A MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS

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CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

GIFT OF PROF. JOHN K. TILTON

ARCHITECTURE

Cornell University Library

NA

485.P18 1902

A manual of gothic moldings: with direct

3 1924 015 673 217

Cornell University Library

The

original of this

book

is in

the Cornell University Library.

There are no known copyright

restrictions in

the United States on the use of the

text.

http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924015673217

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS

A

MANUAL OF

GOTHIC MOLDINGS: DIRECTIONS FOE COPYING THEM AND FOE DETEEMINING THEIE DATES.

lUoatrsteii bg aptoatius of (Six

By

F. A.

Utmiuxb (BxnmplzB.

PALEY,

M.A.,

AUTHOR OF "A MANUAL OF GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE, "

ETC.

SIXTH EDITION, WITH NUMEEOUS ADDITIONS AND IMPEOVEMENTS, By W. M. FAWCETT,

M.A.,

FELLOW OF ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS, FELLOW OF SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES.

CLEVELAND:

CAEL WENDELIN KUEHNY, 3554

ATTICA EOAD. MDCCCCII

tr

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY WOODFALL AND KINDER, LONDON

—

CONTENTS page

Section I.

II.

Introductory

1

The General Principles

III.

Copying Moldings

IV.

Early Moldings

V.

in

of Formation

.

.12

.

26

general

32

Early English Moldings

38

VI. —Decorated Moldings VII. VIII.

47

Perpendicular Moldings

61

Plans of Gothic Columns

71

IX.— Capitals

76

X.—Bases XI.

Hood-Moldings and String-Courses

XII.— Conclusion Descriptions of Plates

89 .

.

.

.98

...

103 107

PREFACE TO THE SIXTH EDITION.

As

a

sixth

edition

of

Mr.

Paley's

work

is

required, the

Editor has endeavoured to improve it by inserting more examples in the text,

more easy

and

also

by arranging the plates so that they are

for reference.

Several small

amendments have

also

been made. Professor Willis's Nomenclature

now

so difficult to obtain

made

instead of the mere

is

that one or two extracts have been

reference given in the former editions.

The Editor has been

careful to keep the

book within the same

limits as to size so as not to increase the cost, this edition will

bestowed on

its

and trusts that

meet with the same approval which has been

predecessors.

EDITOR'S PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.

A

Thied Edition

been called

of the

Manual

has undertaken to prepare always

of Gothic Moldings having

for, the present Editor, at the request of Mr. Paley,

difficult for

it

for the

Press.

Though

it

is

one person to carry out satisfactorily the

work of another, the Author was of opinion that the revision of a professional

work that

The chiefly

man would

practical character

additions *and

secure accuracy, and give the

which he wished

it

to have.

alterations that have been

made have

been done by way of further explanation where anything

might not previously have seemed clear to a student

same time, the Editor has been its

;

at the

careful to keep the book within

present limits, lest he should change its whole character

from an elementary treatise to one of an entirely different class.

A

considerable

number

by way of additional localities of the

of woodcuts has also been inserted

illustration, and, as far as practicable, the

examples in the plates have been indexed but, ;

as these were taken from the Author's note-books

work was

first

published,

many

of

when the

them cannot now be

ascer-

tained with certainty.

The Author has employed the terms "Early English," " Decorated," and " Perpendicular" throughout, and these are so thoroughly engrafted into the work,

and

generally understood, that the Editor felt

undesirable to attempt any alteration.

it

are, besides,

so

would have been

But the student should

PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION. remember that the

object to be attained in nomenclature is to

define clearly the date

work

Now

prevailed.

this condition,

fulfil

must be Several

careful that

and

locality at

which certain kinds of do not

the two latter of these terms

them, the student

therefore, in using

and

he knows the dates to which they

refer.

new terms have been proposed, but those here employed

have become so generally adopted that no others have succeeded in displacing of

Mr

Fergusson has proposed the adoption

Edwardian and Plantagenet in a manner analogous to Tudor,

Elizabethan, as

them.

&c,

already in

common

thirteenth century,"

"early

use

;

also such terms

&c,

"late fourteenth,"

frequently employed, and have the advantage of being

are

very

precise.

An

accurate knowledge of Moldings is indispensable to any

one professing even an amateur's acquaintance of architecture

;

freely

but he who attempts to practise as an architect (however

he may use his knowledge) must study them thoroughly,

may be

not merely by reading a work like this (though that

great assistance), but by actually going about observing

measuring them himself

;

for very little

of

and

can be learnt without

measuring, as scale has a very important

effect

on the character

of Moldings.

There

perhaps, hardly an old Church existing without

is,

something worth sketching in

charming

variations

little

would hardly be suspected.

may

it

;

and

often,

in Moldings,

be found, which at

The

first

sight

Editor, therefore, feels that he

cannot do better than advise those

who wish

to attain a true

knowledge of the science of Gothic Moldings, not merely to read about them, but to sketch

them

them

carefully,

and

to

measure

accurately.

W. M. Cambridge

,

1st

December, 1864.

F.

EDITOR'S PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION.

Since the last edition of this work was

Author has passed away, and our readers,

to

as

well

new

in the Preface to the

his

as

it

will

its

talented

be probably of interest

respectful

edition I

issued

to

give

his

memory,

if

some account of

life.

He

was born on 14th January, 1815,

at

Easingwold, near

In due time he

York, of which parish his father was Vicar.

was sent

to Shrewsbury,

Master, and in 1834

where Dr. Butler was then the Head

he came up to

St.

Cambridge, and took his degree in 1838.

John's

College,

That such a ripe

classical scholar as

he was should not have appeared in the

Tripos seems a

strange

out in

little

honours

at

Mathematical Tripos.

;

but at that time every one going

was obliged

all

first

to

appear in the

Paley either could not or would

not

take the trouble to do this (probably the greater part of the latter),

and so was not

honours.

It

eligible to enter in the lists for Classical

was commonly said that he was plucked in one of

the college examinations in Paley's " Evidences " because he

wrote at the foot of his paper, " Tales of my Grandfather "

being

.

a

grandson

Archdeacon

of

is certainly characteristic

While

at

Paley

Whether

"Evidences of Christianity." of the

who

wrote

—he the

true or not the tale

man.

Cambridge he was much interested in Architecture,

and naturally became a member of the Cambridge Camden Society.

He

held the

office

of Secretary from

1841—2

to its

PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION.

xii

dissolution in 1845,

The

Society.

first

when

it

merged into the Ecclesiological

form of this book was that of papers written

among the notices of which we find that on 13th February, 1844, Mr. F. A. Paley read a paper " On for the Society;

the Moldings of Pointed Architecture," "Part I.

Early English "

;

and Perpendicular

only finishing with "Part II. Decorated

He had taken

Styles."

Norman and

and on 5th March the same notice appears, great interest in these details, and

had considerable opportunity of getting a

had

knowledge of

fair

them.

A

letter to

me

Lancaster, says

:

Mr.

from his brother,

E.

Gr.

of

Paley,

— " I well remember going home to my father's

Eectory at Gretford, near Stamford (about 1839 to 42), and taking with me, amongst other Architectural books, Eickman's '

Attempt

England.' avidity,

Discriminate

to

My

the

of

Styles

brother, I recollect well,

Architecture

and became extremely interested in

the subject

English Architecture, and frequently accompanied visits to

in

read this work with

me

in

of

my

examine and sketch the neighbouring churches, which

fortunately were singularly good

and interesting buildings of

As

every date from the eleventh to the sixteenth centuries.

a

young student of Church Architecture, I measured and sketched moldings as one important part of think that

much

my

my

studies,

and I

like to

brother's early interest in this work (not usually

taken up by amateurs) thus commenced, and developing

into a systematic

and

careful

study

of

the

fortunately

eventuated in the publication of his book on Moldings. the pleasure to send

him from time

examples that appear in the book.

to

time

and

subject,

collecting examples of moldings of various dates,

several

I had of

the

A keen and close observation my

was

certainly a characteristic of

may

account for the somewhat remarkable fact that an amateur

brother,

and

this quality

should give such close attention to a subject that the majority of students, professional or otherwise, consider rather dry

and

— PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION. uninteresting, though really of the

xiii

importance,

first

—indeed

the foundation and groundwork of the art."

This

letter

shows clearly that he was

when he read

fully qualified to

speak

Cambridge Camden Society

his paper before the

in 1844.

me

Mr. E. G. Paley has also sent

a letter to our Author from

Mr. Augustus Welby Pugin, which, though undated, written about this time, and

here

"

is

evidently

too interesting to be omitted

is

:

My

kind

dear

letter.

desire

Sir,

—

I was truly gratified by the receipt of your

There are few

more than your own.

men whose In

fact I

appreciation I should

have never met with any

one who entertains more correct views of Church Architecture than yourself and our friend Mr. Webb.

am

does an infinity of good, and I

The

Ecclesiologist

the more reconciled to

not being quite so strong as you and I could wish, as therefore better received

it

its is

by a host of intermediate men who

could not swallow strong drink, but are exceedingly useful to the cause as far as they go.

Your

sent me, will be of the greatest time.

Would

it

which you so kindly

service to

me

at the present

be trespassing on your goodness to ask for a

few tracings from the give

tracing,

some outlines

'

Bestiary

'

in the Library ?

I want to

of animals.

"Believe me, yours most sincerely,

" Welby Pugin."

"Mr. Paley 's powers

as a

Greek scholar were

first

proved in

1844 by his edition of the Supplices of iEschylus, which displays not only his knowledge of the language and

but his power of emendation.

by

of his

author,

This was followed at intervals

editions of all the other plays of iEschylus.

" In later

life

he devoted himself almost entirely to Greek

PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION.

xiv

and he published editions of Euripides, Hesiod and

literature,

He

other authors with English notes.

gave most attention to

the vexata qu<estio of the authorship of the Homeric poems,

and

and showed bis

also published a translation of Pindar,

knowledge of

the

But he was not

language by

Latin

idle

Propertius."

editing

on the subject of Architecture, which

he always seemed to take up as a change whenever time could be found. of Gothic Architecture " (1846)

The " Manual

;

" The Eccle" Re-

siologist's Guide to Churches near Cambridge " (1844)

marks on the Architecture of Peterborough Cathedral " 1856)

edition,

Church" (2nd

;

" Architectural

edition,

Notes

1872) Churches round Peterborough " (1860) " Illustrations of Baptismal Fonts "

Restorers list

Cartmel

;

;

;

(2nd

Priory

Twenty Parish

the Introduction to

" The

and

fair,

if

not

Church complete,

of his architectural works besides this book on Moldings.

Soon Society, left

;

a Tale," are, I believe, a

:

on

" Notes on

;

after

the

Mr. Paley,

dissolution

of

the

Cambridge

Camden

Church of Rome, and

in 1847, joined the

Cambridge.

In 1860 he

returned

to

Cambridge, and was always

re-

garded as one of the most careful Classical Tutors.

He

remained until he accepted the post newly-formed

of

Professor

Roman

of

Classical Literature at

the

College at Kensington.

Since the dissolution of that establish-

ment he resided

at

Bournemouth, where he remained

Catholic

till

he

passed away, on Sunday, 9th December, 1888.

This edition of his work on Moldings has been carefully revised by the Editor, and several It has

become so much

than what

may

it

originally was, a

manual

be as well to remind the

illustrations

new

illustrations inserted.

lately a text-book for students, rather for the

critical

amateur, that

it

reader that the mass of

were taken from Mr. Paley's note-book when he

himself was studying the subject,

and

for strict

and absolute

PREFACE TO THE FIFTH EDITION.

xv

accuracy the student must measure for himself and not depend

on small scale sketches. self to

How

far

an

artist

should confine him-

copying the moldings, &c, of ancient work

each must decide

for himself; but whatever

'allow himself in his work,

he

is

is

a matter

freedom he

may

sure to find great value in a

thorough acquaintance with the experience and work of those

who have gone

before him.

A MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

SECTION

I.

INTBODUCTOKY.

No

person can have devoted

much time and

vestigation of Christian architecture, as this country during the

pains to the in-

was practised in

it

Middle Ages, without feeling the im-

portance of acquiring an accurate knowledge of Moldings.*

That certain conventional forms or certain periods,

decoration of

details

and were uniformly adopted

all edifices, ecclesiastical

and

were in use at

in the constructive secular, throughout

the length and breadth of the land, with varieties rather of

combination or disposition than of the component members, is

an undoubted

fact, well

have paid any attention

known

to

and admitted by

to the subject.

all

who

But whence these

forms arose, whether from a natural process of gradual develop-

ment, or from some real or pretended secret of freehrasonry, or, lastly,

from mere accident or caprice, are curious questions,

which, so far as the author the subjects of

much

is

aware, have never yet been

investigation.

made

Again, how far the same

forms were arbitrary or obligatory in ancient freemasonwork,

how

far

they emanated from some particular source, and were

dispensed by authority through the country, or were assumed

by some

tacit

agreement on the part of the masons themselves,

are equally interesting speculations, though, perhaps, equally * This, the ancient orthography of the word, has been adopted after

Professor Willis.

B

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

2

difficult

However

to determine.

this

may

,

have been,

it is

intercourse must have been kept up

quite certain that a strict

between the members of this body of artisans, or almost every

new and strange

ancient church would exhibit

When

moldings.

of its

details

varieties in the

which then

the difficulty

existed of constant and speedy communication between distant

resemblance

this general

parts of the country is considered,

and uniformity, not only indeed in moldings, but in parts

and features of Church architecture, must appear

more surprising.

There

the

all

still

these enough of licence and

is in all

variety to give scope for occasional localisms,

and

to

make

it

probable that each architect worked, to a certain extent, inde-

and yet there

pendently,

adherence to

rule,

and decided

such resemblance

is

make

as to

evident that some

it

must have been observed both

system

designing and executing

in

them.

Or can

this

acknowledged uniformity be referred to no more

recondite cause than fashion

same kind

?

Can

be said, that as the

it

of hat, or coat, or other article of dress, is seen in

London which

is

found in

common

use at York, with varieties, caprice in adorning of

indeed, arid a considerable degree of diversifying

them

and

;

as

that,

these

all

things are

hands of certain bodies, as hatters and

clusively in the

tailors,

and no one ever dreams of employing others than these providing them

;

so there

poly in architecture

seemed fault as is

was

at once

Churchman

a solecism in dress

is

as

now

every professor

is

modern

striking

own

pleasure,

rule, that

it

but then

offensive a

Perhaps this is

one so

which

;

at liberty to design just as

and even

and

architectural practice, in

even when he pretends to imitate, his

and a mono-

a fashion

considered ?

the most rational and probable view

from

in

and a solecism in moldings would have

;

to the ancient

very different

ex-

is

it

he pleases, and

apt very freely to indulge

to ridicule

the restraints of strict

certainly does appear strange

and unaccountable.

