The Principles of Gothic Ecclesiastical Architecture, Elucidated by Question and Answer, 4th ed | Page 9

Church,
Barton-upon-Humber.]
Q. Mention the names of churches in which doorways of this
description are preserved?
A. The south doorways of the towers of the old church at
Barton-upon-Humber and of Barnack Church, the west doorway of the
tower of Earls Barton Church, the north and south doorways of the
tower of Wooten Wawen Church, Warwickshire, the east doorway of
the tower of Stowe Church, Northamptonshire, the north doorway of
the nave of Brytford Church, Wiltshire, and the north doorway of the
nave of Stanton Lacey Church, Salop, though differing in some
respects from each other, bear a general similarity of design, and come
under the foregoing description.
[Illustration: Belfry Window, north side of the Tower of Wyckham
Church, Berks.]
Q. How are we able to distinguish the windows of the Anglo-Saxon
style?
A. The belfry windows are generally found to consist of two
semicircular-headed lights, divided by a kind of rude balluster shaft of
peculiar character, the entasis of which is sometimes encircled with
rude annulated mouldings; this shaft supports a plain oblong impost or
abacus, which extends through the whole of the thickness of the wall,
or nearly so, and from this one side of the arch of each light springs.

Double windows thus divided appear in the belfry stories of the church
towers of St. Michael, Oxford; St. Benedict, Cambridge; St. Peter,
Barton-upon-Humber; Wyckham, Berks; Sompting, Sussex; and
Northleigh, Oxfordshire. In the belfry of the tower of Earls Barton
Church are windows of five or six lights, the divisions between which
are formed by these curious balluster shafts. The semicircular-headed
single-light window of this style may be distinguished from those of
the Norman style by the double splay of the jambs, the spaces between
which spread or increase in width outwardly as well as inwardly, the
narrowest part of the window being placed on the centre of the
thickness of the wall; whereas the jambs of windows in the Norman
style have only a single splay, and the narrowest part of the window is
set even with the external face of the wall, or nearly so. Single-light
windows splayed externally occur in the west walls of the towers of
Wyckham Church, Berks, and of Stowe Church, Northamptonshire,
Caversfield Church, Oxfordshire, and on the north side of the chancel
of Clapham Church, Bedfordshire; but windows without a splay occur
in the tower of Lavendon Church, Buckinghamshire. Small square or
oblong-shaped apertures are sometimes met with, as in the tower of St.
Benedict's Church, Cambridge; and also triangular-headed windows,
which, with doorways of the same form, will be presently noticed.
[Illustration: Anglo-Saxon Single-light Window, Tower of Wyckham
Church, Berks.]
Q. Of what description are the arches which separate the nave from the
chancel and aisles, and sustain the clerestory walls?
[Illustration: Anglo-Saxon Arches, St. Michael's Church, St. Alban's, A.
D. 948.]
A. They are very plain, and consist of a single sweep or soffit only,
without any sub-arch, as in the Norman style; and they spring from
square piers; with a plain abacus impost on each intervening, which
impost has sometimes the under edge chamfered, and sometimes left
quite plain. Arches of this description occur at Brixworth Church,
between the nave and chancel of Clapham Church, and between the
nave and chancel of Wyckham Church. The arches in St. Michael's

Church, St. Alban's, which divide the nave from the aisles, have their
edges slightly chamfered. There are also arches with single soffits,
which have over them a kind of hood, similar to that over doorways of
square-edged rib-work, projecting a few inches from the face of the
wall, carried round the arch, and either dying into the impost or
continued straight down to the ground. The chancel arch of Worth
Church, and arches in the churches of Brigstock and Barnack, and of St.
Benedict, Cambridge, and the chancel arch, Barrow Church, Salop, are
of this description. Some arches have round or semicylindrical
mouldings rudely worked on the face, as in the chancel arch, Wittering
Church; or under or attached to the soffit, as at the churches of
Sompting and St. Botulph, Sussex. Rudely sculptured impost blocks
also sometimes occur, as at Sompting and at St. Botulph; and animals
sculptured in low relief appear at the springing of the hood over the
arch in the tower of St. Benedict's Church, Cambridge.
[Illustration: Tower Arch, Barnack Church, Northamptonshire.]
[Illustration: Chancel Arch, Wittering Church, Northamptonshire.]
Q. How are some of the doorways, windows, arched recesses, and
panels of Anglo-Saxon architecture constructed?
[Illustration: Doorway in the Tower of Brigstock Church.]
A. In a very rude manner, of two or more long blocks of stone, placed
slantingly or inclined one towards the other, thus forming a straight line,
or triangular-headed arch; the lower ends of these sometimes rest on
plain projecting imposts, which surmount other blocks