the 12th-century Augustinian monastery now known as Bolton Priory. The priory, closed in the 1539 Dissolution of the Monasteries ordered by King He ...

choir File:Walsingham Priory ruins - 2016-05-25.jpg,

Walsingham Priory Walsingham Priory was a monastery of Augustinian Canons regular in Walsingham, Norfolk, England seized by the crown at the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII. The priory is perhaps best known for having housed a Marian shrin ...

File:Chester Cathedral - interior, view of south transept window with glass by Heaton Butler and Bayne.jpg,

south transept window File:Selby Abbey Interior 10.jpg,

Selby Abbey Selby Abbey is an Anglican parish church in the town of Selby, North Yorkshire, England. It is Grade I listed. Monastic history It is one of the relatively few surviving abbey churches of the medieval period, and, although not a cathedral, ...

choir File:Stained glass window, St Mary Magdalene church, Newark (20507030626).jpg, Church of St Mary Magdalene, Newark-on-Trent, south aisle west window File:Abbeygate Bury St Edmunds.jpg,

Bury St Edmunds Abbey The Abbey of Bury St Edmunds was once among the richest Benedictine monasteries in England, until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. It is in the town that grew up around it, Bury St Edmunds in the county of Suffolk, England. It was a ...

gateway Additions in the Decorated style were often added to earlier cathedrals. One striking example is found at

; the architect

Thomas Witney Thomas Witney or Thomas of Witney (''fl.'' 1292–1342) was an English master mason, probably born in Witney, Oxfordshire. The first record of his work is as a mason on the building of St Stephen's Chapel, London in the years following 1292.John H ...

built the central tower from 1315 to 1322 in Decorated style. Soon afterwards another architect, William Joy, added curving arches to strengthen the structure, and made further extensions to join the Lady Chapel to the Choir. In 1329–45 he created an extraordinary double arch in the decorated style.

Characteristics

* Lierne vaulting.

Vaulting In architecture, a vault (French ''voûte'', from Italian ''volta'') is a self-supporting arched form, usually of stone or brick, serving to cover a space with a ceiling or roof. As in building an arch, a temporary support is needed while ring ...

became much more elaborate in this period. The

of earlier Early Gothic usually had just four compartments, with a minimum number of ribs which were all connected to the columns below, and all played a role in distributing the weight and outwards and downwards. In the Decorated architecture period, additional ribs were added to the vaulted ceilings which were purely decorative. They created very elaborate star patterns and other geometric designs.

Gloucester Cathedral Gloucester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the River Severn. It originated with the establishment of a minster dedicated to ...

and

have notable lierne vaults from this period. The

became more common in this period, as at

. These were stone columns outside the walls which supports them, allowing thinner and high walls between the buttresses, and larger windows. The buttresses were often topped by ornamental stone pinnacles to give them greater weight. *

Fan vault A fan vault is a form of vault used in the Gothic style, in which the ribs are all of the same curve and spaced equidistantly, in a manner resembling a fan. The initiation and propagation of this design element is strongly associated with En ...

ing. An even more elaborate form, appeared late in the Decorative. Unlike the lierne vault, the fan vault had no functional ribs; the visible "ribs" are mouldings on the masonry imitating ribs. The structure is composed of slabs of stone joined into half-cones, whose vertices are the springers of the vault. The earliest example, from 1373, is found in the cloisters of

. It made a notable backdrop in some of the ''

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at ...

'' films. *

Tracery Tracery is an architectural device by which windows (or screens, panels, and vaults) are divided into sections of various proportions by stone ''bars'' or ''ribs'' of moulding. Most commonly, it refers to the stonework elements that support the ...

. Decorated architecture is particularly characterised by the elaborate

within the stained glass windows. The elaborate windows are subdivided by closely spaced parallel

mullion A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid sup ...

s (vertical bars of stone), usually up to the level at which the arched top of the window begins. The mullions then branch out and cross, intersecting to fill the top part of the window with a mesh of elaborate patterns called

, typically including

s and

s. The style was

geometrical Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...

at first and

curvilinear In geometry, curvilinear coordinates are a coordinate system for Euclidean space in which the coordinate lines may be curved. These coordinates may be derived from a set of Cartesian coordinates by using a transformation that is locally inv ...