INTRODUCTORY. However,

all

3

these questions are quite foreign to the object

They

of the present work.

are all the province of the anti-

quary rather than the architect, and as such

out of place

it is

say anything more about them, especially as the writer

to

incompetent to give any solution of the

But

involve.

this

regretted that so

may

reasonably

difficulty

-be observed,

is

which they

that

it is

to

be

has yet been done in reducing to a

little

science this interesting

and

of Gothic architecture.

Probably a fancied uncertainty and

obscurity

of the

practically important

department

study, or a want of sufficient data, or ignor-

ance of the exact periods at which buildings were erected, and the apparent anomalies and inconsistencies which seem often occur, have all tended to deter even the

to

from writing a complete

treatise

most competent

To

on the subject.

these

may

be added the tediousness of making any considerable collecof drawings and

tion

difficulty

of

sections of

moldings,

amount of observation and research necessary knowledge

of

their

history and

true

causes at once sufficient to render a

and

delay and

the

copying them with minute accuracy, and the

to induce the reader to

for attaining

first

a

These are

theory.*

attempt imperfect,

pardon any errors or deficiencies

which he may notice in the course of the present work. It

taken

may

possibly be said,

investigating

in

minutiae

:

Why

these

why should they not be

should so

much

pains be

comparatively

insignificant

copied in our

new churches

without writing books about them, and so turning an amusing pursuit into a hard lesson, by imposing on beginners so to learn ?

The answer

is,

much

that moldings are of the greatest

was written, an important work on Gothic Moldings has been published by Edward Sharpe, Esq., M.A., being a series of examples, reduced (for the most part) to one-third size, arranged according to their dates, and printed in different tints, so as to be readily distinguished. (London, E. and F. N. Spon, Charing Cross, in six parts 4to. 1871.) Mr. Sharpe's fine work, " Architectural Parallels," folio, contains a large number of reduced outline plans and sections of moldings of the * Since the above

finest period.

b 2

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

4

possible importance

so

much

that they have rightly been

so,

"the very grammar of the

called

most

:

They

art.",

by

are

far the

and very frequently the only guides in determin-

certain,

ing the dates of buildings, or of architectural members

they

;

map

are just as essential to a knowledge of architecture, as a

the study of geography.

is to

importance.

first

No

who thinks

architect

In practice, too, they are of the

any claim

one has

science

the

to the

name

of

beneath his

of moldings

notice.

must be confessed, that some years ago, on the

It

first revival

of the true principles of Gotbic architecture, very serious,

and

indeed surprising mistakes were frequently committed, even by architects of repute, in the details of their moldings.

was but

There

discrimination of styles, and a general poverty of

little

appearance prevailed, especially in the working of capitals and bases.

In structures of that period^ even of considerable pre-

tension,

it

was but too common

to find

the most wretched and

meagre imitations of ancient examples, the acter

which were completely

of

violation of leading principles.*

lost

This

and char-

or perverted by is

some

in striking contrast

the smallest and humblest churches

with

ancient practice

often

show very pretty and

;

carefully

worked moldings, and

their uniformity of type, with, of course, It is gratifying to

surprising.

spirit

minor

differences, is

find such rapid

improvement

and so much increased attention on the part of our present architects,

correct

who

are fully sensible of the great importance of

moldings to the

effect,

as well as to

the distinctive

character, of their designs.

A work

on moldings

ends in view.

It

may

may have any one

of the three following

either contain a great collection

of the

best examples, accurately reduced to a scale, or accompanied by *

As an

molding of the archway in the centre of the buildings of St. John's College, Cambridge, is partly Early English and partly debased Perpendicular ; apparently an original instance, the

cloister to the

new

composition of the late Mr. Hickman's.

;

INTRODUCTORY.

5

measurements, so as to form a magazine of reference, and thus supply the wants of practical men,

who may

often be unable to

procure in their immediate neighbourhood any available models

may

or, secondly, it

profess to be a complete and elaborate

exposition of the theory of moldings, dealing with principles

rather than with bare facts, and taking a comprehensive view of the whole subject through the

Komanesque treatise,

varieties

;

or,

lastly,

medium of the Classic and it may be an elementary

intended only to convey plain and easy information on

the most ordinary forms, and on the differences observable in

each

The

style.

first

could perhaps be satisfactorily accom-

plished only by a professional man,

know the wants

of architects

The second would

them.

who might be supposed

to

and the best method of supplying require not only very considerable

acuteness and ingenuity, but the observation and collections of

many

and from

years,

prevailed.

The

last

all

places where Gothic architecture has

alone seems capable of being tolerably

well treated by an amateur,

who has himself seen the want

some work on the

and being thrown entirely upon his

own

subject,

resources in examining and investigating

Such, then,

is

is

simple and practical as far as

It is obvious that the

number

might be absolutely unlimited, and that illustration

it.

the aim and object of the present work, of

which the method of treatment possible.

of

to

of examples given

attempt a complete

would require many hundreds of engravings, and a

judicious selection out of thousands of drawings.

Such exten-

sive resources the author does not profess to possess

;

nor can

he even assert that every one of the examples he has given,

from a collection of a few hundreds of

aboutas many drawings, made the eye alone,

is

full-sized sections,

at different times

of that perfect and

minute accuracy which

might have been obtained by a laborious reduction of outlines to one

plain

details

and the same

scale.

and formations, and

and

and places by

The

full-sized

object being to ex-

to point out

differences

;

MANUAL. OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

6

imitation, this ex-

modern

rather than to furnish models for

course

treme faithfulness of delineation, though of

highly

and was in the present case quite For the same reason the measurements are impracticable. only occasionally added.* The specimens engraved are mostly desirable, is unnecessary,

those of ordinary occurrence, rather than examples of rare exceptions to the general practice of the ancient architects.

Viewed as an inductive is

as curious

if

and interesting in

it

is it

moldings

important in will

he amply

only by the enlarged views he will acquire of the

ancient principles of

The

as

actively in

itself

Any one who engages

its results.

repaid,

science, the study of Gothic

curves, the shadows,

and the blending forms, are

themselves extremely beautiful, and favourites of a familiar eye

standing, they

nooks, and

may seem

shapeless

and composition.

arrangement

effect,

:

will

soon

really in

become

the

though, viewed without under-

only an

unmeaning

excrescences.

Many

cluster of hollows,

persons, are

not

aware that every group can be analysed with perfect ease and certainty

;

that every

member

certain laws of combination.

and a knowledge of the

fact

is

cut by rule, and arranged by

But such

Let him only enter upon

he will be rewarded for his pains.

Church he

architecture. will

it,

The only necessary

ditions are a tolerable idea of delineation,

cations,

surely the case

should convince the student of the

reasonableness of the study.

in

is

and con-

and a general interest

Possessed of these simple qualifi-

be led on by his subject from step to step,

almost imperceptibly, ever observing and adding to his store of facts

and examples, and tracing out

to his

own

satisfaction the

forms and processes through which he conceives moldings to have passed in the various stages of their development. will learn to

He

pronounce with some degree of confidence the

date of the merest fragment of sculptured stone. * Most of the woodcuts, and the examples in the been reduced from actual measurements.

A

broken

last five plates,

have

INTRODUCTORY.

7

dug up on

piece of a capital, a string-course, or a door-jamb,

the reputed site of an ancient building, will tell

and date the

style

was,

fabric

He

remnant alone remains.*

some new

some

him

of

what

which so insignificant a

of

will ever

and singular conformation,

of his previously formed theories,

ducible to and confirmatory of them.

and anon meet with

perhaps

overturning

—perhaps

He

clearly re-

will look at

every

ancient building, however dilapidated or defaced, with a more

searching eye,

—

for

he

be sure to find in

will

He

peculiar facilities for research.

arch with a

new

examining

in

it

very demolition

will regard every

He will

attention.

its

find the

same

shattered

satisfaction

which a botanist finds in a rare plant, a herald

in an ancient escutcheon,

an undescribed

or a geologist in

fossil.

The

learner

must understand

work on Gothic

that the best

moldings which could possibly be written will do no more than

him

in the right

way

by his own research.

A

set

are as nothing,

if

to

obtain' a

knowledge of the subject

few examples in the page of a book

he does not apply in practice that which he

The look

has learned from them.

of a

molding

its

is

appearance in perspective reality, and with the

and shade upon

light

may

it,

that the

all

explained

how

effects of

same form seen in the one

not even be recognized in the other.

once for

so very

on paper, from

different in section, projected in a reduced size

It is here, therefore,

the engravings

are to be under-

stood.

Supposing a molded archway were to be taken down, and any * The Messrs. Brandon have pointed out the interesting fact, that although earlier styles were occasionally imitated in completing or altering buildings at a later period, the moldings of the respective, eras were always most faithfully preserved. " The assimilating process never

To however great an extent the earlier poran edifice may have been subsequently copied, these important members were always worked in strict conformity with the ordinary system prevalent at the time of their construction." " Analysis of Gothic extended to the moldings.

tion of

—

Architecture," p. 10, Introduction.

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

8

sheet of one of the arch-stones placed upon a large square the stone paper, in such a manner that the wall-line,, or part of parallel the plane of the outer wall, should he inner or the and soffit with the end of the paper nearest to you,

which

lies in

surface,

at right angles

with

it,

parallel to one side

;

and then

and

a pencil were to be carried along the wall-line first,

after-

wards in and out of each cavity and round each projection, and so

of the soffit-plane

up a portion

;

the outline thus, obtained

reduced- to a small size (say a scale of half

an inch

and shaded on the part which represents the

flat

to a foot),

side or bed of

the stone, would form a diagram exactly similar to our illustrations.

Again,

if

a string-course were to be sawn across, or a

capital or base

down the middle, and

in the crevice,

and marked

off

a piece of paper inserted

by the sharp edge of the mold-

would in the same way represent

ing, this

The

the shaded sections of these details.

usual popular way of engraving Gothic moldings

is to

give a perspective sketch of a stone

or slice cut out of the arch,

the

flat

end or upper

face,

showing at once

and the molded

Beoorated door-jamb,

Maxey, Northampton,

and shading the

sife,

But

this,

though

its

and

cavities

general appearance

fig. 5.

much more

is certainly

like the reality, does not give so clear a

view of the forms of

The method adopted by

the separate members.

projec-

woodcut and PL. V.

tions, as in the

architects is

uniformly that which has been followed in the plates illustrating the present work.

Each example

is,

same as the

in fact, the

templet or mold, a thin plate of zinc, tin, or wood,

which is used

by workmen in marking out the stones previously to cutting

them

out.

The shaded

portion of

PL. XII.

fig.

15, is a good

illustration of a templet.

But the student must not only

observe

ings in order to understand them.

knowledge

will

;

he must copy mold-

Without the

never be practically perfect.

How

latter, his

to

do

this,

INTRODUCTORY. will

shown, by explaining some of the

shortly be

methods which have been practised.

in all cases to

general fidelity, they are

by the

at

planes, and measurements

assist the process,

somewhat

various

must be understood,

It

the outset, that though certain lines,

may be drawn

9

eye, because the exact curves,

and ensure

copy accurately

difficult to

which are not always

geometric, can scarcely be caught without considerable practice.

And

the true form

if

deavours to improve the student's prising

how

first

well

is it

not attained by the

seldom

will

stroke, the en-

first

be very successful.

attempts will result in failure

and how

readily a practised

a few minutes a most complex group.

but

;

Perhaps it is

sur-

hand can copy

A

in

small note-book

should be kept exclusively for copying moldings by the eye, the

measurements and name of place being duly registered with each example.*

For the mediaeval nomenclature of moldings, the learned and useful work lately published by Professor Willisf supplies an

In this

authentic source of information.

names

ancient

hoped they

treatise,

of moldings have been recovered

will

;

some of the

and

it is

to be

be revived, especially in the present dearth of

terms.

As

this

work

is

Schedule and diagram

not is

easily

obtainable,

here inserted.

It is

the

following

taken from the

who was born

in Bristol

in 1415. It will be found with fuller explanations

in Prof.

Itinerarium of William of Worcester,

Willis's treatise.

* Nothing is better adapted for a pedestrian tourist than a block sketching book, in the pocket of which a small " T-square," for ruling These are to be obtained parallel and rectangular lines, should be kept.

with the. leaves fixed on one

side,

so

that they form a book

complete, and the objection to having a

number

when

of loose sheets is

obviated. '+

Part

"

The Architectural Nomenclature

7,

Vol.

Society.

1,

of

the Middle

Ages," being

of the Quarto Publications of the Cambridge Antiquarian

"

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

10

— A cors wythqute. —A casement. — A bnwtelle.

M.

C.

O.

N.—A felet.

D.—A felet. "R.

of Levys.

—A double ressaunt.

—A boutel. G.— A felet. H. —A ressant. I.—A felet. K. —A casement with Levys. felet. — f AA boutel.

F.

Ij.

-I

I

.A

architectural

edge or surface of jections

A

and

it

member

North Door

is

filet.

A casement. R.—A felet. S.

—A casement. —Yn'the my.ides

T.—A felet. U.

of the

of St. Stephen's Church, Bristol.

few expressions used in the present work

Any

felet.

I

door a boutelle.

sary clearly to define before entering

it

upon the

will

be neces-

subject.

said to be molded,

when

the

presents continuous lines of alternate pro-

recesses.

drawing which represents these lines as they would appear

the eye

if

figs. 1 to 5,

A

to

projected on a vertical plane placed opposite to them,

is called the elevation of

and

'A

P.— A boutell.

A felet.

Facsimile of William of Worcester's drawing.

A

—A ressant. —A casement with trayler

A. B.

a molding, as in

PL.

I. fig.

8

;

PL. X.

22, 24, 40.

drawing which represents the outline of these projections

recesses, is called the section or profile of a molding, being

the appearance right angles

to

it

would present

its

bearing.

if

cut through by a plane at

Thus PL.

A b, would present the appearance of

I. fig.

fig. 5.

10, if cut across

INTRODUCTORY.

A mold,

or molding

(the former is the ancient term),

monly

signifies the entire

arch

but

;

A

we

com-

which ornaments a jamb or

of such series.

a

is

when placed

said to be grouped,

generally find

group

series

here generally used in the sense of a particular

it is

member Members are

part or

tion, as

11

them

;

in combina-

but

bunch of moldings

separate

or

members,

standing prominent or isolated, either on a shaft or between

two deep hollows.

An so

arch of two or more orders,

many

is

one which

recessed by

successive planes or retiring sub-arches, each placed

behind and beneath the next before

Thus PL.

outer wall line.

arch of

is

"two

orders," and

I. fig. fig.

7

it,

5, is is

reckoning from the

the section across an

of "three hollow-cham-

fered orders."

