English Architecture
Prehistoric Britain Some of the major English prehistoric monuments are: Causewayed camps - These are some of the oldest remains in the English landscape, dating from around 3500 BC They consist of a series of one to four concentric rings of banks and ditches enclosing an area up to 9 hectares. ... Roman Villas in England When the Romans invaded Britain in the first century AD they made little attempt to adapt their architecture to the traditions of their new Roman province of Britannia. Rather, they imposed their own Mediterranean style of architecture and town planning. ... Anglo-Saxon Architecture England is not blessed with an abundance of surviving Anglo-Saxon buildings as the Vikings burned and destroyed most of the settlements they came across, in their search for plunder and martial glory. For this reason most surviving examples of Anglo-Saxon architecture date from either 600-725 or 900-1050. ... The Anglo-Saxons put a lot of energy into tower building in their church architecture, and often Saxon towers are the earliest surviving part of English parish churches. ... Medieval Architecture Art in the Middle ages was inseparable from religion. ... At the beginning of the Norman era the style of architecture that was in vogue was known as Romanesque, because it copied the pattern and proportion of the architecture of the Roman Empire. ... Of non-ecclesiastical work, the best surviving example of Romanesque architecture is probably the White Tower at the Tower of London. ... Gothic Architecture in England Beginning in 12th century France a new style of architecture and decoration emerged. ... Gothic architecture is light, spacious, and graceful. ... Gothic architecture in Britain has been neatly divided into 4 periods, or styles, by Thomas Rickman (1776-1841): Norman, Early English, Decorated, and Perpendicular. ... It is in the Early English period (1200-1275) that the Gothic style became truly adapted by English architects. ... The finest example of Early English is to be found at Salisbury Cathedral. ... Tudor Architecture in England 1500-1575 One of the most startling transformations in the history of English architecture took place in the Tudor period. ... And that brings up a second noticeable characteristic of Tudor architecture; the use of brick in building. ... Elizabethan Architecture in England 1550-1625 Towards the end of Henry VIIIs reign very little building occurred in England. ... English Baroque Architecture The origin of the term baroque" is uncertain, though it may have evolved from the Portuguese barocco, meaning a grotesque or deformed pearl. ... Baroque architecture, though extremely popular on the European continent, had only a brief flowering in England. ... Georgian Architecture The period that we call Georgian is very roughly equivalent to the 18th century. Although the reign of George III extended into the 19th century, and George IV did not die until 1830, the style of architecture most commonly associated with the Georgian England is identifiable in the period 1730-1800. ... More than any other period of English historic architecture, Georgian style is linked with the classical period of Greece and Rome. ... The Georgian period was highly influenced by the classical architecture. ... These Grand Tours exposed the most influential class in Britain to the classical traditions of style and architecture. These young men (only very occasionally did women undertake a Grand Tour), came home to Britain fired by an enthusiasm for classical architecture and design. ... Victorian Art and Architecture The Gothic Revival. ... Some of the most important English architects were Robert Adam, Christopher Wren, Thomas Archer, Charles Barry and Nicholas Hawksmoor. ... A first stab at architecture. It was not until 1663 that Wren tried his hand at architecture and his first commission was literally the result of nepotism.