, or curving and serpentine, in the later period, This curvilinear element was introduced in the first quarter of the 14th century and lasted about fifty years. A notable example of the curvilinear style is the East window of Carlisle Cathedral, (about 1350). Another notable example of decorated curvilinear is the west window of York Minster (1338–39). * Sculpture also became more ornate and decorative. The ball flower and a four-leaved flower motif took the place of the earlier dog-tooth. The foliage in the

was less conventional than in Early English and more flowing, Another decorative feature of the period was diapering, or creating multi-colour geometric patterns on walls or panels made with different colours of stone or brick. File:West porch Lichfield by Francis Frith.jpeg, Decorated ornament on the west porch of

(1195–1340) File:Exeter cathedral 002.jpg,

, diapering and sculptural decoration on

(1258–1400) File:Chapter House, Lichfield Cathedral (exterior 5).JPG, Early buttresses, topped by pinnacles, at

(1195–1340) File:26-Ely-005.jpg,

Pinnacles A pinnacle is an architectural element originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire. It was main ...

on the roof of

(1321–1351) File:Carlisle Cathedral Tracery, Cumbria, UK - Diliff.jpg, East window of Carlisle Cathedral, with curvilinear tracery (about 1350) File:Exeter cathedral 010.jpg, Floral

joining the ribs of the vaults of

(1258–1400) File:Bristol Cathedral south choir aisle.jpg, transverse arches in the aisle of Bristol Cathedral (1298–1340) File:Ely Cathedral Octagon Lantern 1, Cambridgeshire, UK - Diliff.jpg, The octagon and lantern,

, rebuilt following the collapse of the central tower in 1321 File:York Minster West Window, Nth Yorkshire, UK - Diliff.jpg, The great west window of York Minster (1338–39), featuring a motif known as the Heart of Yorkshire

Examples

(transitional; 1245–72, east end, transept & chapter house; 1376–1400, nave) * choir of Carlisle Cathedral (transitional; 1245–1398) * at

; north transept (transitional; 1245–68) and central tower (1300–10) * at

; the Angel Choir and east end (1256–80), cloisters (ca. 1295), central tower (1307–11), and upper part of the south transept, including the Bishop's Eye window (ca. 1320–30) * at

; the nave and west front (1265–93), central tower (ca. 1300) and Lady Chapel (1320–36) * Little Wenham Hall, Suffolk (1270–80) * St Wulfram's Church, Grantham (1280–1350) *

Merton College Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, ...

chapel, Oxford (1289–96; tower and ante-chapel added 1424–50) * at York Minster; the chapter house (1260–96), nave and west front, including the Heart of Yorkshire window (1291–1375) * at Wells Cathedral; the chapter house (1275–1310), east end (1310–19, Lady chapel; 1329–45, choir and retro-choir), central tower (1315–22) and strainer arches (1415–23) * the chapter house at

(1275–85) * east end of Bristol Cathedral (1298–1340) * at Southwell Minster; the chapter house (1293–1300), and pulpitum (1320–35) * the Lady chapel at

(1308–26) * the chapel of Alnwick Castle (1309–50) * the nave and west front at

(1317–95) * at

; the Lady chapel (1321–49; east window, 1371–74) and the octagon, lantern and west bays of nave (1322–62) * the nave and west front at

(1328–42; Image Screen added 1346–75) * The Lady Chapel at

Melrose Abbey St Mary's Abbey, Melrose is a partly ruined monastery of the Cistercian order in Melrose, Roxburghshire, in the Scottish Borders. It was founded in 1136 by Cistercian monks at the request of King David I of Scotland and was the chief house of th ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Perpendicular Gothic (late 13th to mid-16th century)

File:WinchesterCathedral-west-wyrdlight.jpg,

west front File:St. Georges Chapel, Windsor Castle (2).jpg, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle (1475–) File:Sherborne abbey.jpg,

Sherborne Abbey Sherborne Abbey, otherwise the Abbey Church of St. Mary the Virgin, is a Church of England church in Sherborne in the English county of Dorset. It has been a Saxon cathedral (705–1075), a Benedictine abbey church (998–1539), and since 153 ...