As

it is

necessary for every student in this science,

first to

understand the general principles of formation, and, secondly, to be able to draw or " take " moldings, either full-sized or reduced to a scale, with tolerable precision, these preliminary points will be before entering

explained

as

simply

and

upon the consideration

and more minute

varieties of detail.

of

briefly as possible,

the

combinations

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

12

SECTION

II.

THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FORMATION. It seems certain that

all

the forms of Gothic Moldings are the

peculiar and genuine offspring of Christian architecture, or at least are very partially styles

and

indirectly borrowed

from the Classic

although, as might be expected, some coincidences of

;

There are some who contend that

form exist between them.

Gothic moldings are derived, mediately indeed, yet very decidedly,

from

Koman

when we observe least),

;

a supposition hardly probable in

Norman

the

that in

entirely undeveloped

able,

England

at

which was most closely connected with the Classic, the

forms of the moldings which we

and

style (in

itself,

;

call

Gothic are merely nascent,

and one which appears scarcely ten-

from the consideration that the mediaeval architects of this

country* could have known

little

of Italian architecture, and if

they had, we cannot suppose they would have cared to copy in its details

what they altogether repudiated in its kind.

convincing argument

is

this

that in Gothic molding all the

:

links in the process of formation are connected

from the

ment

;

first

But the

and complete,

and rudest origin to the most elaborate develop-

and the steps are so natural, the transitions so easy,

that any two styles working independently of each other from

the same beginnings and elemental forms, could hardly arriving at least at

some

this or that period, a

of the

same

new member was

results.

Again,

fail

of

if at

introduced, and, as

it

* It is true that the Freemasons were an ecclesiastical body under the Pope, and not confined to this or any other particular country in Europe.

with Eome was always frequent, from the time of St. Augustine downwards. Still it is impossible to trace in pure Gothic buildings the least symptom of Italianizing either in composition or details. This is also the opinion of the authors of the " Analysis of Gothic Architecture," page 48. It is also true that the intercourse

-

THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OP FORMATION. were, a

new

added to the alphabet, why should

letter

13 it

not be

attributed to invention, rather than sought for in the resem-

may happen

blance which an Italian molding

However, the discussion of this question

who have tion of

work

is

to bear to it ?

rather for those

to do with the "theory of moldings, as the determina-

does not in the least affect the facts of which this

it

treats.

From

the time of

the

formation

of

the

first

Christian

Basilica to the middle of the twelfth century, there is such a

general resemblance in the character of the work, as to have

caused

under the one

to be classed

it

About that time

must be remembered that the whole of

it

Western Europe was engaged in the it

Komanesque.

of

title

first

Crusade, and though

can hardly be said that the early Gothic forms are mere

copies of Classic or Eastern ones, the effect of travel would,

naturally be to accustom the different class of forms,

and

mind

to see beauty in

an entirely

to enlarge its capacity of design-

ing according to the requirements

met with.

it

That the whole tone of Architecture was then altered undoubted

and some leading features were then introduced

fact,

Also in matters of mere detail, we find new

for the first time.

forms, some of which

may be

Early English base

allowed by

from the Attic that such

an

is

is

and

;

was the

it

traced to foreign sources all

to

will hereafter clearly

case.

And

it

is

:

the

have been borrowed be demonstrated

undeniable that several

forms and combinations of the ogee curve are nearly identical in

Classic and in Gothic buildings.

Still,

if

every Gothic

form can be shown to be an improvement or modification of a preceding one,

it

must be concluded

that the whole series is

the offspring of one and the same progressive

art.

In truth, Gothic architecture grew up under peculiar circumstances,

and

to satisfy special

wants

;

in its origin eclectic,

adapted details from Saracenic or Moorish,

Norman, from

the

debased

Classical,

(i.e.

it

Arabian), from

from the

Byzantine

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

14

churches, half Greek in design, and from Italian, Lombardic,

and Komanesque history

is

.changes

truly one of " evolution "

form

and

national

taste

of

climates,

and descriptions.

of all dates

edifices

;

modifications or

that

is,

Its

of successive

by various

produced

and numerous

genius, material,

other influences, both internal and external.

In their use also Gothic moldings

The former

from Classic.

differ as

widely as possible

are repeated to almost any extent,

so as entirely to occupy the large recessed spaces in

They

arches.

are repeated too in groups, each group being

composed of the same members, or nearly earlier styles.

The

latter are

measure

great ;

arbitrary,

so, especially in

of the one are in a

though the forms themselves are

The former

in the latter both are absolutely defined.

run principally in vertical

the

few in number, and very limited

The combinations

in their application.

fixed

jambs and

lines, the

latter in

horizontal.

In

Gothic architecture, horizontal moldings occur in water-tables

and string-courses, and in

capitals

and bases,

in

which

posi-

tions they invariably form subordinate lines, so as to contrast

and display the predominant principles of a sweep, and

may

vertical

ascending

so far perhaps be regarded as lingering ves-

tiges of the Classic usage.

They

to divide lofty walls into stages,

are also used very effectively

and are carried under windows

and arcades, round the weatherings

of buttresses,

and

ex-

tensively in base-courses.

An

intelligent

and thoughtful writer in the English Review*

has the following remarks on the differences between Grecian

and Gothic moldings

:

"Where

the Grecian delighted in broad

level surfaces, catching the light in

curves

on which

masses, or in projecting

away by degrees into shadow, the Gothic roughened and encrusted them with carving. And it

dies

thus in general we measure,

we

read,

or, if

and peruse, a Grecian molding by *

may

be used,

its lights,

and the

the expression

For December, 1844.

THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FORMATION. Gothic by

its

" Of the differences between some may be detected by a supermolding,

view.

Again

shadows."

the two classes of ficial

15

:

For instance, the Grecian delights in convex

lines,

the Gothic in concave; the Grecian in broad lights, the Gothic in narrow.

eye

the Gothic endeavours to bury

;

Grecian leads tions

;

it

The

in deep recesses.

gently along in sweeping, unbroken undula-

it

the Gothic fractures

The

angles and curves.

melt and

projections to catch the

The Grecian throws out

lines,

its

lights

slide insensibly into

and combines them in

and shadows of the Grecian

each other

;

those of the Gothic

In

are planted together in strong and bold contrast

the purest Grecian

buildings, vertical

moldings are

zontal moldings form the leading lines

;

and

rare.

it

is

Hori-

by these,

even in later and degenerated specimens, that the vertical

In the Gothic, vertical moldings are

moldings are regulated.

most frequent

;

and they overrule and determine those which

And

are horizontal. divisible into

parts

Grecian moldings are simple and easily Gothic are entangled in labyrinths, and

;

perplexed with innumerable intricacies."

The notion

of ascending moldings is coeval with the intro-

duction of the arch, and

may

indeed be traced to a

still

period in the sides of doorways and similar positions. the

Eomans broke

up, by

means

earlier

When

of the arch, the continuous .

horizontal entablature of the Grecians, the cornice moldings

were carried around

it,

and

fell

on each side in vertical lines

into the horizontal, thereby producing the

Gothic, though with a different effect zontal

;

and

rendered

result as in

in the one case, hori-

lines continuing to predominate,

subdued

same

secondary and

in

the.

othei> being

subordinate to

the

vertical principle.

Gothic architecture revelled in the use of moldings, not only

what are usually

called ornamental moldings, such as the dog-

tooth, the ball-flower,

of light

&c, but

also the plain

and shadow ; though they are in

continuous lines

effect identical, since

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

16

the former are nothing

serrated ridges,*

but

rounded and modified from the window, monial.f every edge,

first

more

process.

vertical or horizontal, every

less

band,

arch, and jamb, whether of wood

string, groin-rib, roof, label,

Of course

or stone, internal or external, was generally molded.

the effect

or

Every door,

produced by so free and extended a use of them was Construction gained thereby a

magnificent in the extreme.

rich perspective, a depth of shade,

an attempering of bare

prominent outlines, a fine tone, which arrested the eye, and

made

dwell on certain parts of higher pretension and more

it

exquisite elaboration than others.

And yet moldings

are merely

the ornamental adjuncts, not the essentials, of architecture.

Some

buildings of the best periods were quite devoid of mold-

ings; whence a

perfect

it

is

design.

evident that they are not necessary even to

Boldness and simplicity produce

different indeed in their kind, yet not less

than richness

effects,

solemn and striking

But the power of moldings was

of detail.

appreciated to the fall by the ancient architects, and evident that they delighted in their extensive use.

It

it is

quite

was

their

ambition to work them wherever they could possibly find means

and opportunity.

Hence

it is

that such a vast quantity every-

where remains, that no ordinary pains are requisite in examining

any considerable moiety of them gating their principles.

been tolerably to

strict, it

master the subject

;

for the purposes

of investi-

If the uniformity in their use had not

had indeed been a hopeless task ever indeed,

if

there had not been a system

of molding, there would have been nothing to investigate. so little did the mediaeval

But

masons depart from the conventional

forms, that a capital, a base, or an arch-mold is often found of perfectly the

same

profile in

village church at the other * This

may

an abbey or a cathedral, and in a end of the kingdom

;

so that

we

occasionally be seen, when the molding was left for some reason or accident partially uncut. It is probable that they were generally worked out after the completion of a building. t The mediaeval term for what we now call mulUon.

;

THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FORMATION.

17

might almost suspect that the very same working drawing had been used for both. And this, when it is considered, must appear a very wonderful

fact.

Although the examples given here are in nearly every case from stonework, the student would do well to notice those in other materials, such as wood, iron,

&c,

though the same

for

forms will be found at the same date

as in

stonework, they are on a more delicate scale,

according to the fine-

B

^IBF

i

ness of the material thus, in the annexed

examples, the monial t,

trom

,1

Burgh

Woodwork, Burgh.

.

the

screen

Marsh, Lincolnshire,

le

in

Cambridge, but has more

it.

The reader and

will

will

perhaps be tired of this preliminary chapter,

be anxious to enter upon the subject at once.

this point

it

may

early buildings, practice,

only half the size of the

is

stone one from Bottisham, Dear

members

Stonework, Bottisham.

at

And

at

be well to proceed, beginning with very

and endeavouring

to discover the origin of the

and then gradually trace the progress of development

until the forms have all

been analyzed and

classified according

to their respective dates.

On examining

the plan of a

perhaps nothing more

will

aperture in a plain wall, as in

be met

is,

PL.

This

I. fig. 1.

with, even considerably later, in small

churches, especially in relieved

Saxon window or doorway,

be found than a rude square-edged

belfry-arches.

and expanded by splaying

by sloping or chamfering

an ordinary Early English

off

it

It

may

often

and rude country

may, however, be

on one or both

the edges, as in

lancet window, the

sides, that

So in

fig. 2.

long narrow

opening has a very wide splay inside and a very small one on c

;

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

18

the outside, ture as it

In arching over the upper part of an aperin a thick wall of loose rubble masonry,

fig. 3.

fig. 1,

made

was not uncommon

and

security,

rib of a vault,

to add, for the sake at once of

sub-arch,

a

or

ornament groin-

the

like

under-rib,

constructed of fine-jointed ashlar,

as

fig.

This sub-arch rested

either on a pillar at each side,

projecting impost,* or

it

ground, that

Now

was carried continuously down

a

to the

without any interruption or change of shape.

is,

in this rude arrangement,

continental

4.

or

which

observable in

is

Romanesque churches, we

some improve-

a usage which ever afterwards prevailed, with

ments of form and

detail,

many

germs of

shall find the

but no alteration of principle.

In

the abbey church of St. Alban's, the nave and transept-arches are constructed of two rectangular sub-ribs, or soffit-pilasters,

which are continued from the ground with the intervention: of a

mere band or

string-course

at

the

The same

impost.

observable in several of the Transition

arches

at

is

Buildwas

Abbey, f

By ture,

chamfering

off

each arris, or square edge, of this aper-

which now becomes recessed, or of two orders or retiring

members, the plan

is

at once obtained

which was most con-

stantly used, especially in pier arches, without the least change

of form, for centuries afterwards (PL. I.

there

may be two

or

more sub-arches,

each one retiring behind the other. hollow, molded, or simply as in

English and Decorated arches.

fig. 7,

This

if

fig.

5).

Of

course,

the wall be very thick

And

the chamfer

may

be

which is common in Early is

the case in the chancel-

arch at Cherry Hinton, near Cambridge,

and was much

in

TOgue from about 1260 to 1320. In practice, however, when worked on a small

scale, the sub-

arch was no longer a separate constructive formation, but was *

In Transition arches, the inner order, or sub-arch, is often corbelled jambs being left square, with a small shaft at the

off at the impost, the

angles.

f Potter's Monastic Remains, PL. III. and IV.

lllatS

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

20

In this the square edge

Lincolnshire.

is

worked into a shallow

triple roll.

Fig. 12

an Early English pier-arch at Skirbeck, near

is

Here the howtell

Boston.

formed by rounding the edge as

and cutting a deep three-quarter hollow on each

before,

was very usual Fig. 13

is

in this style.

from Great Grimsby, and

remains,* bearing the date 1192

nearly the same principle

fig.

14 from Clee, both

In the latter church a Dedication inscription

in Lincolnshire.

same

side.

bowtell becomes attached only by a narrow neck, as

Thus the

still

is

period.

;

;

and the other

is of

Both these are good examples

very

of the

and arch-molds of this kind are of constant

Norman and

occurrence in the

The

Transition styles.

pier-

arches in the nave of Peterborough Cathedral are molded precisely in the

same manner.

t

These bold early moldings are generally called " edge-rolls," because they occur at the external angles of the receding

and are yet not extended on each single, as

land

PL. XXI.

latter

They

are

fig.

1 of the

same

Morcot Church, in the same county.

arrangement

is

derived the double roll and

member

forms the central

commonly

an arch from Seaton Church, Rut-

fig. 2,

but occasionally double, as

;

belfry arch of

side.

ordei's,

of

PL. XVIII.

fig. 8,

plate, the

From fillet

this

which

an arch-mold

from the choir of Ripon Minster. In considering the origin of the cylindrical first

roll

or bowtell, the

element of moldings, the influence of jamb-shafts must be

taken into account.

In Norman doorways every nook formed

by the receding under-ribs, already described, detached column. shire,

and

seems

at first to

PL.

I. fig.

illustrates this

is

occupied by a

15, is from Adel Church,fYork-

arrangement.

Now

this

column

have borne a square-edged member or sub-arch,

* Facsimile given in Eiokman's " Gothic Architecture," Seventh Edition, p. 158. + See " Churches of Yorkshire," Part VII., from which this exampleis

borrowed.

THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OP FORMATION. which projected above the impost receded below

rounded

column

it,

correspond in form and

may

This

itself.

where the jamb

exactly

and which was afterwards, in some

off so as to

Norman doorway

21

with the

in

an Early

very clearly be seen

Hauxton, near Cambridge.

at

cases,

size

by

Hence,

omitting altogether the impost or capital, the idea of continuous

moldings of

more

is

This subject, however, will be spoken

obtained.

fully in treating of capitals

and shafts generally.

