In the Tudor period depressed four-centered arch prevails; transoms of windows battlemented. Tudor flower, rose, portcullis, and fleur-de-lis common ornaments. Crockets and pinnacles much projected. Roofs of low pitch.
Vaulting. Fan vaulting, with tracery and pendants elaborately carved.
Other modes of distinguishing the periods of English Gothic have been proposed by writers of authority. The division given above is that of Rickman, and is generally adopted. A more minute subdivision and a different set of names were proposed by Sharpe as follows:—
| Romanesque. | Saxon | A.D. | to 1066. |
| Norman | ” | 1066 to 1145. | |
| Gothic. | Transitional | ” | 1145 to 1190. |
| Lancet | ” | 1190 to 1245. | |
| Geometrical | ” | 1245 to 1315. | |
| Curvilinear | ” | 1315 to 1360. | |
| Rectilinear | ” | 1360 to 1550. |
Of the new names proposed by Mr. Sharpe “transitional” explains itself; and “geometrical, curvilinear, and rectilinear” refer to the characters of the window tracery at the different periods which they denote.[6]
The history of English Gothic proper may be said to begin with the reign of Henry II., coinciding very nearly with the commencement of the period named by Mr. Sharpe transitional (1145 to 1190), when Norman architecture was changing into Gothic. This history we propose now to consider somewhat in detail, dividing the buildings in the simplest possible way, namely, into floors, walls, columns, roofs, openings, and ornaments. After this we shall have to consider the mode in which materials were used by the builders of the Gothic period, i.e. the construction of the buildings; and the general artistic principles which guided their architects, i.e. the design of the buildings.
It may be useful to students in and near London to give Sir G. Gilbert Scott’s list of striking London examples[7] of Gothic architecture (with the omission of such examples as are more antiquarian than architectural in their interest):—
Norman (temp. Conquest).—The Keep and Chapel of the Tower of London.
Advanced Norman.—Chapel of St. Catherine, Westminster Abbey; St. Bartholomew’s Priory, Smithfield.
Transitional.—The round part of the Temple Church.