File:MK17792 Eton College Chapel.jpg, Eton College Chapel File:Henry VII Chapel Westminster Abbey (5133296937).jpg, Henry VII Chapel at

(1503–), with Perpendicular tracery and blind panels. File:New College, Oxford (3915150445).jpg, New College Chapel, Oxford File:Collegiate Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Katherine & All Saints, Edington (14642630549).jpg, Edington Priory west front: Decorated and Perpendicular File:Warwick, St Mary's church, Beauchamp chapel (36583800662).jpg, Beauchamp Chapel, Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick File:Manchester Cathedral Choir.jpg,

Manchester Cathedral Manchester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Mary, St Denys and St George, in Manchester, England, is the mother church of the Anglican Diocese of Manchester, seat of the Bishop of Manchester and the ...

chancel File:1 christ church hall 2012.jpg, Hall of

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniq ...

File:HullMinster43.jpg,

nave File:St. Giles church, Wrexham.jpg,

St Giles' Church, Wrexham St Giles' Parish Church ( cy, Eglwys San Silyn) is the parish church of Wrexham, Wales. The church is recognised as one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical architecture in Wales and is a Grade I listed building, described by Sir Simon Jenkin ...

File:Merton College Chapel from just north of the Meadow.jpg,

tower File:Gloucester Cathedral Choir.jpg,

, choir and chancel File:Bath Abbey Eastern Stained Glass, Somerset, UK - Diliff.jpg,

Bath Abbey The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is a parish church of the Church of England and former Benedictine monastery in Bath, Somerset, England. Founded in the 7th century, it was reorganised in the 10th ...

chancel File:York Minster, York (13451378175).jpg, York Minster chancel, looking west File:Canterbury Cathedral Nave 1, Kent, UK - Diliff.jpg,

nave File:Winchester Cathedral Nave 2, Hampshire, UK - Diliff.jpg,

nave File:Canaletto - The Interior of Henry VII's Chapel in Westminster Abbey.JPG, The Henry VII Chapel at

(1503–) painted by Canaletto File:Magdalen College Tower.jpg,

Magdalen Tower Magdalen Tower, completed in 1509, is a bell tower that forms part of Magdalen College, Oxford. It is a central focus for the celebrations in Oxford on May Morning. History Magdalen Tower is one of the oldest parts of Magdalen College, Oxford, ...

File:York Minster (8406).jpg, York Minster crossing tower File:St Mary Magdalene Taunton.jpg,

St Mary Magdalene, Taunton Taunton Minster (St Mary Magdalene church) is a Church of England parish minster church in Taunton, Somerset, England, dedicated to Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene. It was completed in 1508 and is in the Early Tudor Perpendicular Gothic style ...

File:Evesham Abbey Bell Tower.jpg, Evesham Abbey bell tower File:BridlingtonPriory.JPG,

Bridlington Priory Priory Church of St Mary, Bridlington, , commonly known as Bridlington Priory Church is a parish church in Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in the Diocese of York. It is on the site of an Augustinian priory founded in 1113 which ...

west front File:Gloucester Cathedral Front.jpg,

east end (1331–1350), with a four-centred arch window File:Canterbury Cathedral 10.JPG,

crossing tower and transepts File:Crossing Tower, Wells Cathedral.jpg, Wells Cathedral crossing tower File:Beverley Minster (49792708446).jpg,

west front File:Norwich Cathedral (geograph 3639003).jpg, Norwich Cathedral spire and west window File:Chichester Cathedral (16074455605).jpg, Chichester Cathedral spire The

(or simply Perpendicular) is the third and final style of medieval Gothic architecture in England. It is characterised by an emphasis on vertical lines, and is sometimes called rectilinear. The Perpendicular style began to emerge in about 1330. The earliest example is the

chapter house A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room that is part of a cathedral, monastery or collegiate church in which meetings are held. When attached to a cathedral, the cathedral chapter meets there. In monasteries, the whole commun ...