Another form, which occurs frequently

Norman and Early English

periods,

coeval

p'

with, the introduction of the pointed arch.

may be

Its formation

which St.

seen in

yC/^

r

I. fig. 16,

^r

Norman arch in This member arose from

is the plan of a late

Mary's Church, Ely.

a desire to

angles of recessed arches, without either cutting

decorate the

away or rounding example from

off

the square edge,

Abbey,

Croxden

occurrence in Early Gothic is

PL.

Transition

«^

the

is

pointed bowtell, resembling, and

the

in

as

the

in

may be

expected,

annexed

Hence

Staffordshire.

and in truth

its it

very frequently found in the Transition period, though not

in the pure

member

Norman.

Yet something

often occurs in

Norman

Fig. 17 is a triple respond or

bowtells, as at a, fig. 13. pier, of very

closely resembling this

work, between two cylindrical

singular form, at Clee

and

;

use in an Early English arch at St. Benet's, Lincoln. this case the under-edge

the origin of what explained.

The

-is

is called

withdrawn

half-

19 shows

fig.

at the point,

its

In

which seems

the scroll-molding, hereafter to be

Fig. 24 shows this form

more

pointed shaft, the plan of which

at large.

may be

described as a

spherical triangle engaged at the base, is of constant occurrence in Early English work, date.

The

and

is

generally a

mark

clustered columns at Byland and

(the former circa 1190)

with the circular.

of its early

Whitby Abbeys

exhibit the pointed shaft alternating

The western porch

at

Ely

is

flanked by

;

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

22

Undoubtedly this form

clustered columns of pointed shafts.

existed earlier than, and afterwards led to, the filleted shaft and bowtell,

which are so well known by the name of the " roll-and-

As a

fillet."

general rule,

may be

it

may

stated that a shaft

take almost any form to suit the primary molding which

it

sustains on its capital, on the principle of continuous moldings

already alluded

PL.

I. figs.

to.

12 and 23, show the cylindrical and the pointed

bowtells with the addition of a small is

where both sides are

a groin-rib from Eobertsbridge Abbey,

thus

Fig. 18 is

filleted.

where the

at the

fillet is

Fig. 22

at one side.

fillet

from Tintern Abbey,

a groin-rib

And

end or central point.

25

fig.

is

an Early English arch at Little Casterton, where there are three

fillets.

PL.

Of

all

these varieties more will be said hereafter.

II. fig 1, is a pier-arch

Middle Easen.

Fig. 2

is

of very Early English date, at

a doorway at Ludborough,

jamb

chancel-arch at Langtoft, and fig/ 5 the

the south porch at Great Grimsby, first

all in

the

jamb

of a lancet

window

at the east

Abbey.

3 the

The

Lincolnshire.

PL. XVIII.

three exhibit the use of the pointed bowtell.

fig. 4, is

fig.

of the archway of

This

end of Rivaulx

one of the com-

is

monest moldings

at the angles of

Early English window-jambs.

The student adopted

here

sections,

first,

have

will already

from

perceived,

of

manner

the

drawing

that

all

the

these

moldings are formed- out of the solid Soffit

edges

plane.

block

solely

and sinking

by

removing

hollows,

must never be regarded as Nave Arcade,

New Shoreham,

(Brandon's Analysis, PI.

8,

Sussex.

Vol. II.)

crescences

on

a plane

and ex-

surface

secondly, and in consequence, that the groups lie in the planes of the

uncut blocks, the outermost

THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OE FORMATION. member touching

edge of each

The

it.

represented

original

the rectangular or chamfered

away

surface, that is, not being cut

of

so as to fall below or short

planes, or uncut

square surfaces,

are

These two

our engravings by dotted lines.

in

must be regarded as fundamental canons

facts

23

in the arrange-

ment of moldings. There are three planes in which moldings lie

will be

found to

one parallel with the outer wall, which we shall designate

;

the wall-plane soffit,

;

one at right angles to

which may be called the

or parallel with the

it,

soffit-plane

;

and the

third, the

plane formed by chamfering an edge, which was generally (not invariably) done at

chamfer-plane.

b the

an angle of about

In PL. II.

fig.

10,

soffit-plane, c the wall-plane.

forty-five degrees, or the

a

is

the chamfer-plane,

It is clear that

by sinking

hollows in any one of these surfaces, a group of moldings would

be developed.

In considering any series of moldings previously to copying them, the that

is,

first

point

down on paper the various

When

moldings were cut.

measurement, the

it

lay

planes,

to ascertain the plan of the arch, or other feature, be-

fore the

easy,

is to

rest

this is

of the process

done by accurate

becomes comparatively

and the most complex and extensive combination, which

appears at

accuracy,

first

may be

with precision.

sight impossible to copy with anything like readily disentangled, analyzed,

Without attending

and sketched

to these facts, all attempts

to do so will be futile. It

may be

.alleged, as a general rule,* that

Early English

* " In the Anglo-Norman stylo the jamb-molds were almost always worked in the wall and soffit planes and this continued to be the general arrangement throughout the Early English Gothic period, although we occasionally find the jamb molded on the chamfer-plane. During the earlier portion of the Decorated Gothic period, the wall and soffit planes still continued to be most generally used, but then in tolerably frequent connection with the chamfer-plane, which at this time was in most cases worked exactly at an angle of 45° and as the style advanced towards the ;

;

era of decided architectural debasement, the moldings shared in the pre-

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

24

on the planes rectangular; that Decorated, according to their kind, fall either on these, or on the chamfermoldings

lie

and that Perpendicular moldings almost always on the last. If some members seem to fall short of one

plane alone lie

;

plane, they will generally be found referable to

and

if

they

fall

some other;

on the segment of a circle, which is

PL.

rarely the case, as in

much more

II. fig. 15, a pier-arch at All Saints',

Stamford, the inclination must be determined by bending a ruler or piece of lead across

means uncommon

to

them.

however, by no

It is,

meet with moldings of

all

the styles in

which some of the members are withdrawn considerably below It is obvious that this is the

the plane of the others.

.

most

expensive kind of molding, because more has to be cut away

from the solid block. - The arrangement of moldings on the original block-planes styles progressed,

was

less

and

and in the

PL.

frequently entirely lost. of Early English

less rigidly

latest, or

adhered to as the

Third-pointed,

III. figs. 2

and

was

it

3, are instances

moldings not uniformly falling upon the

regular planes.

PL.

II. fig, 11, is

an example of a molding from Over, Cam-

bridgeshire, truly copied according to the above rules. is

the distorted and inaccurate form

if

an unpractised and untaught draughtsman were

to copy

PL.

it

to attempt

by the eye.

II. fig. 7, is

an Early English molding from the

of the chancel door, Cherry Hinton. fig.

Fig, 12

would probably assume

it

Fig. 8

is

interior

a pier-arch,

6 the northern doorway of the same church.

and

'Fig. 19 is a

very fine molding from the inner door of the south porch.

(The

semicircle round the central group represents the capital of the

jamb-shaft.)

Fig. 9

both from Over.

way

a doorway, and

is

fig.

These are Early Decorated.

at Madingley,

and

fig.

13 a window-jamb, Fig. 14 is a door-

16 one at Trumpington, near Cam-

vailing desire to produce a meretricious effect, without

correctness of composition."

—Brandon's Analysis,

p. 50.

any reference

to

THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FORMATION. These

bridge.

magnificent

both pure Decorated.

are

arch-mold from

Fig.

the doorway of St.

25

18

is

a

Clement's

Church, Cambridge, showing the capitals of the two jambshafts.

This

the central

but

falls

is

not an easy example to copy by the eye, for

member

on the

in each group does not extend to the angle,

line of the chamfer.

The

observation of this

circumstance immediately removes the principal

This section illustrates a very

which may be called the

common

triplicity of

difficulty.

peculiarity of its style,

Whether

moldings.

con-

structive or symbolical, or (as a writer in the English Review,

already quoted, imagines) suggested by philosophical principles of effect,

had

we need not now

its influence, since

consider, though

symbolism may have

the architects of the period seem to have

affected representations of the

mystic number three.

This

molding consists of three distinct groups, each group having three members. that there clear,

is

Occasionally each

member has

three

fillets,

a triple triplicity in the entire composition.

however, that

if

so

It is

an archway has two sub-arches, or con-

sists of three orders,

the angle of each will naturally form a

group of three

with a hollow on each side, as in

rolls

fig. 5.

Early English and Decorated moldings very often consist of three groups.

Too much

stress has frequently

theory of architectural symbolism, and

an opinion entertained by some.

been laid on the

we only mention

it

as

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

26

SECTION

III.

COPYING MOLDINGS.

The

There

are several ways of doing this.

of

by inserting the paper in a loose

all is

best and simplest

joint, or

by applying a

large sheet of paper where a stone has been removed,

and

left

the edges sufficiently clear and sharp to trace their outlines by

These methods, how-

pressure against them, or by a pencil. ever, are but

seldom available, except in ruined buildings, and

here care should be taken not to damage or destroy any portion

But many fragments

of the little that is left.

and other molded

ribs, voussoirs,

old abbey;

and these may

stones,

may

of monials, groin-

be found in every

readily be placed

upon sheets of

By

paper for the purpose of tracing their .outlines.

means alone a

these

large collection of very valuable specimens

may

be made.

Another way

is

by the use of the leaden tape.

riband of this metal, about a yard in length,

By

a coil so as to be easily portable.

A

thin flexible

may be

rolled into

being manipulated and

impressed upon the moldings to be copied, and thence carefully removed, and laid upon a sheet of paper, shape

it

has received, and

this process, however,

may be

traced off with a pencil.

First, it is clear, that if the

by

siderable space, the tape,

weight,

is

retains the exact

which requires both pains and practice

ensure tolerable accuracy, there are

come.

it

its

many

In to

difficulties to over-

molding extends over a con-

extreme pliability and great

almost unavoidably bent in transferring it to the paper,

which must be spread

flat

on the ground, or some

level surface

nearest at hand.

If this should happen, the true bearings of

the members, that

is,

confused or altogether

their relative position to each other, are lost,

and the copy

is incorrect

and worth-

;

COPYING MOLDINGS. Secondly, where the molding

less.

is

27

much

undercut, or con-

tains deep

and wide hollows with a narrow neck, the lead when

fitted into

them cannot be withdrawn.

In the

first

better to copy only eight or ten inches of the

is

once

may be them

members

or the planes in which the

;

a full-sized plan

is,

;

first

instance,

it

molding at

respectively lie (that

by measurement of the block, jamb or arch)

marked out on the paper, and the tape adjusted

in the second case,

is

it

to

advisable to carry the tape

merely over the necks of the hollows, and subsequently to deter-

mine

their breadth

and width by inserting a measure into them.

As Early English moldings are

often mutilated, from being so far

undercut that portions of the projecting members have fallen or

been broken

the lead

off,

may

frequently be manipulated into a

part which is entire, and afterwards drawn upwards or down-

wards

In

finds exit at a broken place.

till it

moss, and whitewash must

first

all cases, dirt,

be scraped clear away from the

part to be copied, or the sharp and rounded edges, the depth of the hollows,

&c, cannot

truly be ascertained.

In using the tape, the rough draught of the pencil must invariably be corrected

by

close

comparison with the original,

and every separate member should be tested as

and curvature, by the aid

jection, bearing,

of the measure.

pair of compasses with the ends bent inward

obtaining the breadth of the

segmental scale-bar, or

members

slide affixed

through the other, the width of bowtell

may be

;

and to

to size, pro-

if

is

furnished with a

one leg and passing

the neck of each

exactly marked.

A

very useful in

undercut

Sharp edges and angular

hollows cannot be closely copied with the leaden tape, so that these especially

must be supplied by the eye

;

on the whole,

though the tape has in some cases been successfully used, so clumsy that

An

it

experienced hand

and the process, There

is a

it is

can hardly be recommended to the student. is

required for

making an accurate copy

to produce such a result, is rather tedious.

process similar in its nature and results to the

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

28

use of the leaden tape, which ings are not too

much

squeezing, and

practised

is

very successful where the mold-

This

undercut.

gredients, to the part to

wax and some

copied.

By

other in-

thus

is

pouring plaster of Paris

But

and only

fit

be applied when a model

to

A beautiful

may be

the full size.

here

clumsy,

is tedious,

necessary.

little

him the Cymagraph, by which

and

No. 58.

practice;

moldings can be taken by

appendage

to the

illustrated in the Engineers'

It can be successfully used

and the most extensive and complex its aid.

that the instrument, though by no

The only disadvantages

means

large, is

are,

an inconven-

equipment of a pedestrian, and that only

about a foot's width of a molding can be taken at once

number

exactly

copied with the most perfect accuracy, and of

It is described

Architects' Journal,

with a very

is

is

difficulty is

and ingenious instrument has been invented by

Professor Willis, and called by

moldings

molding

in the case of undercutting, the

insurmountable, and the whole operation

a

a

and accurately obtained, though the convex and concave

into the matrix thus formed, the original

ient

clay, plaster, or

he copied, the form of which

surfaces are of course reversed.

and

technically called

is

hy applying wet

purposely prepared of

composition

readily

is

of separate pieces of paper

;

so that

must be pinned together

on the spot, and that with great accuracy, or the planes and bearings will be incorrect.

Geometric methods both of copying and reducing moldings are fallible libera

;

for the

manu*

members and curves were very

especially in earlier

work

;

able deviations from geometric precision

often

drawn

so that very consider-

must be expected

in

pbserving ancient examples.

Another,

and

simplest way,

for ordinary

is to

purposes

much

the best

copy by the eye alone, on a reduced

and scale,

* If not so designed by the master, they certainly were often so cut by Mr. Potter, in giving the full-sized sections of moldings from Tintern Abbey, has drawn them for the most part with the compasses, and in this case no doubt correctly. ,

the mason.

COPYING MOLDINGS. adding the measurements of each If the particular

29

they should be given in respect of wall and

PL.

II. figs. 20, 21, 22.

and

is

to give the

ings,

which

as in

PL.

The depth

may

plane

This

is rather a

is

soffit

simple and easy

Generally,

it is

when they

lie

in one plane,

an Early English Doorway at Louth.

which hollows are sunk from the surface of any

readily be added, as

By adding

planes, as in

whole breadth or width of a series of mold-

III. fig. 1,

to

I. fig. 12.

troublesome process,

apt to produce a complex diagram.

enough

PL.

face, as in

measurements of each member are required,

PL. VIII.

the measurements of

all

fig. 3.

the parts, any inaccuracy

of proportion resulting from a hasty sketch will readily be rectified,

should the molding be adopted in practical architecture.

For example,

in

PL. XVII.

fig. 3, it is

obvious that the double

groove or hollow chamfer in the centre cuts off a less portion of the projecting angle than the diagram represents line

marked 3f inches

this, as in other cases,

for the

;

nearly as long as that marked 7.

is

In

the measurement serves to correct the

drawing.

