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Key elements
First of the
Gothic styles – influenced by the French style
Simple ‘Y’ tracery
windows
Austere
(proportion over decoration). Decoration that was evident included
stylised foliage carvings
Pointed arches
allowed buildings to be wider
The first use of
flying buttresses (little more than thickening of walls in certain
places)
Used pitched roofs
particularly on towers
Ribbed vaulting
Massive columns
that were common in Norman churches were replaced with clustered
shafts which were often hollow
Examples
Lincoln
Cathedral
www.lincolncathedral.com
The first on the
site was built by Bishop Remiguis and was finished in 1092. 50 years
later this was destroyed by fire. The second was built by Bishop
Alexander but was destroyed by an earthquake in 1185.
The current
cathedral building programme was started by Bishop St Hugh of Lincoln
who used the Early English Gothic style.
It is the third
largest cathedral in England (484ft x 271ft)
It has the tallest
tower in Europe – this houses the Great Tom of Lincoln bell
Matching towers
were added at a later date – Dean’s Eye (in the North transept –
completed 1235) and Bishop’s Eye (completed 1330)
Because of errors
in construction the main tower collapsed and was rebuilt in 1255
Henry III allowed
part of the city walls to be demolished to allow the new
building/expansion of the cathedral complex. Including a new central
tower and spire
Between 1307 and
1311 the central tower was raised to a height of 271ft.
In 1398 John of
Gaunt and his third wife, Katherine, founded a chantry for prayers for
their souls
In the 15th
century more chantries were built including the Angel Choir which is in
the Perpendicular style
In 1549 the tall,
lead encased wooden spire on the central tower collapsed in a storm.
Salisbury
Cathedral
www.salisburycathedral.org.uk
Has the tallest
church spire (404ft) and the largest cloister & cathedral close in
Britain
Contains the
world’s oldest clock (1386) and one of four original copies of the Magna
Carta
Consecrated in
1258 the cathedral is more correctly called the Cathedral of St Mary.
Because of the
high water table there are only 4ft of foundations
1258 – nave,
transepts and choir completed
1265 – west front
1280 – cloisters
and chapter
As the building
works ran so close to get the building is a superb example of Early
English Gothic style.
Later additions
included tower and spire from 1320 (the pillars under the spire bend
inwards from the strain of carrying the weight of the tower).
There is a false
ceiling of beams at the lantern stage of the tower which assist with
bearing the weight.
1790 improvements
were made by James
Wyatt including a new root screen and the demolition of the
bell tower
The cathedral has
no ring of bells.
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