Old St Paul's Cathedral Old St Paul's Cathedral was the cathedral of the City of London that, until the Great Fire of 1666, stood on the site of the present St Paul's Cathedral. Built from 1087 to 1314 and dedicated to Saint Paul, the cathedral was perhaps the fourth ...

, built by the royal architect

William de Ramsey William de Ramsey (fl. 1323 – died 1349) was an English Gothic master mason and architect who worked on and likely designed the two earliest buildings of the Perpendicular style of Gothic architecture. William Ramsey was likely an inventor of ...

in 1332. The early style was also practised by another royal architect, John Sponlee, and fully developed in the works of

Henry Yevele Henry Yevele (''c''. 1320 – 1400) was the most prolific and successful master mason active in late medieval England. The first document relating to him is dated 3 December 1353, when he purchased the freedom of London. In February 1356 he was su ...

and William Wynford. Walls were built much higher than in earlier periods, and stained glass windows became very large, so that the space around them was reduced to simple piers. Horizontal transoms sometimes had to be introduced to strengthen the vertical

. Many churches were built with magnificent towers including York Minster,

, and

. Another outstanding example of Perpendicular is

King's College Chapel, Cambridge King's College Chapel is the chapel of King's College in the University of Cambridge. It is considered one of the finest examples of late Perpendicular Gothic English architecture and features the world's largest fan vault. The Chapel was bu ...

. The interiors of Perpendicular churches were filled with lavish ornamental woodwork, including misericords (choir stalls with lifting seats), under which were grotesque carvings; stylized "poppy heads", or carved figures in foliage on the ends of benches; and elaborate multicoloured decoration, usually in floral patterns, on panels or cornices called

brattishing In architecture, brattishing or brandishing is a decorative cresting which is found at the top of a cornice or screen, panel or parapet. The design often includes leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascula ...

. The sinuous lines of the tracery in the Decorated style were replaced by more geometric forms and

perpendicular In elementary geometry, two geometric objects are perpendicular if they intersect at a right angle (90 degrees or π/2 radians). The condition of perpendicularity may be represented graphically using the '' perpendicular symbol'', ⟂. It c ...

lines. The style was also affected by the tragic history of the period, particularly the

Black Death The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...

, which killed an estimated third of England's population in 18 months between June 1348 and December 1349 and returned in 1361–62 to kill another fifth. This had a great effect on the arts and culture, which took a more sober direction. The perpendicular Gothic was the longest of the English Gothic periods; it continued for a century after the style had nearly disappeared from France and the rest of the European continent, where the Renaissance had already begun. Gradually, near the end of the period, Renaissance forms began to appear in the English Gothic. A

rood screen The rood screen (also choir screen, chancel screen, or jubé) is a common feature in late medieval church architecture. It is typically an ornate partition between the chancel and nave, of more or less open tracery constructed of wood, stone, o ...

, a Renaissance ornament, was installed in the chapel of

King's College Chapel King's College Chapel is the chapel of King's College in the University of Cambridge. It is considered one of the finest examples of late Perpendicular Gothic English architecture and features the world's largest fan vault. The Chapel was bui ...

, Cambridge. During the Elizabethan Period (1558–1603), the classical details, including the five orders of classical architecture, were gradually introduced. Carved ornament with Italian Renaissance motifs began to be used in decoration, including on the tomb of Henry VII in

. The pointed arch gradually gave way to the Roman rounded arch, brick began to replace masonry, the roof construction was concealed, and the Gothic finally gave way to an imitation of Roman and Greek styles.

Characteristics

File:Gloucester Cathedral High Altar, Gloucestershire, UK - Diliff.jpg, The choir of

conveys an impression of a "cage" of stone and glass. Window tracery and wall decoration form integrated grids. File:The Cloisters at Gloucester Cathedral.jpg,

cloisters (1370–1412) File:Worcester Cathedral Cloister, Worcestershire, UK - Diliff.jpg,

cloister: mullions are reinforced with horizontal transoms (1404–1432) File:Great Gate, Trinity College, Cambridge (inside).jpg, Gate of Trinity Great Court, Cambridge, with a Tudor arch File:Westminster abbey colonne.jpg, Henry VII Chapel at