For the sake of neatness, in copying moldings,

it

is well to

adopt uniformly the plan, already pointed out, of drawing the outer wall-line parallel with the bottom of the page, and the soffit parallel

The

to the side.

practice of copying moldings

by the eye alone,

is

of the

greatest importance in acquiring a sound acquaintance with the It is indeed, as before stated, indispensable.

subject.

The eye

becomes perfectly familiar with every kind and variety by quently contemplating

made and

measurements,

way

may be made

also moldings

lie

is

in time attained,

and plainer moldings, with in two or three minutes.

which are quite out of reach

sketched very tolerably at the distance of planes in which they

fre-

collections previously

and thus a great degree of accuracy

a perfect copy of the ordinary

their this

;

new examples and

many

be carefully attended

to.

feet,

In

may

be

if

tha

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

30

Though the student should always pencil with him, he

must be

carry his sketch-book and

careful not to neglect to get full-

sized details whenever he has the opportunity, as they will tend

very

much

to correct the eye for sketching,

and frequently show

important deviations from geometric forms which are liable to be overlooked at

first sight.

These two points, the planes in which moldings

will seize the outline almost instinctively,

with a very close approximation to truth.

It

may

be remarked,

" Archi-

that in the example given by Professor Willis, in his tectural

and the

must be invariably observed,

relative proportions of the parts,

and the practised eye

lie,

from the

Nomenclature,"

Journal

Worcester, the plane line,

of is

William

of

marked by a

as in the illustrations of the pre-

sent work.

In copying the moldings of capitals,

measure the depth from the top of the abacus to the under side of the neck-

molding abacus

;

and the projection of

over

the shaft.

are easily taken

plummet

Both these

by dropping a small

string, with

(a

the

a

bullet

is

best) from the outer edge of the abacus,

and applying the It

foot rule

and

triangle.

has been observed that edges are

frequently chamfered at an angle of forty-five degrees.

as this

is

by no means invariably the

every instance

to

and

means

effective

measure

put

at its joint

it

to the test.

(PL.

be

-.

it

is

II. fig. 15),

to the paper,

One

is

by bending the

by which the angle can however small the copy

the only difficulty is in the hinge of the rule, which

will prevent it being placed close against the wall. fey

But

advisable in

There are several simple

of doing, this.

be accurately transferred

may

case,

the use of a triangle of

wood

Another

or brass, with angles of forty

COPYING MOLDINGS. five

degrees, by applying

the

31

of which

hypotenuse

to

the

chamfer the two sides will be respectively parallel to the wallplane and the soffit-plane, forty-five,

See PL. V.

but not otherwise.

plan, however, is to

at

is .fig.

an angle of

The best

12.

measure along the wall and

which may generally be easily

the chamfer

if

soffit-planes,

done very

by placing the rule against one

plane and sighting the end of line with the other, as

Where the rule

is

in

it

to a

diagram,

placed against one

plane, the end just meeting the other,

and thus

either the dimensions a b or b c

may be

obtained

;

and

the enclosed angle being a right angle, the direction of the

chamfer If,

is

obtained.

in addition, the cross

will be obtained correctly,

measurement be taken, the splay

whether the walls are at right angles

or not.

Full-sized moldings are reduced by the use

known instrument

called the Pentagraph.

require both time and

separately by

may be

means

care.

of the

the

of

well-

All other methods

Every member may be reduced compass and

scale

;

or

circles

drawn, inclosing certain portions of the copy, and re-

peated of the proportionate size in the same positions on the

reduced drawing.

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

32

SECTION

IV.

EAKLY MOLDINGS IN GENEKAL.

Having thus

far explained

general

the

methods of drawing moldings in

section, the theory

formations of moldings must now

first

and the

principles

of

considered

be

the

more

fully.

The

first

and rudest attempts

at

molding which are found in

rough and coarsely chiselled members,

this country, are the

generally semi-cylindrical, such as occur in the

chancel-arch at Wittering, Northamptonshire,

Ante-Norman

PL.

III.

fig.

10,

the balustre shafts in the tower of St. Benet's, Cambridge, and other churches of that date, to which

must be added the very

curious and antique attempt at a molded architrave on the impost of the belfry-arch at Barna:ck.

parallel to

the

This

last

example, an exact

which occurs in a doorway of

Bomanesque palace

Bavenna

;

of Theodoric at

and, indeed, the very nature

of the case would lead us to conclude that

the earliest element arose out of a desire to relieve, From Mr.

Gaily Knight's " Italian Architecture," Parti.

a plain easily

by

first

angles.

by coarse

flat surface.

irre'gular channelling,

A

square-edged rib

became a semi-cylindrical bowtell

chamfering, and then removing indefinitely the remaining

Thus,

for instance,

of a square projecting

fillet,

Norman

string-courses often consist

with the angles chamfered

as to form a semi-hexagonal projection.

PL. XVI.

Sepulchre's Church, Cambridge, affords, both in

and

pier-arches,

an excellent

illustration

its

fig.

off,

so

14, St.

groin-ribs

of the first idea of

forming rounds by removing edges, and of setting

off the parts

EARLY MOLDINGS IN GENERAL.

33

thus rounded, by sinking a small channel or furrow on each side a little below the surface.

Thus, then, a square-edged

arch with

was either worked into rounds

at

sub-arch or

its

each angle, PL. IV.

which

is

soffit-rib

fig. 1,

or into pointed rolls, as

an arch at Keymerston, Norfolk, circa 1200

edges were chamfered, others worked into

semi-Norman arch

and PL. XXI.

fig. 1.

common circa

profile in

1200

clearly

and

PL. IV.

at

figs.

Norman work

;

fig.

2,

some

or

and the sub-

rolls,

arch cut away into a broad semi-cylindrical rib, as in represents, a

;

which

fig. 4,

Barholme, Lincolnshire,

7 and

8,

are

groin-ribs of

the one from Glastonbury,

the other from Peterborough, early

Norman

:

both

satisfactorily exhibiting the formation of the

roll-

;

molding or bowtell.

The deep rounded hollow

(as contrasted

with the mere notch),

by which the contrast of light and shade was obtained, was an after-thought, which was not developed period,

when

it

was carried

to

till

the Early English

an extravagant excess, so that

roll-moldiDgs were extensively undercut or attached only by a small neck of stone

detached arches or

;

thus bearing the

effect of a series of

ribs, rising in succession

above and behind

each other, each independent and unconnected, the eye being

unable to penetrate to the depth of the dark hollow.

PL. IV.

fig. 5, is

which the

in

first

a very Early English pier-arch, at Barnack,

ap-

pearance of the deep hollows

may be

traced.

The accompanying example of a similar kind

is

engraved in p.

85 of Professor Willis's

"Canterbury," where the

the

Contrast

between

j^tffc

^j^.

From Winto .. "Canterbury," p.

Norman edge-mold

b and Transition bowtell A with side hollows

is

well shown.

D

85.

;

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

34

might appear probable that the true origin of the deep must be looked for in the wish to

It

three-quarter circular hollow

form a cutting inwards, at the point of the interior angle, corresponding to the bowtell at

the

edge or point of the

diagram and PL. VI.

exterior rectangle of the sub-arches, as in

and PL. VII.

10,

fig.

two

way,

the

may have been extended each no space was

till

left

unoccupied,

and thus a great width was covered with

'>i

minute members,

',

light,

inner hollow at the angle

alternately

hollow and prominent.

is

Edwards, so that this view

is

it

and

Still, this

work of the

first

two

hardly correct.

The roll-molding being once to multiply

dark

not very observable in the earliest

arches, but is rather characteristic of the

and

these

and

both the hollow

points

bowtells

.

From

fig. 7.

established,

it

became natural

as an ornamental feature to an unlimited extent

to prevent

sameness of

effect

many

modifications in the

forms of the projecting members were introduced, as well as considerable variety in the size and depth of the alternating

Now,

hollows. size

;

multiplication naturally implies reduction in

so that, in place of two or three heavy round moldings

placed at the angles only, and without hollows of any great depth,

we

find a

whole series of minute and

skilfully diversified

members, designed not on any exact geometric regulated by taste, caprice.

effect,

We may

and no doubt,

principle, but

to a certain extent,

by

suppose the architect to have drawn on a

board or a stone, with a free hand, the outline to be followed in working out the

hollows

;

and PL. IV.

fig.

3,

represents

such a stone, with the profile scratched or marked on face.

The

afforded exactly the

when put

its

sur-

templet, being applied to every stone to be worked,

same shape

for each, so that the pieces,

together, coincided with perfect accuracy.

Deeply recessed archways consist of several courses of molded

EAELY MOLDINGS IN GENERAL. stones, each order-,

construction, to the

back of

by the stone next

joint being overlapped

When

it.

own independent

or sub-arch, having its

and each

35

the moldings are meagre, the arch

In taking a

generally consists of a single row of voussoirs.

molding of the former kind,

it is

essential to

mark the joints

of

the different courses.

The grouping and multiplying

of

members was

greatly facili-

tated in its development by the Gothic principle of distributing

weights and thrusts under a number of different

Thus each group way

is

supports.

of arch-molding in an Early English door-

borne by a detached jamb-shaft below the impost.

In

were engaged in the wall, and at the

later times, the shafts

latest period the roll-moldings

were often continuous, but with

manner

small pseudo-capitals and bases attached after the

of

real columns.

The Norman

architects never got

cylindrical edge-roll

much beyond

and shallow hollow, similar

They paid

example from Coton.

so

much

in the fiat faces

annexed

to the

atten-

tion to surface sculpture and shallow ornamental

work

the plain

Ip

of their arches, that the

Jp

notion of alternate hollows and projections does

jj§

not appear to have been fully comprehended by Coton.

,

them,

or,

if

so,

was found

to be incompatible

with the enrichment by detail in Bas-relief.

was reserved

It

for the period of Transition to effect this.

The invention

of the pointed bowtell, contemporaneously with

the general use of the pointed arch, opened the

number origin,

of

and

members by

all

all

more

to a great

common

used with the most refined taste in varying the

most important

II. fig. 4,

way

or less referable to this

of complex Early English grouping.

far the

PL.

new forms,

and PL.

Lincoln Cathedral.

I. fig. 20, a

The

The

first

and

of these is the eoll-and-fillet,

doorway in the precinct

introduction of this

new

feature

of

may

be said to have wrought a complete revolution in the system

d 2

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

36

of molding. formations.

subsequent

It is the keynote of almost all the

may

It

be defined to be a

band

flat

set

on the

surface of a roll-molding, at

first

with a square under-edge,

as at Little Casterton, or as

PL.

I.

and

18, afterwards,

fig.

Great Shelford, Cambs.

Little Casterton, Rutland.

most commonly, with a slope or ogee curvature, as at Great.

PL.

Shelford, or as in

Abbey.

was

fillet

itself a

was

first

added to the cylindrical bowtell.

common enough

feature

and in Norman work was used

A

and in other places. annexed examples

;

a groin-rib from Tintern

what precise period, or from what,

It is not certain at

cause, the

17,

II. fig.

down from

It.

Classic times,,

in the abaci of capitals, in strings,,

certain analogy

and that from Selby

may

roll-and-fillet

An example

be traced in the

simply the ordinary

is

used as

PL.

to the roll is figured

12.

a string.

of a single side

fillet,

I. fig.

This appears to be an

acci-

dental one, being merely the unOvolo and

Sepulchre's Selby; Cambridge. String Nave.

St.

Fillet.

m

suggested the use of the

idea

of a

pointed bowtell,

(PL. IV. a

fig. 9),

fillets

surface-line

the or

more prominent

fine

cu t surface of the Wall.

first,

may be

that,

with the

Or

roll.

having been feather

it

suggested

edge was either

was throated or widened, so as effect.

Forms

of this kind have probably

As, however,

the earliest examples that this

fillet

it

will

by the cut

off

to produce-

be found in

frequently falls in a line

with the chamfer-plane, as in PL. II.

figs. 9, 15, 19,

and in

;

EAELY MOLDINGS IN GENEEAL. fig.

the north doorway at Cherry Hinton,

6,

have been

left

view which

may

it

possibly

as a standing portion of the uncut surface certainly borne out

is

The

molding.

37

by

the general analogy of

position of diagonal projection is undoubtedly

the ordinary one throughout the Early English period

the

fillet is

fig. 8,

a pier-arch from Cherry Hinton,

the end of the thirteenth century.

wanting in much

that

fact is

molding

earlier

on this theory of

One

;

Still,

so that

till

it

members

not intended to

its origin.

worthy of notice in the use of the

roll-and-fillet

would appear

to be

merely a variety of the

of a group.

For example, PL.

in

has in the

So also

and the juxtaposition of these two forms may be noticed

many

other instances.

Another plausible account of the origin of the

may

latter,

diversifying the

II. fig. 5,

central group a filleted roll between two pointed ones. ;

towards

examples are not

it is

introduced for the sake of contrasting and

8

and

commonly occurs in alternation with the pointed bowtell

it

whence

fig.

;

not often found coincident with either of the other

planes, as in

insist

a

;

be offered.

roll-and-fillet

Its occurrence in early groin-ribs cannot

escaped the notice of the observer. instances of its use

may be

have

Perhaps, indeed, the earliest

traced to the obvious propriety of

forming sharp and hard edge-lines instead of mere round

mem-

bers in positions in which, from their distance, the eye would

otherwise have an ill-defined and imperfect outline.

Again, in

mitering, or joining rolls at right angles, as well as in

them the

making

die into or spring out of plain surfaces, the addition of

fillet

presents important advantages in neatness of con-

struction.

But

all

these are mere conjectures.

The author has devoted

considerable pains and attention to the discovery of the true origin of this very important feature, but without satisfying

himself with any of the theories given above, though the

seems the most probable.

first

—

;

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

38

SECTION

V.

EARLY ENGLISH MOLDINGS.

FROM THE ACCESSION OF RICHARD

characteristics of the moldings of this style

fined as deep undercut hollows between

and repeated

hollows

a great

;

and the general arrange-

shown

in rectangular faces, as

m_™.

;

de-

filleted bowtells,

at certain intervals

depth or extent of molded surfaces

ment

may be

prominent members,

which comprise a great variety of pointed and clustered, isolated,

III.

1189 TO 1272.

A.D.

The

TO DEATH OF HENRY

I.

in

PL.

^ie ^ e

The

II. fig. 5.

seldom true

are

circles

P roJ ec ting parts, they

%'^^^K*

an(^'

fTjkw

assume a great number of capricious

|Mj

PL.

forms.

III. figs. 2

and

3,

would

alone be quite sufficient to convey to the eye

an idea of the general

method. The

first is

the belfry- arch

\at Plymouth, the second the pierarcheS in the choir ° f

Ea^English Arch, Ripen

g^

Cathedral.

were taken

E ty Cathedral.

