Edward I and his successors began to build structures combining the
palace with the stronghold.[1] Conway and Carnavon Castles in Wales,
Warwich Castle, Warwickshire, and a great part of Windsor Castle on
the Thames, twenty-three miles west of London, are magnificent
examples; the last is still occupied as a royal residence.
[1] The characteristic features of the Edwardian castles are double
surrounding walls, with numerous protecting towers, and the omission
of the square Norman keep.
In churches, the massive architecture of the Normans, with its heavy
columns and round arches, was followed by the Early English style or
the first period of the Gothic, with pointed arches, slender,
clustered columns, and tapering spires. Salisbury Cathedral is the
grandest example of the Early English style.
Later, the Decorated Style was adopted. It was characterized by
broader windows, highly ornamented to correspond with the elaborate
decoration within, which gave this style its name; this is seen to
advantage in Exeter Cathedral, York Minster, and Merton College Chapel
at Oxford.