(completed 1519) File:Kings College Chapel 2018 002.jpg,

, Cambridge (1446–1515) File:Christ Church Oxford-6166605366.jpg, Fan vaulting outside the great hall of

() *Towers were an important feature of the perpendicular style, though fewer spires were built than in earlier periods. Important towers were built at

, York Minster,

, and on many smaller churches. Decorative Battlements were a popular decoration of towers in smaller churches. * Windows became very large, sometimes of immense size, with slimmer stone

s than in earlier periods, allowing greater scope for

craftsmen. The mullions of the windows are carried vertically up into the

arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vau ...

moulding of the windows, and the upper portion is subdivided by additional mullions (supermullions) and transoms, forming rectangular compartments, known as panel tracery. The Tudor Arch window was a particular feature of English Gothic. *

Buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral (s ...

es and wall surfaces were divided into vertical panels. * Doorways were frequently enclosed within a square head over the arch mouldings, the

spandrel A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame; between the tops of two adjacent arches or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently fill ...

s being filled with

s or tracery. Pointed arches were still used throughout the period, but

ogee An ogee ( ) is the name given to objects, elements, and curves—often seen in architecture and building trades—that have been variously described as serpentine-, extended S-, or sigmoid-shaped. Ogees consist of a "double curve", the combinat ...

and four-centred Tudor arches were also introduced. * Inside the church the

disappeared, or its place was filled with panelling, and greater importance was given to the

windows, which often were the finest features in the churches of this period. The mouldings were flatter than those of the earlier periods, and one of the chief characteristics is the introduction of large elliptical hollows. * Flint architecture. In areas of

Southern England Southern England, or the South of England, also known as the South, is an area of England consisting of its southernmost part, with cultural, economic and political differences from the Midlands and the North. Officially, the area includes ...

using

flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and start ...

architecture, elaborate

flushwork In architecture, flushwork is decorative masonry work which combines on the same flat plane flint and ashlar stone. If the stone projects from a flat flint wall then the term is proudwork, as the stone stands "proud" rather than being "flush" w ...

decoration in flint and

ashlar Ashlar () is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared, or a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally rectangular cuboid, mentioned by Vitruv ...

was used, especially in the wool churches of

East Anglia East Anglia is an area in the East of England, often defined as including the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the East Angles, a people whose name originated in Anglia, in ...

Examples

* at

; the choir and transepts (1330–74, remodel of Norman work), cloisters (1370–1412), west front, western nave vaults, and south porch (1421–37), tower (1450–67) and Lady chapel (1457–83) * at York Minster; the east end (1340–1408), central tower (1420–72), Kings Screen (1420–22) and west towers (1433–72) * at

; the west front (1346–66), and nave (1399–1419, remodel of Norman work) * at Norwich Cathedral; the clerestory of the presbytery (1362–69; transitional in style), and vaults (1446–72, nave; 1472–99, presbytery; 1501–36, transepts) * at

, the central tower (1374) and cloisters (1375–1438) * at

; the nave, west front and cloisters (1379–1414), chapter house (1400–12), transepts (1404–14, south; 1470–82, north), pulpitum (1410–39), southwest tower (1423–34; northwest tower added 1834–41), and central tower (1493–97) *

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at ...

(1380–1400; including chapel, hall, Great Quad, cloisters and bell-tower) * the chapel of

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of ...

, Hants. (1387–94) *

(1422) *

Divinity School, Oxford The Divinity School is a medieval building and room in the Perpendicular style in Oxford, England, part of the University of Oxford. Built between 1427 and 1483, it is the oldest surviving purpose-built building for university use, specifically ...

(1427–83) * Front Quad and chapel of

All Souls College, Oxford All Souls College (official name: College of the Souls of All the Faithful Departed) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Unique to All Souls, all of its members automatically become fellows (i.e., full members of ...

(1438–42) *

Eton College Chapel, Eton Eton College Chapel is the main chapel of Eton College, a public school in England. The chapel was planned to be a little over double its actual length, but this plan was never completed owing to the downfall of the founder Henry VI. A plaq ...

(1441–82) *

(1446–1515) * Old Court, hall and chapel of

Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...

(1448–49) *

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the ...