^.^

^

^^^

graph, and are reduced to a scale of half an inch to a foot.

The annexed

section will also serve as an illustration of the

ordinary forms of Early English moldings.

-.-

Early English

W/a

llilli^

Wmit

llllllp-

^ e sa

^

moldings

may

comP r i se *ne

following

The plain bowtell or

edge-roll.

*°

'

(

/

'

p

members:

V

\

\ r~\

~

1.

4

2.

The pointed

3.

The

4.

bowtell.

roll-and-fillet.

The scroll-molding

(rare).

EARLY ENGLISH MOLDINGS. 5.

39

Angular forms, consisting of chamfered ridges and

inter-

vening projections, of irregular character.

The other forms

chiefly consist of modifications of the roll-

and- fillet, which are so capricious as almost to defy any attempt to assign

them

names and formations.

distinct

right, therefore,

It will

be

out some of the most com-

briefly to point

monly occurring varieties, leaving a more particular investigation to the student's

The is

own

exertions.

roll-and-triple-fillet

much used

(PL.

I. fig.

25

;

PL. IV.

fig. 3, a.)

more advanced buildings of

in the

the style, and was the favourite form during the reigns of the

fig.

12), each

side of

compound molding. figs. 7,

8;

ordinary

from a ridge (PL. VI.

which

naturally produces, and

PL. VII.

The

two Edwards.

first

roll-and-fillet projecting

PL. VII.

undercut by a deep hollow,

is

therefore probably

It will

PL.

5;

fig.

suggested,

be observed in PL. V.

II. figs.

18 and 19.

A

figs. 5, 6,

9;

plain bowtell

upon a short ridge

or roll very often stands forward

this

or

neck

in Transition moldings, the edges being

sharp on each side, in consequence of a slight hollow immediately below.

of

This

is

frequent occurrence even in semicir-

may be found in doorkind in many of our abbeys,

cular arches, and

ways of that

as at Fountains. ,

p.

90 of Professor Willis's " Canterbury "

the choir. a

fillet

Doorway, Fountains Abbey.

It is illustrated also in

Sometimes only one

attached (PL.

figs.

I.

Sometimes there are two

(fig.

37), pier-arches of

side has

12,

fillets,

23).

one at

the top, the other on the side, as in the cut from Ripon, and

PL. XVIII.

fig. 1.

PL. V. PL.

fig. 3,

II. figs.

and

11 and

Ripon Cathedral.

13, are varieties of very frequent occurrence.

PL. IV. fig.

12, is a form often found in labels, as

fig.

13,

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

40

both from Lincoln Minster ; the latter also illustrates the

fillet

as

Fig. 11 is the chancel doorway

it

were depressed into the

at

Ludborough, Lincolnshire, which shows some other

roll.

varieties;

in fact, the combination of the roll-and-fillet having been once

suggested, they seem to have been

utmost

PL.

Fig. 15 is a groin-rib from Furness Abbey.

licence.

4 and

III. figs.

Abbey ; 5 and 6

Robertsbridge

groin-ribs from

are

are fragments from Tintern

and

St.

Mary's

from Histon, near Cambridge.

The members plane, as in style.

7,

Fig. 9 is the arch-mold of a double piscina with

Abbey, York. its capital

used together with the

PL.

in

PL. IV.

III. fig. 1,

Three pointed

rolls

fig.

11, fall wholly on the chamfer-

which

is

seldom the case in this

placed together, somewhat in the

form of a fleur-de-lis,* form a combination of very frequent occurrence.

It

may often be found between

of large doorways, as at Peterborough

any position, with many minor fig.

21, and

PL.

II. fig. 5, are

the detached shafts

and Ely, and indeed

examples.

in

PL. IV.

varieties of shape.

In some cases

it

closely approaches the character of the roll-and-triple-fillet, as

PL. V.

fig. 6,

the beautiful Decorated window-jamb at North-

borough, Northamptonshire.

In Decorated work the fillet became extremely broad, PL. IV. 19, often as

fig.

case

it

may be

much

as three, or even four inches.

clustered piers, where

it

very often occurs, as in those to the

east of the octagon at Ely.

But

always a narrow edge-line.

in Early English

If set square

generally a sign of early work. * There lis

is

In this

said to lose its original character, especially in

sometimes so

close a

in this complex molding, that

it is

on the

almost

roll, it is

See the outline diagrams in

resemblance to the head of a fleur-deit is difficult to disconnect the idea of

the one from the other. An example is given, Potter's Monastic Remains, Tintern Abbey,

in PL. XIII. of work, we may here observe, which is quite invaluable in showing the curves and geometric formations of early moldings, and which every lover of Gothic architecture ought to possess. It contains an immense number of moldings full size,

—a

of the finest era

and the

richest design.

;

EARLY ENGLISH MOLDINGS. PL. IV. fig.

41

The depressed %and elongated forms on each

11 are principally found in later buildings, the

side of first

in

been before stated that a great degree of licence

is

Decorated, the latter in perpendicular. It has

observable in the forms of Early English roll-and-fillet moldings, in respect of size, shape,

and composition, and that geo-

metric accuracy was avoided in a rather remarkable manner the irregular shape, and the freely undulating curve, having

been commonly preferred.

Almost every conceivable modifica-

tion of the plain roll, peaked, depressed, elliptical, grooved at

the end, might be found and catalogued by a careful observer.

An

important form, generally considered distinctive of Deco-

rated,

but not very

work,*

is

uncommon

the sceoll-molding

;

advanced Early English

in

so called from its resemblance

to a roll of thick paper, the outer edge of

the side exposed to view. the under half of which the upper.

may be

It

is

which overlaps upon

described as a cylinder,

withdrawn, or shifted a

little

behind

It is almost universally used in the abacus

and

neck of Decorated capitals, and very often in strings and basemoldings. It is certain that this

form was known and in use even in the

pure lancet architecture of 1200-1240. St. Benet's, Lincoln, is a

It

I.

fig.

It is represented in at Yaxley,

PL. IV.

fig.

Hunts, and in

arcade in Lincoln Minster.

19, from

also occurs, per-

an accidental or undeveloped form, in PL.

haps in

way

proof of this.

PL.

II. fig. 3.

14, an Early Decorated door-

figs.

Here

11 and 16, is

—the

latter

an

seen the unusual com-

bination of the scroll-molding and the

side-fillet.

PL. VII.

* It occurs, for example, in the moldings of the very elaborate triplet at the east

PL. VIII.

end of Castle Eising Church, PL. XVIII. fig. 6, engraved in Mr. Bowman's account of that church in his Specimens of

of

Ecclesiastical Architecture.

marks

The presence

of the scroll-molding in

any

approach towards the Geometric age. See PL. XVII. fig. 6, which, together with the contiguous sections, figs. 4 and 9, represent the jambs of the immense Early Decorated and Geometric windows in the south aisle of Grantham Church. elaborate group

its

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

42

Fig. 7, the rich and

a fragment from Rivaulx Abbey.

fig. 5, is

beautifully

molded doorway at Northborough,

circa a.d. 1270,

exhibits the scroll form on the interior order.

Antiquaries are not agreed as to the origin of this molding.

may

It left

perhaps be regarded as a

uncut, either because

capitals, or afforded a

ings, line

where

it

more

roll-and-fillet

with one side

was removed from

sight, as in

effective drip in strings

and weather-

it

The shadowed edge-

most constantly occurs.

was presented by the scroll-molding as well as by the

and-fillet

;

and the principles of

roll-

which suggested both

effect

Ik. Ha Roche Abbey,

Byland.

forms are probably identical.

But

it is

was derived from the pointed bowtell.

more probable that

may be

It

it

traced from

one form to the other through such gradual changes, as to leave but

little

The

doubt on the subject.

earliest pointed bowtell

was simply the new form of the pointed arch used as a

molding

(as at

Roche

and Byland), but

this

was soon modified by having a slight sinkBarnwell, Cambridge.

Ely.

ing close to the edge, so as to

make

it

Barnwell and Ely.

a

little

sharper, as in these examples from

This form has been called the keel molding,

from

its likeness to

the section of a ship show-

ing the form of the keel.

When

with more deeply cut moldings Rivauix.

isolated, with a long

neck

the combination of the two forms, we find

it

;

it

worked in

stood more

and, probably from occasionally turning

EAKLY ENGLISH MOLDINGS PL. XVIII.

the edge to one side, as in

and in this case

;

it

and 10, from

1

figs.

which we immediately obtain the form in regular scroll-molding

43

fig.

6,

which

a

is

be observed that

will

pairs off with a pointed bowtell.

it

The annexed examples,

from

also,

Mary's Abbey, York,

St.

and Tintern Abbey, show

how

closely allied the

two

Jj|

<Wm

forms are; and those in

^^^^^^^k

the choir arches of Ei-

\

P.

\aulx Abbey are an early

|

example, in a position in

llllL

'

Hr'

:

^mBi

7;2*|

might naturally J be °

r

§ JSt>

Hil

which the pointed bowtell

>

'

f.

_ Jt* St. Mary s, York. ,

,

Tintern.

expected.

Though the under edge rounded, of

it is

frequently to be found cut square where sharpness

shadow was desired

criterion of date, as

at

of the scroll-molding is usually

but this can hardly be considered as a

;

is to

it

be found both in early work, as

Warmington, Northants, and down

fourteenth

century,

as

at

Elsworth, near Cambridge.

The

scroll-edge

times,

though

is

jjlf

some-

rarely,

to the middle of the

2

in-

IS jj|

J|jj|

with-

i|»

^ll

placed

Jm

|j|

uppermost, as in some of

**

that

verted,

so

drawn

surface

the is

the bases at Tintern Abbey

(PL. XIV.

fig.

/

™™

Ilk

™^

Wm

Warmington,

St. Michael's,

Northants.

Cambridge.

rolls-and-fillets

conjoined

Elsworth, Cambridge.

33).

Two |||L

^mm--

^Ujimli'

.

bases, so

that their respective

right angles

double-ogee, anciently

to

each

called,*

* Professor "Willis says this molding

other,

—one

is

of

are at

constitute

the

as

was

double-ressant,

or

their

at

fillets

the

it

commonest

sometimes called a brace, from

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

44

It

moldings of the Decorated and Perpendicular styles. rare in Early English,

and

rather than

when

fig.

intention

PL. VII.

12.

it

does occur,

fig.

hear the two moldings fig. 6, is

shafts

a decorated

The

the same

common arrangement PL. V.

figs.

capitals

which

molding of

sufficiently

common

archway at Trumpington), where the

which carry the capitals are

And

PL. IV.

in

question are marked in outline.

in

occurrence (as in the belfry

double-ogee.

as

1, is the west doorway of Llandaff

Cathedral, of pure Early English detail.

PL. IV.

is

apparently the result of accident

set together so as to

may be

form the

constantly observed in the

of Early English and Decorated piers,

See also PL. II.

14 and 15.

fig.

17.

Early English arch-moldings are so easy to distinguish

from

all

others, that

it

is

not necessary either to say more in

explanation of their peculiarities, or to give a great

They

of examples.

are by far the

most

number

difficult of all to

copy

with exactness, from the irregular and capricious forms of the curves and undercuttings feet across, renders it

of the rich

;

and their great

extent, often

many

an extremely tedious process to draw any

and complex examples on a reduced

scale.

The

numerous deep and dark hollows constitute the most characteristic difference

between the moldings of this and those of the

succeeding style, in which most of the forms already enumerated will be

But the extravagant

found to recur.

cavernous undercutting

is

lost

display of deep

We

in Decorated moldings.

there find a hollow of three-quarters of a circle, accurately

formed with the compasses, in the angle of every receding subarch, as in

Norfolk;

Deopham

PL. VI.

;

fig.

12,

and PL. XVII. these hollows its

fig.

2,

the west doorway at

11, the inner doorway of the south

fig.

Hingham, porch at

the same from Benington, Lincolnshire

fig. 3,

must be

from Bottisham, Cambridgeshire.

;

And

particularly observed as the real division,

resemblance to a printer's bracket

r-*-N.

("History of Winchester

Cathedral," p. 60, Proceedings of the Archseological Institute, 1845.)

EARLY ENGLISH MOLDINGS. of the orders of moldings when they

The Decorated hollows English

and there

;

all lie

45

on the chamfer-plane.

are usually of larger size than the Early

is this

general difference in their use, that

in the Decorated they divide groups, in the Early English individual members.

The

exquisite

skill,

and patient labour invariably

taste,

evinced in the working of Early English moldings, are truly

The ingenuity

admirable.

that was never at a loss in any

and the minute-

difficulty of finish or constructive irregularity,

ness with which even the most concealed and darkened parts

were executed, are circumstances of

much

and show a

interest,

love for the art above the sordid considerations of cost.

The deepest hollows are

as the

most prominent and conspicuous

village

church as

But

much

all

minimum

as cleanly and perfectly cut details

;

and in the

so as in the most glorious cathedral.

there was evidently a feeling that the designs had

become

weakened by the use of a large number of small members of

much

the same size massed together so

readily distinguish the different groups,

that the eye did not

and

in correcting this

tendency the Decorated moldings were developed.

Early English doorway

however It is

little it

may

most pleasing

is

often

a

of art,

attract the attention of ordinary observers.

to

notice the

long

trails

of

dog-tooth

lurking in the dark furrow of a label or chancelled recess see the end of

some inconvenient member got

a flower across the point

the wall

;

to

an

Still,

wonderful piece

where

it

rid of

;

to

by throwing

suddenly stops or dies into

admire the floriated boss and the foliaged capital

intruding their luxuriance upon the moldings and hollows, as if

they had overgrown their original and proper limits.

beautifully, too, the knots of pierced like

some

petrified garland or

and hanging leaves extend

bower of

filigree

work round the

arch, dividing the plainer moldings into groups,

imparting

life

and vegetation

abundance of doorways of

How

to the very stones

this style

!

and almost There are

which exhibit the most

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

46

delightful varieties in their forms

and groupings

Some examples

never, the same.

occur at Bolton and Furness

Abbeys, whose arch-moldings extend

The west

five or six feet in width.'

English

fronts of several .of our cathedrals have Early

The entrance doorway of

doorways of amazing magnificence.

House

the Chapter

molding of this

at Lichfield is a very fine

example of the

But almost every cathedral and every

style.

ruined abbey will supply good specimens, so that Plate XVIII.

useless to multiply illustrations.

doorway in the

cloisters

Peterborough

at

immediately opposite, in the south scale of half

an inch to one

at Bivaulx Abbey.

Kising Church;*

Fig. 6

fig.

