The earliest building we have of pure Early English is the chair of Lincoln Cathedral, and it is curious to find that at this early date, 1195, the Norman ideas had been entirely laid aside. This building exhibits the style not only in its utmost purity, but in its greatest beauty; all its details are conceived and executed with the greatest delicacy and freedom, and all who wish to see this style in perfection, should see the choir of Lincoln. The nave is in the same style, but is about fifty years later, and is much plainer.
The cathedral of Salisbury is, with the exception of the spire, almost entirely in this style; but it is much more plain in its details than Lincoln, for which reason, and from its lancet windows being wider than usual, it is not so pleasing in its general appearance as moat buildings of this style.
The Galilee, or western porch of Ely Cathedral, 1215, is one of the richest and most beautiful examples of Early English which we have in the kingdom.
The choir of Rochester, 1225, and a great part of Worcester Cathedral, are good examples of this style.
Wells Cathedral is a well-known example, and its west front, with its gorgeous display of statuary, is the finest design of the kind we have (1239). Another magnificent front, entirely different from anything else, is that of Peterborough Cathedral, with its three splendid and lofty arches (1238).
The body of the Temple Church, which was added to the more ancient round church in 1210, and the Chapter Houses of Lichfield and Oxford, also belong to this style, as do also numerous parish churches in all parts of the kingdom.
Many of our finest monastic remains belong to this period.
Of the domestic buildings of this period, examples still remain in various parts of the kingdom either of entire houses or parts, of which the following are some of the principal:—Aydon Castle, Northumberland; Little Wenham Hall, Sussex; and Stoke Say, Shropshire; the last being rather late in the style.
Early English buildings are chiefly distinguished from the Norman by their greater comparative lightness, and the prevalence of vertical lines instead of horizontal. Externally, we find the buildings much more lofty, and lighted by long, narrow-pointed windows; the buttresses, instead of being little more than pilasters, as in the Norman style, have a bold projection. and, being generally finished with either pediments or pinnacles, add greatly to the effect of the building.
The roofs, too, in consequence of the greater facility of vaulting, are considerably higher in pitch than the Norman; and the towers being usually surmounted by spires add further to the appearance of loftiness, and make the comparison between them and the Norman still more marked. Internally, we find that the heavy masses of piers are no longer seen, but are replaced by bundles of slender shafts, which support pointed arches and light and lofty vaulting, instead of the round arches and flat ceilings or heavy vaults of the Norman. The architects having found the power which the new principle gave them, seem to have run to the opposite extreme of their former work, and to have carried out the new idea with the utmost temerity.
Towers.—The church towers of this style, as was said before, are usually surmounted by a spire, which is sometimes very lofty, and either plain or ribbed at the angles, and sometimes crooketted. It sometimes rises from a parapet, and at others fits on the top of the tower, when it is called a broach spire. In the best specimens of towers, an arcade runs along the upper belfry story, some of the arches of which are pierced for windows. There is generally a richly-moulded door on the west side, and the middle storey has, in general, only a plain window. The buttresses either overlap the angles or project at right angles to the side.
Windows.—The single light windows are, almost without exception, of the kind known as lancet windows, that is, long and narrow, and with pointed heads. They are usually quite plain, and are so characteristic of the style, that it has been called the lancet style. They are sometimes in pairs, threes, fives, or sevens, with a general dripstone extending over all. The window in the transept of York Cathedral, well known as the "Five Sisters," is a very beautiful example of the combination of five very long and graceful lancets, and, being filled with elaborately-panelled stained glass, has a most fine and solemn effect. Some good examples also occur in the south transept of Beverley Minster. These are all richly moulded, and have shafts in the jambs; but in small churches they are frequently quite plain, having only a simple dripstone. Circular windows are also used, as well as another of an acutely-pointed oval form, commonly known as the vesica piscis. Both these forms are found in the transept of Beverley Minster, mentioned above. Where only two lancets are used, there is frequently a small circle or a lozenge pierced in the wall above the lancets, but under the dripstone, and which, in the inside, formed one window. These openings were in time enlarged, and, by an easy transition, regular tracery was formed; and we find in the latter part of this style, when it was verging on the next, windows of two or three lights, with circles of tracery in the head. This was the origin of the tracery which was afterwards to form so important a feature, and on which the chief beauty of the succeeding styles mainly depends.
Doorways.—These are almost universally deeply recessed and richly moulded, having shafts with capitals and bases on the jambs, and frequently ornamented with the tooth and other ornaments in the head. They are almost always pointed, but the round arch is still, in some few instances, retained, particularly in double doors when two arches have to be combined in one; but, in all cases, they may be distinguished from the Norman by their deeply-cut round and hollow mouldings, as well as by the capitals and bases of the shafts.
Porches.—The Early English porch differs from the Norman in being brought forward from the wall, leaving a considerable space between that and the front of the porch. This space is generally lighted by open windows on the sides, and ornamented in the interior with arcades, and having a stone bench running down each side. The front visually terminates in a very acutely-pointed gable, sometimes plain and sometimes moulded, and having a rich doorway, which is in general elaborately moulded and ornamented with the tooth ornament. The jambs have rows of shafts with capitals and bases, similar to the doorways before described, but frequently much more rich.
Buttresses.—Unlike those of Norman buildings, the