(1474–90, including old library, chapel, cloisters, and founder's tower;

built 1492–1509) * Collegiate Church of the Holy Trinity,

Tattershall Tattershall is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is situated on the A153 Horncastle to Sleaford road, east from the point where that road crosses the River Witham. At its eastern end, Tatte ...

, Lincolnshire ()) * choir of

(1475 – c. 1580) * presbytery and lady chapel at

(1493–1500) * at

; the south transept, western front, central tower and cloisters (1493–1530) * the retro-choir at Peterborough Cathedral (1496–1508) *

(1501–39) * Towers of

, and

(1503–1508) * the Henry VII Lady Chapel at

(1503–09; heavily restored in the 1860s) * *First Court,

Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 170 graduate students. The college was founded by William Byngham in 1437 as ...

(1505–11; including chapel and hall) * First Quad (1511–20, including hall) & Second Quad (1598–1602), St. John's College, Cambridge * Front Quad,

Corpus Christi College, Oxford Corpus Christi College (formally, Corpus Christi College in the University of Oxford; informally abbreviated as Corpus or CCC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1517, it is the 12t ...

(1515–et seq.; including hall & chapel) * Tom Quad,

(1525–29, including great hall) * Great Court,

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

(1599–1608; including hall and chapel)

Roofs

File:Trad-queen-post.png, A Queen-post truss File:Westminster Hall edited.jpg, Hammerbeam timber roof of

Westminster Hall The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

(1395) File:Chambers 1908 Hammerbeam.png, Section of a Hammerbeam timber roof. File:Kings dining hall.JPG, Dining Hall of

King's College, Cambridge King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, the college lies beside the River Cam and faces out onto King's Parade in the centre of the city ...

, with a

hammerbeam roof A hammerbeam roof is a decorative, open timber roof truss typical of English Gothic architecture and has been called "...the most spectacular endeavour of the English Medieval carpenter". They are traditionally timber framed, using short beams pr ...

File:St Katharine Cree Church Interior 2, London, UK - Diliff.jpg, Vaults of

St Katharine Cree The Guild Church of St Katharine Cree is an Anglican church in the Aldgate ward of the City of London, on the north side of Leadenhall Street near Leadenhall Market. It was founded in 1280. The present building dates from 1628 to 1630. Formerly ...

, London The pitched Gothic timber roof was a distinctive feature of the style, both in religious and domestic architecture. It had to be able to resist rain, snow and high winds of the English climate, and to preserve the integrity of the structure. A pitched roof was a common feature of all the Gothic periods. During the Norman period, the roofs normally were pitched forty-five degrees, with the apex forming a right angle, which harmonised with the rounded arches of the gables. With the arrival of the pointed

, the roofs became steeper, up to sixty degrees. In the late perpendicular period, the angle declined to twenty degrees or even less. The roofs were usually made of boards overlaid with tiles or sheet-lead, which was commonly used on low-pitched roofs. The simpler Gothic roofs were supported by long

rafter A rafter is one of a series of sloped structural members such as wooden beams that extend from the ridge or hip to the wall plate, downslope perimeter or eave, and that are designed to support the roof shingles, roof deck and its associated ...

s of light wood, resting on wooden

trusses A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure. In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembla ...

set into the walls. The rafters were supported by more solid beams, called ''purlins'', which were carried at their ends by the roof

truss A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure. In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so that the assembl ...

es. The ''tie-beam'' is the chief beam of the truss. Later, the roof was supported by structures called a King-point-truss and Queen-post truss, where the principal rafters are connected with the tie beam by the head of the truss. The King-Point truss has a vertical beam with connects the centre of the rafter to the ridge of the roof, supported by diagonal struts, while a Queen-Post truss has a wooden collar below the pointed arch which united the posts and was supported by struts and cross-braces. A Queen-Post truss could span a width of forty feet. Both of these forms created greater stability, but the full weight of the roof still came down directly onto the walls. Gothic architects did not like the roof truss systems, because the numerous horizontal beams crossing the nave obstructed the view of the soaring height. They came up with an ingenious solution, the

Hammerbeam roof A hammerbeam roof is a decorative, open timber roof truss typical of English Gothic architecture and has been called "...the most spectacular endeavour of the English Medieval carpenter". They are traditionally timber framed, using short beams pr ...