9

it

Fig. 5

is

a

both on a

aisle of the nave,

foot.

is

3,

a doorway

fig. 2,

;

would be

fig.

a ruined doorway

from the east window of Castle

is

from Beaulieu Abbey, t the southern

fig. 7,

triplet of the Eefectory

Ripon Minster;

yet

always,

;

fig. 8,

;

is

an arch-mold from the choir of

borrowed from Brandon's " Analysis of

Gothic Architecture."

These

latter

examples

ing the tooth ornament

(6, 7,

show the method of

10)

insert-

Many

in, or rather across, hollows.

of

the more elaborate groups of Early English

moldings contain several successive

trails

of

this decoration, often of different sizes, shape

and planes of

projection.

west doorway at

Binham

curious variety of

hollows

In the very beautiful

the

Priory, Norfolk, a

dog-tooth

of such depth, that the eye

\\\/^j§

fathom the point of attachment.

i/^jilfjJ!

molding

f^plll||

Norman

is

by cutting

in

cannot

The

an evident development

nail-head

set

is

tooth the

of

incisions

on

|

each

side,

as the

accompanying

illustration

Dog-tooth.

shows. * This

10 from the same, are taken from Mr. PL. VIII. Weale's Quarterly Papers, Vol. II. PL. II.

and

fig.

trations of that church,

t

From

Bowman's

illus-

DECORATED MOLDINGS.

SECTION

47

VI.

DECORATED MOLDINGS. DURING THE REIGNS OF THE FIRST THREE EDWARDS, 1272-1377.

The

student will bear in mind that the details of Decorated

moldings are in great measure identical with those of the preceding

style,

with the addition of some new members, and

And

several important modifications of grouping.

found to produce an entirely different

will be

description the distinction

must be

may

appear very

the latter

though in

effect,

The eye

trifling.

familiarized to the profile and general appearance of

moldings of different dates, so that, without dismembering, and, as

it

analyzing the group, of examining the separate

were,

details,

it

may

discern at a glance the style

example belongs.

And

this

may

to

which any

be done with a considerable

degree of certainty by practice and attention; though

it

can

hardly be asserted that all the differences of style admit of being

reduced to unvarying and infallible rules. are

met with

of

much

earlier or later date

Sometimes moldings than we should have

expected from other characteristic marks in the building

;

and

there are not a few instances in which, without the aid of such

marks,

it

would be impossible

to say

whether a molding

the fourteenth or the fifteenth century.

In

is

quite

of

fact, this science

does not appear capable of more than general

though there

is

enough of uniform system

treatment

;

to enable us to

apprehend the broad distinctive principles which obtained in the different periods.

Generally, then,

much

may be projecting mem-

greater geometrical precision

observed in drawing both the hollows and the

bers than prevailed in the preceding style, and the size of the

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

48

members

somewhat

is

Segments

larger.

of

both

circles,

much used, and there was a softness

concave and convex, were

of blending, a delicacy and gentleness of grouping, an avoid-

ance of strong and violent contrasts of light and shade, which

imparted a more pleasing, though

much

less striking, effect.

Early English arch-moldings have sometimes a monotonous effect,

which

but imperfectly remedied by the free use of

is

and

quaint, irregular,

that frequently the

is, first,

numerous members do not vary materially in

.

The reason

members.

fanciful

size

;

stands

and, secondly, that each

between two deep hollows, so that tbe entire

WgUm,

group looks like a mere alternation of dark

I

and

light, repeated

with

little

change several

\

Ww§ Decorated

Jill

times over.

the composition of Deco-

For

rated moldings is essentially different.

roii-and-fiiiet.

not only do the

Now

members vary

in size, but also in kind

;

the

deep hollows are principally confined to the inner angles, and there

is

no extravagant

The

parts.

as possible, as in

enough

is

PL. XVII.

formed with as figs. 2, 3, 9,

undercutting

little

10

:

in fact, only just

hollowed away at the sides to develop the outline.

In the Geometric-Decorated age (that first

and unimportant

isolation of small

roll-and-fillet is

two Edwards), the

is,

in the reign of the

moldings of arches and jambs

very slightly from those of pure Early English

;

so

differ

slightly,

indeed, that they cannot alone be taken as decisive of this or that date.

It

was not until the Flowing- Decorated era

(that is,

during the reign of Edward III.), that these moldings took the characteristic turn roll-and-fillet,

and

which brought about the surrender of the its

many

varieties, for the ogees,

bowtells,

and wide shallow casements of the Perpendicular period. Rich Decorated moldings are of rather rare occurrence. great

many

A

of the finest buildings in this style scarcely afford

as good examples of molding as small and

the Early English age.

humble churches of

Very often plain chamfers are used in

— DECORATED MOLDINGS. all

the windows, doorways, and pier-arches

such as bases, capitals,

for the best

arches, doorways,

(PL.

I. fig.

while minor parts,

sedilia, sepulchral recesses,

have fine and elaborate details.

we must look

;

49

It is in this

and the

like,

kind of work that

moldings in the Decorated

In

style.

and windows, the plain chamfer of two orders

5) is

Windows

perhaps most commonly found.

especially are often singularly

ever rich their tracery

may

meagre in

be.

their moldings,

how-

The monials stand near the

outer surface of the wall, and separated from or recessed behind it

PL.

only by a single order with a plain or hollow chamfer, as

VII.

figs.

20 and 21.

Frequently, indeed, the tracery of good

Decorated windows stands quite flush with the wall, so that the

jamb-moldings

are, as it were, entirely

omitted.*

And

again,

the monials and tracery often consist of merely chamfered planes,

without any edge-lines to relieve them; and the east window

Trumpington,

at

fig.

PL. VII.

so,

19, a window at

fig.

20,

Hingham,

Norfolk, is one degree richer than this, two orders being intro-

duced in the monial, though of equally plain character.

There appear to be three moldings

may

distinct kinds to

generally be referred

examples

which

it

might be

difficult

to

assign to any one of

them. 1.

These are

The

plain,

:

;

which Decorated

though there are many

m

a

><,:

the

sunk and the hollow chamfer of two or more orders, which, properly

speaking, form only a step

preparatory

to

molding, and stopping short of that ulterior process. * In the churches of Norfolk and Suffolk this is the rule, exception, from the scarcity of stone in those parts.

and not the i

E

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

50 2.

moldings,

Koll-and-fillet

with

each

between

hollows

member,. nearly resembling, in principle and arrangement, the Early English method, as in diagrams PL. V. fig. 12 a door-

—

way

and PL. XVII.

at Attleborough, Norfolk,

3.

A

figs. 4, 6, 8.

succession of double ogees, divided by hollows of three-

quarters of a circle, as figs. .

^Bllfe

in kind,

^%?v.-,

i

9,

bined, as in

fig.

c

— the

it

any other position than

seems proper

to regard

the plain chamfered edges of class their flat sists

and naked form.

described

same members

we have observed, other

in

words thus

:

as virtually

from

—" A

in each order,

of the chamfer

varieties

Thus PL. VI.

are sometimes intermixed.

them

slightly relieved

1,

Their distinctive peculiarity con-

in the repetition of the

though, as

in

Deopham.

belfry-arch at

as they rarely occupy

the chamfer-plane,

common moldings

unusual to find these two varieties com-

PL. VII.

And

Norfolk.

16, is similar

and both of these are

exceedingly It is not

this style.

fig.

PL. VI.

The wave

12, 14.

molding, PL. II.

''[

-I

11,

fig.

11,

might be

order between

double-ogee

two hollow chamfer orders, divided by three-quarter hollows all

lying in the

chamfer-plane of 43°

;

total

;

width across,

twenty-three inches."

The

plain or

hollow chamfer

jambs and archways

is

extremely

common

in all

(especially if they be continuous, or

no imposts or jamb-shafts), in the Early Decorated

style.

have

The

inner angle which divides the orders (and which has been called

the re-entering angle),

is either left solid, or

three-quarter hollow.

Of

duces a very bold and good

cut into a deep

this latter arrangement, effect, it

might be

which pro-

difficult to

name

a better example than the west doorway of St. Mary's, Ely.

Here the chamfers are hollow,

or quarter-circles.

cases there are often trails of ball-flowers, roses, or other

In such

quatrefoil paterae,

ornamental leaf-work disposed at regular inter-

;

DECORATED MOLDINGS. vals,

and repeated in rows in two or more of the chamfers.

See PL. VI.

2

fig.

PL. VII.

;

The second kind style

51

;

and

is

it

The members

10.

fig.

but not always, early in the

is generally,

perhaps the most perfect and beautiful of

in this case usually fall in squares (that

all.

on

is,

the wall-planes and soffit-planes in succession), as in the west

Trumpington Church, PL. VII.

PL. XVII.

doorway

at

fig. 3, is

from the south porch of Bottisham Church, near Cam-

bridge.

Fig. 5 is from a doorway at Lang-

ham, Eutland,

of the Geometric age.

fig. 3.

Fig. 8

,£/h

from the beautiful Decoi-ated archway of

is

the south porch at Over, Cambridgeshire. Fig. 10

a window-jamb, from

is

,

,

Grantham

Sometimes moldings of

Church.

H/

"wll

this class

window-jamb, over,

are combined with those of the third, as

PL. V. XVII.

11, the priest's door at

fig.

fig." 7,

a doorway

Hingham, Norfolk

at Burfield, Suffolk;

PL. XX.

the chancel door at Willingham, near Cambridge fig. 1,

a

monument

at Boston.

PL. VII.

PL.

;

fig.

17,

and PL. V.

;

figs. 7, 8,

12, are all

of this second kind.

There

is,

however, a perceptible difference in the shape of the

Early English and the Decorated

roll-and-fillet.

style the fillet "is broader, not set square

and the neck single

is

on the

In the

wider from the hollows between the

members, being

less deeply undercut.

later

roll, .

dtjyjjk

The

capricious and irregular forms of the earlier style are

no longer found; the

ranged upon rectangular

member

"of

roll-and-triple-fillet,

lines,

is

ar-

generally one

the group, and the gently bulging ogee

e 00 ate d

fl

many informs a member of very monument in the choir

curvature predominates throughout. stances the roll-and-fillet as

PL. XX.

fig.

15,

a

Je t

F

1

In

large size,

of Bolton

Abbey.

While moldings of the second kind are generally borne by b 2

— MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

52

jamb-shafts, as in the Early English style (though in,

and not detached from, the

third are almost always

wall), those

now engaged and

of the first

continuous,* except in pier-arches,

where they constantly occur, in which case they are stopped by Thus, PL. VII.

the capitals.

ington

PL. VI.

;

fig. 3,

fig.

deep and rich

one

member

PL. VI.

fig.

It is not

uncommon

to find

one order of different size from the others.

fillets

It

Deco-

particularly observed that in the third class of

(i.e.,

series

12, gives a very

double ogee considerably larger than the

rated moldings the

hollows

doorway.

effect to a

of a

other, or those of

must be

Sometimes a

one at Hingham.

of four or five of these together, as

Trump-

4, is a pier-arch at

on each side of the three-quarter

the untouched portions of the rectangular nook)

almost invariably stand at right angles with each other, the principle of which is

shown

at Attleborough, Norfolk.

are

at

PL. V.

Exceptions, such as PL. VII.

seldom found in ancient moldings.

PL. V.

observe on

fig. 3,

that

if

angle are equal, the chamfer-plane that

is, it

forms an angle of 45°.

angle of the chamfer-plane sides of the central nook.

the west doorway

fig. 3,

is

We may

fig. a,

further

the sides of the re-entering the diagonal of a square,

is

So, in

PL. VII.

fig. 2,

the

by measuring the two

ascertained

Sometimes the group appears to

have been designed on the principle of a series of squares, as seen in

PL. XVII.

fig. 3.

Moldings are either simple or compound. is

a plain single form, complete in

quarter round.

two or more

A

itself,

compound molding

A

simple molding

as a bowtell or threeis

either

composed of

distinct parts, as a roll-and-fillet, a double ogee

involves a profile of reflex or double curvature.

the character of the ogee

itself,

which

is

This

is

;

or

properly

formed by a segmental

inward curve conjoined continuously with a similar outward * In doorways the moldings borne by the jamb-shafts always lie on the rectangular planes, those which are continuous on the chamfer-planes. " Analysis of Gothic Architecture," p. 68.

DECORATED MOLDINGS. curve.

Of the same kind

Decorated form, which

wave-molding, from represented in is

a very important and universal

is

may be

called the

compound

ogee, or the

gently undulating outline.*

its

PL. VII.

53

figs, c, 9, 17, 18, 19,

It

and elsewhere.

composed of two ogee curvatures, forming a central

is

It

,._

|_

bulge or entasis, sometimes projecting forward beyond the edges, but usually in the same plane with them. Scarcely any

method of molding is and

characteristic of, this style,

Decorated, to which era

its

so

common in, or so

especially of the Flowing, or later

use was principally confined.

quently occurs with a hollow between, as PL. VII.

fig.

It fre-

17.

The

formation of this detail

may

be traced either to

Tib

the

ordinary

Sll

edge-roll

being simply somewhat

\M

Edge-roll.

Triply filleted

roll.

less undercut, or to the

half of a triply filleted

Halt roll-andfillet.

roll,

PL. IV.

fig.

10, the other half being

considered as undeveloped, or merged in the block

;

or to the

insertion of a quarter- shaft into a rectangular nook, the edges at

the points of junction being rounded instead of sharp and abrupt.

The

latter is not

improbable on the analogy of the earlier and

later (that is, the square

and rounded) forms of the roll-and-

Indeed, the form

fillet.

panying outline

and

is

bourhood of Oxford,"

sometimes found.

It occurs in

represented in the " Guide to the Neighp. 333,

PL. XXIV.

of Potter's

" Buildwas

Abbey"

There

accom-

in the

the sedilia at Elsworth Church, near Cambridge,

\~]

(Early

is

shown

from Garsington Church

;

and in

English). are

modifications

several

of

it;

Varieties of

* Professor "Willis calls this the stuelled

the term ivave to the ogee.

wave .molding

.

chamfer. Inigo Jones applied See "Architectural Nomenclature," § 16.

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

54

the edges

small width of

PL. V.

as

Church,

fig.

PL. VII.

either sharp, as

are

the chamfer-plane

11

;

PL. XX.

fig. 1,

In

Cambridgeshire.

side,

a doorway from Landbeach

the concaves

case

this

Decorated, the latter in Perpendicular.

common

on each

uncut

left

The former

sometimes slightly undercut.

17, or there is a

fig.

It

are

most common in

is

much more

so

is

in Decorated work, that its occurrence

may,

in default

of other proofs, be taken as a presumptive evidence of the style.

and shallower in early than

It is also wider

the side hollows are less deep, and

is,

in late

Sometimes, indeed, the wavy line

bulging.*

find nothing

between two raised lowest order of

fig.

It is not of

specimen

is

VII.

