Edmund Sharpe

“ The Pier-arches usually show three orders, of small deeply cut mouldings of alternate rounds and hollows, the number and depth of which give an exceedingly rich and characteristic appearance to all the arches of this Period. The peculiar ornament called the dog-tooth, which is formed by hollowing out the sides of a series of contiguous pyramids notched out of an angular projection, occurs constantly in the arch-mouldings, as well as in almost every other part of buildings where an opportunity of carving it presents itself. ”

“ The Windows are the most important features in the Churches of this Period. In the more important buildings they are frequently of great size and elaborate design, and in the smaller buildings, the rest of the work seems often to have been impoverished for the sake of the Windows.
The infinite variety of design that is contained in the Tracery of this Period is very remarkable, and distinguishes its Architecture, in a manner not to be mistaken, from that of other nations during the same Period.
The Base-course carries a series of mouldings in which the Ogee profile is almost invariably found. ”

“ The Windows in the earliest examples stand alone as single windows; they are also sometimes placed singly in a continuous arcade; later still in triplets under one arch, the centre one being the tallest, and in some instances two lancets are coupled under one arch,—the spandrel between them being frequently pierced with a quatrefoil, or other opening.
The Parapet has occasionally sunk ornaments upon it, and is carried by a cornice having a few deep mouldings, with a flower, or other ornament at intervals, or by a trefoiled Corbel-table, or by a series of blocks. ”

“ The Pier-arches, therefore, are almost invariably pointed, in [Pg 23] the earlier examples obtusely, and in the later examples often acutely; the mouldings, which have become much lighter, are few and plain; carrying usually a roll, or a pear-shaped moulding, at the angle of each order of the arch: they frequently have no Hood-moulding. All the usual rich ornaments of the Norman Style disappear, but the Chevron occurs occasionally, and another ornamental moulding somewhat resembling it, but peculiar to this Period, is frequently seen. ”

“ Open wooden roofs of elaborate construction, and large span, become common in this Period. They spring frequently from Corbel shafts, resting on figures in the Clere-story wall; and [Pg 40] have rich cornices of mouldings and carved work, traceried spandrels, figures of angels, and richly moulded beams. The Aisle-arcade is not often found, but its place is sometimes supplied by the rectangular surface panelling, so characteristic of the Period, which in some of the richer buildings literally covers the whole of the walls, leaving no blank or unoccupied space. ”

“ In the String-courses, Cornices, and other hollow mouldings, flat square leaves at intervals, continuous training foliage, and the vine-leaf and grapes, frequently occur; but the relief is usually not considerable, and the amount of undercutting in foliage exhibited in the two previous Periods is never seen. The Tudor Rose and the Tudor Flower are frequent ornaments of this Period.
The Triforium is rarely seen, and in its place the Clere-story Window is often carried down in blank panelling to the passage or String-course over the Pier-arches. ”

“ The abacus of the capital is invariably square in plan, and has its upper edge (except in a few of the latest examples) also square in section.
In the later buildings of the Period, foliage, exhibiting considerable freedom of design, is occasionally to be seen.
The Pointed Arch first made its appearance in the Transitional Period; in the earlier buildings it is used in the Arches of Construction only, or those constituting the framework of the building, such as the Pier-arches and the Arches of the Vaulting, and of the Crossing ”

“ No point, therefore, has been hitherto proposed to be gained by these alterations, beyond a change of name; and this may be taken as a sufficient reason why none of these attempts have been successful: men are not willing to unlearn a term with which they are familiar, however inappropriate, in order to learn another, which, after all, means the same thing. ”

“ One principal Division of Church Architecture has been recognised and adopted by all who have studied and written on the subject; that, namely, which separates Ecclesiastical Buildings into two classes, in the first or earlier of which the circular arch was exclusively employed ”

“ The Walls and Buttresses of this Period present great contrasts, being generally perfectly plain, but occasionally, in the richer buildings, completely covered with rectangular panelling.
The Base-course is often deep, rises in several stages, and contains a few large bold mouldings.
The mullions of the Windows almost invariably rise vertically through the Tracery, and are often crossed at right angles by other straight lines, as well in the lower part of the Window as in the Tracery itself. ”

“ At the same time also vertical lines presented themselves occasionally in the Tracery; a new principle, in fact, had made its appearance, which rapidly overran not only the windows, but the doorways, the arcades, and every part of the building. The straight line, [Pg 8] when once introduced, quickly superseded the curved line; square panels covered the walls; angularity of form pervaded even the mouldings and minor details, and to the round finish, the square edge was preferred. ”

“ No one can enter into an inquiry of this kind without eventually coming to the conclusion that there are two large classes of Buildings containing distinctive marks of peculiarity of character, which find no place in Mr. Rickman's system, but which nevertheless, from the number and importance of their examples, are pre-eminently entitled to separate classification. These two classes are those to which the buildings enumerated at pp. 24, and 31, 32 respectively belong, and which cannot, without circumlocution, be described in any of the terms prescribed by Mr. Rickman. ”

“ The principal Triforium-piers generally exhibit a row of light shafts on the face of a solid pier, carrying arch-mouldings of three orders, and separated sometimes by a line of dog-tooth moulding, or stiff foliage. ”