In Norman Times: The Churches
When we speak of Norman times we must bear in mind that they lasted
for over one hundred and thirty years--say from 1066 to 1200. That
period covers a good many years, and consequently a good many
changes took place. Now this period is marked by a particular style
of architecture known as Norman or Twelfth Century.
With the coming of William the Conqueror to England began a great
period of building in this country. There was what we may almost
call a "great rage" for founding or establishing religious houses
and churches, and for building castles. All the religious houses
have gone, and nearly all the castles, but in their ruins we can
see specimens of Norman work. In a large number of old churches we
can see very good examples of this style. In Hampshire especially
there is scarcely one old church, even in the most out-of-the-way
village, which has not some Norman work to show.
[Illustration: _Norman Capital, Buckland Church, Berks_]
You will expect to find that the style of building altered somewhat
during that long time. In the beginning it was very plain, but
gradually it became more ornamental. At first there were plain,
round-headed arches and heavy stone pillars, with boldly cut caps
to them. But in the time of King Henry II, and later, we find the
mouldings of the arches, and the caps of the pillars, ornamented
more and more with bold carvings. There is a vast difference
between the plain, almost ugly, Norman work, in St. Alban's
Cathedral, which was begun about the year 1077, and the Norman
work which can be seen in Durham Cathedral, or the west door of
Rochester Cathedral. The St. Albans builders had no stone at hand
to speak of, but any amount of Roman tiles from the ruins of
Verulam. They could not build anything very ornamental, but they
could and did build something vast and imposing. In most of the
cathedrals there are still to be seen very fine specimens of later
Norman work.
[Illustration: CHOIR OF CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL
The Transition work is to be seen especially in the columns and
arches on either side of the choir [See page 57]]
[Illustration: _Norman Capital, Hanney Church, Berks_]
We see, towards the end of the period, from the way in which the
Norman arches were used to intersect each other and form two
pointed arches within a round-headed arch, that a change in style
was showing itself. Towards the end of Norman times, in the reigns
of Richard I and John, we reach what architects call the Transition
Period, when the Norman style was gradually changing into the Early
English or Pointed Style. The choir of Canterbury Cathedral is one
of the best-known specimens of this Transition Period. Just as
changes took place in the style of the buildings, so, too, the life
of the nation changed. All the changes were not improvements; some,
indeed, were changes for the worse.
[Illustration: _Norman Capital, St. Bartholomew's Priory Church,
London_]