A. The section of a pier, which is common in this style, may be described as formed from a square or parallelogram, with the angles fluted or cut in a bold hollow, and on the flat face of each side of the pier a semicylindrical shaft is attached. The flat faces or sides of the pier and the hollow mouldings at the angles are carried up vertically from the base moulding to the spring of the arch, and thence, without the interposition of any capital, in a continuous sweep to the apex of the arch; but the slender shafts attached to the piers have capitals, the upper members of which are angular-shaped. The base mouldings are also polygonal. Piers and arches of this description are numerous, and occur, amongst other churches, in St. Thomas Church, Salisbury; Cerne Abbas Church, Bradford Abbas Church, and Piddleton Church, Dorsetshire; Yeovil Church, Somersetshire; and Burford Church, Oxfordshire. In some churches a very slender shaft with a capital is attached to each angle of the pier, which is disposed lozengewise, the main body of the pier presenting continuous lines of moulding with those of the arch, unbroken by any capital: as in the piers of Bath Abbey Church, rebuilt early in the sixteenth century. In small country churches we frequently find the architrave mouldings of the arch continued down the piers, which are altogether devoid of any horizontal stop by way of capital. The churches of Brinklow and Willoughby, in Warwickshire, afford instances of this kind. Piers somewhat different to those above described are also to be met with, but are not so common.
Q. What else may be noted respecting some of the piers and arches in this style?
A. The face of the sub-arch or soffit is sometimes enriched with oblong panelled compartments, arched-headed and foliated; and these are continued down the inner sides of the piers. The arches of the tower of Cerne Abbas Church, Dorsetshire, and some of the arches in Sherborne Church, in the same county, may be instanced as examples.
Q. How may we distinguish the doorways and doors of this style?
A. Many doorways of this style, especially during its early progress, were surmounted by crocketted ogee-shaped hood mouldings, terminating with finials. In the most common doorway of this style, however, the depressed four-centred arch appears within a square head, and in general a rectangular hood moulding over; and the spandrels or spaces between the spring and apex of the arch and angles of the square head over it are filled with quatrefoils, panelling, foliage, small shields, or other sculptured ornaments. Sometimes the depressed four-centred arch appears without any hood moulding, and we occasionally meet with a simple pointed arch described from two centres placed within a rectangular compartment. Doorways in this style are often profusely ornamented; and it is common to see doors covered with panel-work boldly recessed, the compartments of which are sometimes filled in the heads with crocketed ogee arches, which produce a rich effect.
Q. Are there many fine porches of this style?
A. More than in any other style, and they are often profusely enriched, the front and sides being covered with panel-work, tracery, and niches for statuary. The interior of the roof is frequently groined, sometimes with fan tracery, but generally with simple though numerous ribs; and in many instances a room is constructed over the groined entrance or lower story of the porch, but so as to be in keeping with and form part of the general design. The south porch of Gloucester Cathedral, the south-west porch of Canterbury Cathedral, the south porch of St. John’s Church, Cirencester, and the south porch of Burford Church, Oxfordshire, may be noticed as examples of rich porches of this style; many others might also be enumerated, as they are very numerous and various in detail. Some porches are comparatively plain, as the south porch of the church of Newbold-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.