. In this system, the point of the roof is supported by the collar and trusses, but from the collar curved beams reach well downward on the walls, and carry the weight downward and outwards, to the walls and buttresses, without obstructing the view. The oldest existing roof of this kind is found in

. The most famous example of the

is the roof of

(1395), the largest timber roof of its time, built for royal ceremonies such as the banquets following the coronation of the King. Other notable wooden roofs included those of

, and Crosby Hall. A similar system, with arched trusses, was used in the roof of Wexham Cathedral.

University Gothic

File:Merton College, Oxford (Mob Quad).jpg,

Mob Quad Mob Quad is a four-sided group of buildings from the 13th and 14th centuries in Merton College, Oxford, surrounding a small lawn. It is often claimed to be the oldest quadrangle in Oxford and elsewhere, although Merton's own Front Quad was actu ...

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is one of the Colleges of Oxford University, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the ...

(1288–1378) File:Balliol front quad.jpg,

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...

front quad (1431) File:Kings College Chapel Cambridge.JPG,

Tudor arch A four-centered arch is a low, wide type of arch with a pointed apex. Its structure is achieved by drafting two arcs which rise steeply from each springing point on a small radius, and then turning into two arches with a wide radius and much lower ...

window at

(1446–1531) File:Oriel College First Quad.jpg, East range of First Quad,

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, wh ...

(1637–1642) File:St John's College Second Court, Cambridge, UK - Diliff.jpg, Second Court,

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...

The Gothic style was adopted in the late 13th to 15th centuries in early English university buildings, due in part to the close connection between the universities and the church. The oldest existing example of University Gothic in England is probably the

, constructed between 1288 and 1378.

has examples of Gothic work in the north and west ranges of the front quadrangle, dated to 1431; notably in the medieval hall on the west side, (now the "new library") and the "old library" on the first floor, north side. The architecture at Balliol was often derived from castle architecture, with battlements, rather than from church models.

also used another distinctive Perpendicular Gothic feature, the four-centred arch.

Gothic Revival (19th and 20th centuries)

File:Wills building from Cabot Tower 2.JPG,

Wills Memorial Building The Wills Memorial Building (also known as the Wills Memorial Tower or simply the Wills Tower) is a neo-Gothic building in Bristol, England, designed by Sir George Oatley and built as a memorial to Henry Overton Wills III

University of Bristol , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

(1915—1925) File:Westminster palace.jpg,

Palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

, rebuilt by

Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 19 ...

and Pugin 1840–1876 File:StMarysSydneyCathedral1.jpg,

St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney The Cathedral Church and Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians (colloquially, St Mary's Cathedral) is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and the cathedra, seat of the Catholic Bishops an ...

(1868—1928) File:Manchester Town Hall from Lloyd St.jpg,

Manchester Town Hall Manchester Town Hall is a Victorian, Neo-gothic municipal building in Manchester, England. It is the ceremonial headquarters of Manchester City Council and houses a number of local government departments. The building faces Albert Square to th ...

, (1868–1877) File:Tower Bridge from Shad Thames.jpg, Tower Bridge, London, (1886–1894) The Perpendicular style was less often used in the

than the Decorated style, but major examples include the rebuilt

(i.e. the Houses of Parliament),

Bristol University , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

(1915–25), and St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney.

References

Bibliography

* * Ducher, Robert, ''Caractéristique des Styles'', (1988), Flammarion, Paris (in French); * * *

External links

Britain Express: Decorated Gothic architecture
{{Authority control 12th-century architecture 13th-century architecture 14th-century architecture 15th-century architecture 16th-century architecture England in the High Middle Ages Architecture in England Gothic architecture

Early English Gothic (late 12th–late 13th centuries)

Characteristics

Examples

Decorated Gothic (late 13th–late 14th centuries)

Characteristics

Examples

Perpendicular Gothic (late 13th to mid-16th century)

Characteristics

Examples

Roofs

University Gothic

Gothic Revival (19th and 20th centuries)

See also

References

Bibliography

External links