Medieval Architecture of England

Padilla Matías, Ramírez Sofía, Rivarola Sosa Greta, Rodríguez Joaquín

Introduction
In the nearly thousand years that the Middle Ages lasted, there was a lot of progress
in different aspects in England, but one of these aspects is architecture, so we are going to
explain the different architecture styles across the Middle Ages.

Anglo-Saxon Architecture
Anglo-Saxon houses​ were huts made of wood with roofs thatched with straw.
Much of Britain was covered with forests so the Saxons had plenty of wood to use.
There was only one room where everybody ate, cooked, slept and entertained their friends.
The houses were built facing the sun to get as much heat and light as possible.

Anglo-Saxon villages ​were usually very small and were built near natural resources.
All round the village was a ​high fence to keep the herds safe at night from enemies and the
wild animals of the forests - wolves, foxes and boars.

The biggest house in an Anglo Saxon village was ​The Hall​, the Chief's house. He lived
there with his warriors. The Hall was long, wide and smoky, with the fire on a stone in the
middle and with windows that were slits called eye-holes because they did not have glass.
On the walls were shields and antlers. The floor was dirty and covered with rushes from the
river banks and sometimes the oxen were kept at one end of the Hall.​1

Timber framing
The greatest period of timber building in England was between 1200 AD and 1700
AD. The predominant timber species used for structural purposes in England and Wales was
oak​. Elm, sweet chestnut, hornbeam and other timbers were also used.

Carpenters developed complex new joints and assemblies for dealing with new
structural problems. In common with most timber framing joints, ​mortise and tenons were
secured by timber pegs when the final erection of the building occurred.

It is possible to divide timber framed buildings into ​four building types​: Box frame;
Post and Truss; Aisled construction; and Cruck

The majority of timber framed buildings were built with externally exposed timber
frames. The most common form of enclosure was applied between the exposed timbers of
the frame and is known as ​wattle and daub​.2​
Romanesque Period

When the ​Normans invaded the territory, they introduced their own architecture
style. The Romanesque style began at the beginning of the Norman era, in the 11th century.
It is named Romanesque because it copied the proportions and patterns of the ​Roman
architecture​. It is also known as Norman Style.​3

The quality of those buildings was austere and fortress-like. In fact, the very simple
style of Romanesque Style is because the builders had to use Saxon labour, who were used
to building in wood and not in stone. In a few words, the Normans never used two stones
when one would do.

It was seen mostly in cathedrals and churches, such as the ​Durham Cathedral and
Canterbury Cathedral​, but also in some castles, like ​Southwell Minster and ​St Botolph’s
Priory.​ 4​

The main characteristics of the buildings are their ​barrel vaults, thick piers, round
arches, and very few windows. Windows were small partly for defensive purposes, and to
avoid weakening the walls. Buttresses were simple, and decorative elements were few in
the 11th century. The most distinctive decorations were the Norman chevron (zigzag)
pattern and some geometric patterns. In the 12th century, there were more elaborated
decorations, for example, four-pointed stars, lozenges, and scallop shapes. In the 13th
century, deeply cut carvings appeared.

Early Norman Romanesque builders used barrel vaulting almost exclusively, the
simple rounded shape of the barrel vault helped to distribute the weight of walls and roof. 5​

Castles

Medieval Castles were built from the 11th century (Norman era) for rulers to
demonstrate their wealth and power to the local populace, to provide a place of defence
and safe retreat in the case of attack, to defend strategically important sites like river
crossings, passages through hills, mountains and frontiers, and as a place of residence. In
fact, Castles were converted from wood into stone.

From the 15th century, castles continued to incorporate their traditional defensive
features. Imposing towers and crenellations became easily recognisable symbols of power
and so were added to large country houses and even to such peaceful institutional buildings
as churches and universities.​6

Gothic style
The term "Gothic" comes from the original style of building that had emerged on the
“Ile de France” and was known during the Middle Ages as "The French Styles", so ​Gothic
architecture​ ​in Britain was divided into 4 periods.
 In the ​Norman Gothic period​, buildings were transitional -many still had the thick
piers and rounded window openings of the earlier Romanesque style. Vaulting and
decoration were simple; there was a little sign of the elaborate stonework to come.

It was in the ​Early English period that the Gothic style became truly adapted by
English craftsmen and architects. This period is also called "Lancet", referring to the pointed
lancet windows (narrow, untraceried) that characterize it.

The Decorated Period was made possible by the invention of the flying buttress.
Stone decoration was rich and varied, and window glass more colorful. Stone carvings and
paintings abound. The best example for this period is ​The Lichfield Cathedral​.

F​ inally, ​the Perpendicular period suggests the name of its chief characteristic with
strong vertical lines in window tracery and wall paneling. Wall space was at a minimum,
which had the effect of introducing a wonderful feeling of light and spaciousness into the
interior of these buildings.​7

References
1. What were Anglo-Saxons villages and houses like? Retrieved June 6th, 2020.
http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/saxons/houses.htm
2. Traditional Timber Framing - A Brief Introduction. Retrieved June 6th, 2020.
https://fet.uwe.ac.uk/conweb/house_ages/timber/print.htm
3. Medieval Buildings & Architecture​. Retrieved June 6th, 2020.
https://englishhistory.net/middle-ages/medieval-buildings-architecture/
4. MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE. Retrieved June 6th, 2020.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/medieval/architecture/
5. Romanesque architecture in England. Retrieved June 6th, 2020.
https://www.britainexpress.com/architecture/romanesque.htm
6. Medieval Castles in England. Retrieved June 10th, 2020.
https://www.ancient.eu/Medieval_Castle/
7. Gothic Style. Retrieved June 10th, 2020.
https://www.britainexpress.com/History/Gothic-architecture.htm

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