Page:Cornwall; Cambridge county geographies.djvu/132

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

116 CORNWALL known as " Decorated," and came to an end with the Black Death, which stopped all building for a time. With the changed conditions of life the type of building changed. With curious uniformity and quick- ness the style called " Perpendicular " which is unknown abroad developed after 1360 in all parts of England and lasted with scarcely any change up to 1520. As its name implies, it is characterised by the perpendicular arrange- ment of the tracery and panels on walls and in windows, and it is also distinguished by the flattened arches and the square hoods over the doorways, by the elaborate vault- traceries (especially fan-vaulting), and by the use of flat roofs and towers without spires. The mediaeval styles in England ended with the dissolution of the monasteries (1530 1540), for the Reformation checked the building of churches. There succeeded the building of manor-houses, in which the style called " Tudor " arose distinguished by flat-headed windows, level ceilings, and panelled rooms. The orna- ments of classic style were introduced under the influences of Renaissance sculpture and distinguish the " Jacobean " style, so called after James I. About this time the pro- fessional architect arose. Hitherto, building had been entirely in the hands of the builder and the craftsman. Cornwall does not furnish stately and richly adorned churches as does Devonshire, and even more so, Somerset- shire. This is due to the intractable material available, granite, which unlike that of Brittany did not lend itself to rich sculpture. Only the Elvan stone, already de- scribed, could be worked with delicacy, and this is easily