English Gothic architecture (c. 1180-1520) is defined by pointed
arches, vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows, and spires.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE [ edit ]
Define the characteristics and particular styles of English Gothic architecture.
KEY POINTS [ edit ]
The English Gothic style originated in France with the choir of the Basilique Saint-Denis, built by
the Abbot Suger and dedicated in June 1144.
The lancet, a pointed arch, was the most crucial development of the Early English Gothic period
(c. 1180 - 1250), resulting in graceful buildings with thinner walls and more light.
The Decorated Gothic Period (c. 1250-1350) is subdivided into the earlier Geometric Period and
later Curvilinear Period, differentiated by styles of window tracery.
Known for emphasizing vertical lines, the austerity of the Perpendicular Gothic Period was a
response to the pandemicBlack Death, which emerged in England in 1348.
TERMS [ edit ]
Decorated Gothic Period
A name given specifically to a division of English Gothic architecture, which was broken into two
periods: the Geometric style (1250–1290) and the Curvilinear style (1290–1350).
Early English Gothic Period
A period in the late 12th century, characterized by pointed arches, that superseded
the Romanesque style.
choir
The part of a church where the singing group assembles for song.
Give us feedback on this content: FULL TEXT [edit ]
EnglishGothicarchitecture flourished in
England from approximately 1180 to 1520.
This style is defined by pointedarches,
vaulted roofs, buttresses, large windows,
and spires. The Gothic style was
introduced from France, where the various
elements had first been used together
within a single building at the choir of the
Basilique Saint-Denis north of Paris, built
by Abbot Suger and dedicated in June
1144.
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Many of the largest and finest works of English architecture, notably
the medieval cathedrals of England, are largely built in the Gothic style. The earliest largescale applications of Gothic architecture in England are at Canterbury Cathedral and
Westminster Abbey. Castles, palaces, great houses, universities, parish churches, and many
smaller unpretentious secular buildings, including almshouses and trade halls, were also
built in this style.
Early English Gothic Period
The Early English Gothic period lasted from the late 12thcentury until midway through the
13th century, according to most modern scholars. By 1175 the Gothic style had been firmly
established in England with the completion of the Choir at Canterbury Cathedral by William
of Sens. The most significant and characteristic development of the Early English period was
the pointed arch known as the lancet. Compared with the rounded Romanesque style, the
pointed arch of the Early English Gothic is aesthetically more elegant and is more efficient at
distributing the weight of stonework, making it possible to span higher and wider gaps using
narrower columns. It also allows for much greater variation in proportions.
Using the pointed arch, walls could become less massive and window openings could be
larger and grouped more closely together, so architects could achieve more open, airy, and
graceful buildings. At its purest, the style was simple and austere, emphasizing the height of
the building, as if aspiring heavenward. In the late 12th century the Early English Gothic style
superseded the Romanesque style, and during the late 13thcentury it developed into the
Decorated Gothic style, which lasted until the mid 14th century.
Decorated Gothic Period
The Decorated period in architecture is traditionally broken into two periods: the Geometric
style (1250–1290) and theCurvilinear style (1290–1350). Decorated architecture is
characterized by its window tracery, which are elaborate patterns that fill the top portions of
windows. The tracery style was geometric at first, and flowing in the later period during the
14th century. Vaulting also became more elaborate, with the use of increasing numbers
of ribs, initially for structural and later for aesthetic reasons.
Examples of the Decorated style can be found in many British churches and cathedrals.
Principal examples are those of the east ends of Lincoln Cathedral and of Carlisle Cathedral
and the west fronts of York Minster and of Lichfield Cathedral .
York Minster
York Minster Cathedral exemplifies the Decorated Gothic period.
Perpendicular Gothic Period
The Perpendicular Gothic period is the third historical division of English Gothic
architecture, and is named because of being characterized by an emphasis on vertical lines.
ThePerpendicular style began under the royal architects William Ramsey and John Sponlee,
and lasted into the mid 16th century.
The Perpendicular style grew out of the shadow of the Black Death, a disease which killed
approximately half of England's population in 18 months between June 1348 and December
1349 and returned in 1361–62 to kill another fifth of the population. This epidemic
dramatically impacted every aspect of society, including arts and culture, and designers
moved away from the flamboyance and jubilation present in the Decorated style. Architects
were also responding to labor shortages resulting from the plague, and therefore relied on
less elaborate designs.
Perpendicular linearity is particularly obvious in the design of windows, which became
immense, allowing greater scope for stained glass craftsmen. Some of the finest features of
this period are the magnificent timber roofs: hammerbeam roofs, such as those of
Westminster Hall (1395), Christ Church Hall, Oxford, and Crosby Hall, appeared for the first
time . Gothic architecture continued to flourish in England for 100 years after the precepts
of Renaissance architecture were formalized in Florence in the early 15th century.