PL. VII.

very

as to

fig.

may be termed common occurrence

fig. a.

surface

flat

b,

the

This

8.

chamfer.

more than a

See PL.

edges.

that

;

is so faint

be scarcely different from the plain chamfer, as

And sometimes we

work

the central entasis less

;

sunk

and the sunken

a very good

engraved in the " Oxford Guide," p. 281, from

Headington Church. Another variety

PL. XX. bridge.

fig. 2,

is

shown

in

PL. VII.

figs. 13, 16,

This appears to

angle, instead of scooping out in an ogee curve, one

member.

23, and

Quy Church, near Camhave arisen from cutting down to an

a window-jamb from

It is generally a

mark

of

end of the

Transition to Perpen-

dicular.

A rare

form

is

exhibited in

a double wave-molding. to

an angle

(as

be the result.

shown

By

in the

PL. V.

fig.

16.

It

may be called

cutting the central hollow

down

shaded part), a double ogee would

This molding occurs in the Decorated belfry-

arch at Stretham, Isle of Ely, and in the east window of the

south aisle at Bottisham, Cambridgeshire, PL. XIX. *

The formation

is

shown

in

PL. XIX.

figs.

1

and

2.

fig. 3.

It will be seen

that the early form involves the equilateral, the later the obtuse triangle. It is clear from PL. XIX. fig. 5, that this form was not unknown in Early English architecture. It also occurs, in the form approximating to the outline diagram in p. 50, in an archway at Croxden Abbey, circa 1240.

DECORATED MOLDINGS.

A plain

55

bowtell, or a roll-and-fillet, between two wave-mold-

PL. XVII.

ings, is found in Decorated work.

the north porch of Bottisham Church, Cambridgeshire

from the outer archway of the south porch

same church.

inner) of the

within, or short

of,

In

fig. 2,

from

fig. 2, is

fig. 1,

;

3 being the

(fig.

the rolls-and-fillets

fall

the rectangular plane, because they would

otherwise have been too large.

The ogee molding difficult to

form

is a

explain fully in

its

so

origin

and varied

relations, that

almost impossible to do more than point out

it is

and leading curve

is so

In respect of

characteristics.

it

its

general the ogee

its origin,

prevalent in the Classic styles, that

be supposed

and so

extensively used,

might

it

easily

was thence imported into the Gothic, were there

not abundant opportunities of self-development presented by It is believed that the ogee

the varieties of the roll-and-fillet. scarcely, if ever, occurs in least,

whatever

other countries. style

may be

Norman

Its occasional appearance in the

mind the

its

it is

always suggests to

it

idea of one side of a roll-and-fillet

much

very

whenever

It should be especially noted that

convex portion being

In

Early English

has been already mentioned, where, however,

sparingly used.

;

the

larger than the concave.

most ordinary position

a window-jamb,

in

it

^

actually corresponds to a perfect roll-and-fillet in the

monial, as

PL. VII.

10, 11

figs. 9,

;

and here it must, of course,

be regarded literally as half of that member. the quirked ogee (see

PL. XVI. in

identical

(fig.

seems extremely

it

so

fig. 2),

difficult

Since, however,

common

form with this

edifices,, is

3),

part

to decide

in Classic

of a

monial

how

far the

form was introduced from' this or that suggestion. this latter case, the earliest

the

large

trace

its

gradual

But

in

forms would be found of Classic

concave portion,

character with actually

at

the case in the Komanesque edifices in

the ogee occurs in Decorated moldings, the

England

architecture, in

formation

whereas

from

the

we can roll-and-

— .

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

56

having

fillet,

at

the

first

roll

portion,

predominant

the

and the hollow gradually gaining in importance in later work so that

would not perhaps be saying too much

it

to

;

vindicate

Gothic architecture the self-development of the ogee, rather

for

than refer

The

it

to an imitation of uncongenial Classic details.

following, therefore, are the principal forms found in

Decorated moldings

:

1.

The

2.

Roll-and-triple-fillet.

roll-and-fillet.

Rife

/

ti^k.

gjj

jflnP

•

m

<mm

5^m

«jj

& _ ^m^W

4.

Ogee and

5.

Double ogee, or double

fillet.

:

^

l*^

I

;

ressant.

Vi

I

8

'

6

molding,

Scro11

-

or

ressant lorymer. 7.

Wave-molding, or swelled chamfer.

8.

Plain or hollow chamfer.

9.

Sunken chamfer, PL. VII.

It is difficult to give a fig.

16,

and perhaps

name

fig. b.

to the

form shown in PL. VII.

not of sufficiently frequent occurrence

it is

term desirable.

to render a particular

Other minor varieties might be added of forms which are

Sometimes a semicircle

principally found in Decorated work.

sunk

way

in the chamfer-plane is found, as

at

Deopham, Norfolk

;

PL. VII.

Rivaulx Abbey; and PL. VI.

Hardingham, Norfolk

ham.

So also PL. V.

fig.

and PL. V.

;

fig. 2.

bowtell, or

Perpendicular. date, at

14, a

work;

PL. VII.

fig.

a door-

archway at

window

at

Hing-

This detail is the most usual

1360—80.

three-quarter round,

sparingly, in Decorated

fig. 6,

14, a fragment from

13, a very fine fig.

in Transition to Perpendicular, circa

The

PL. VI.

fig.

it

is

used, but rather

was extremely common in

18, is a doorway of Transition

Swanton Morley, Norfolk, in which the bowtell occupy-

ing the centre forms an engaged shaft.

When

this is the case,

DECORATED MOLDINGS the

fillet

But the

is

57

seldom wanting, except in very advanced work.

PL. V.

plain roll appears in

Sometimes the bowtell

are late in the style.*

position with the sunken semicircle, as in

In PL. VII.

fig. 6,

1,3,

figs.

a

window

at

5, all of

seen in juxta-

is

PL. V.

Fen Stanton,

which

figs. 1, 4, 5.

a small tongue-

shaped member projects from the inner side of the principal roll-and-fillet.

This should be noticed as a very characteristic

Decorated moldings of the second

detail of

See also PL. XVII.

example belongs. extremely fig.

48.

fig.

14.

common

A

fig. 5.

in labels and capitals

is

which this

class, to

shown

combination in

PL. XVI.

This occurs also in jambs and arches, as PL.

PL. V.

fig. 1,

and PL. VI.

show the method

14, 15,

figs.

of principal and secondary monials.

The moldings

course, coincident in every part of the tracery in the corresponding parts or planes of the

shortness' sake, architects generally in these examples,

merged

II.

are, of

and monials, and

jamb ;

so that, for

draw double monials, as

Thus the outer

into one another.

edge represents the actual profile of the jamb, which, as being

may

of course be also taken to represent

one side of the monials.

In drawing the section of a window-

identical in detail,

jamb, the monial-members

may

parallel with the wall-plane.

of the east

part of a

window

window

at

be represented by lines across,

PL. V. fig.' 9, PL. VI.

Heckington

;

in the chancel at Boston

;

is .the fig.

inner jamb

14, the

PL. VI.

fig.

same 15, is

from Stoke Golding, Leicestershire.

When

a

window has primary and secondary monials,

it

is

obvious that they carry distinct planes or orders of moldings.

Yet these orders are not always of the same nature as those we have before described as such

—namely, the group

constituting the separate sub-arches

;

of

members

for the face of the smaller

* All the examples in PL. V. are Late Decorated. The occurrence of the small three-quarter round, as in figs. 1, 3, 4, 5, is a sure indication of approach to Perpendicular.

;

-MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

58

monial often

falls

within or behind that of the larger only by a

member

single retiring step, or fig.

combined carry (properly speaking)

14, both the monials

the same order, but different

The plane

in

members

of

it.

which the outer moldings of the jamb

seldom coincident, as in the

members

the monial

Thus, in PL. VI.

of a group.

is

lie

last example, with that on which

are arranged, for this

would in most cases

give too great thickness to the monials themselves, the slope or inclination of

which must of course be the same on both

The

sides of each aperture or light. is

sometimes very

slight,

bat this point must be See PL.

attended to in copying moldings.

PL. XX.

difference of inclination

flat

edge or

molding

is

fillet

round,

cill.

Perpendicular windows

;

King's College Chapel,

it

Many

some

but in

;

carried all

bases resting on the

and

This roll-tracery

is

very

stilted bases in the

1

',

JJ y

in

end of

jamb.

Decorated windows have shafts in the jambs and

This produces a very

ally

M

roll-

small

common

at the west

fine

'

generally

furnished with

and sometimes, as has small

is

examples a

early is

monials both internally and externally.

<

5

fig.

fig. 8.

In Decorated windows the face of the monials a

carefully

VIII.

effect,

especi-

when the

mary monials

!i

pri-

carry

j

a triple, the second-

,

'
-

/

W

ary a single shaft.

In these cases the moldings

l

tracery

^^'IjIf

of

the

follow the

<

t

Sleaford.

Wells Cathedral.

*'

common law of pier,

arches and shafted

doorways, capitals.

that

is,

they are different in section above the

Ordinary windows, on the other hand, follow the

principle of continuous archways.

DECORATED MOLDINGS. The

interior arch, or

metric windows

is

Early English and Geo-

rear-rib, of

generally borne by a shaft,* except in very

plain and inexpensive buildings.

Shafts, in

essential part in the composition of the

in these styles.

59

The

aisles

form a very

fact,

more

elaborate, windows

and clerestory in the nave of

St.

Alban's Abbey, and the south choir-aisle of St. Mary's Church, Stafford,

The

,

afford

most beautiful instances

of

labels or hood-moldings of the date of

II. are often undercut

by a three-quarter

surface of the wall, as in

PL. VI.

figs.

;

and

fig

13, at Hardingham.

usually bold and deep.

It

outer face of the label to the fine.

Fig. 5

Fig. 7 from a

is

soffit,

monument

and

I.

sunk in the

1 and 10, doorways at

This

doorway

latter

measures three

the interior of a

Edward

circle,

Little Ellingham, Norfolk; fig. 8, the north

ham

window-

shafted

and the

at

example

feet across

is

un-

from

remarkably

effect is

window jamb

Hing-

at

Sleaford.

Fig. 4 is the

at Boston, the soffit at a.

molding of the pier-arches in the same church, of unusual and decidedly early character, though of rather late Decorated date.

PL. V.

fig. 2, is

a doorway at Great Ellingham.

resembles PL. VI.

fig.

south porch at Boston.

Fig. 4

6.

There

composition of this and of

fig.

is

1,

is

It closely

the inner doorway of the

a close resemblance in the a

monument

church, betraying the hand of the same

artist.

in the

same

This resem-

blance should always be attended to, not only in the same church,

but in the neighbouring

edifices,

because a strong presumption

of coeval date is thence to be derived.

And monuments especially

were so often inserted subsequently, that

it is

very important

compare their moldings with other parts of the same church.

to

The

character of these two examples is rather late

are wiry

and poor in

their effect,

and widely from the block

and they

from being cut away too deeply

surface.

* Called anciently, the rear-shaft. ture," p. 57.

;

Willis's " Architectural

Nomencla-

a

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

60

PL. V.

fig.

Church, Lincolnshire its

from a

is

5,

Decorated tomb at Ewerby

fine

a noble structure, which almost rivals

;

immediate neighbour, the celebrated This molding

ton.

is

St.

Andrew's, HeckingIt is

a good and effective composition.

shown

in perspective, to illustrate the difference in appearance

which

exists

and

between the same molding exhibited in section

The

in elevation.

in moldings of this cate,

and the

it is

effect

and

deli-

by the deep

side-

necessarily connected.

the interior of a window-jamb at Bennington,

fig. 7, is

Lincolnshire, and is

produces a fine

Its edge-lines are sharp

style.

profile beautifully relieved

hollows with which

PL. V.

roll-and-triple-fillet

fig.

Fig. 8

10 the exterior of the same.

the interior of a window-jamb at Heckington.

Fig. 13 is

one side of the belfry-arch at West Keal, Lincolnshire.*

PL. VII.

the outer archway of the west entrance to

fig 8, is

the precinct, Peterborough is

a very

common

from Yaxley, Hunts.

window which

is

an

;

effective decorated group.

plan of a Decorated window.

Fig. 10 is from Clipsham, Kutland

elegantly enriched

by a

the hollow chamfer of the outer order.

window from the chancel Lincolnshire.

This also

at

is

Over;

a very

Fig. 12

fig.

11,

borough.

Fig. 15, a groin-rib from Rivaulx

is

a Decorated

from Horbling,

common form

Fig. 13

—

of ball-flowers in

trail

windows.

is

Fig. 9

It is taken

in Decorated

from the outer porch doorway at North-

doorway from West Keal

;

fig.

21

is

a

Abbey;

fig.

16, a

window from the

Decorated chancel at Keddington, or Ketton, Suffolk.

fine

Fig. 22,

the molding at the angle of a piscina, Thurlby, Lincolnshire. Fig. 23, the south doorway at Langtoft, near Market Deeping.

PL. XX.

fig.

4, is

an archway in the

cloisters at Peterborough,

with double jamb-shafts. * This example

is

badly copied, and must not be depended upon;

PERPENDICULAR MOLDINGS.

SECTION

61

VII.

perpendicular moldings.

from the accession of richard a.d.

In the moldings of this

ii.

to death of henry viii.*

1377 to 1546.

style a

debasing influence will at once

be perceived in the comparatively meagre save-trouble method of

working them.

and

Large and coarse members, with

which, in early work, would have been separate moldings

;

little

of minute

and shallow hollows, occupying spaces

delicate detail, wide

filled

with groups of

hard wiry edges in place of rounded and

softened forms, and general shallowness of cutting, are all con-

spicuous characteristics.

Add to these, that their general arrange-

ment on the chamfer-plane, which

is

a

marked

Perpendicular period, gives a flatness which

is

feature of the

unpleasing to the

eye in comparison with the rectangularly recessed grouping of the two preceding styles.

mass

At the same time, there

of really high art in the

work of

student must be careful not to slur predilection

he may have formed

it

is

such a

this period, that the

over, in indulging

for earlier work.

any

The mold-

ings of this style frequently die into a basement composed of the

uncut

simple

chamfer

-

plane,

in

which case the outer edges of each molding of course coincide with it,

since

it

is

only by

cutting channels that

the moldings are developed from

Fireplace, Vicar's Close, Wells.

it

Three peculiarities are so

* This might fairly be divided by the student into Perpendicular and Tudor, commencing the latter with the reign of Henry VII., 1485.

—

;

;

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

G2

common

in Perpendicular moldings, that their absence almost

These are

forms the exception to general Tisage. 1.

A

:

wide shallow casement, or hollow, usually occupying

the centre of the group, and equal to about one-third of the

width 2.

of a 3.

The constant use circle,

of bowtells, or beads, of three-quarters

resembling small shafts, and often used as such

The frequency

of the double ogee,

and some

varieties of

it

peculiar to the period.

The casement alluded

to

may undoubtedly be

regarded as an

elongation or extension of the Decorated three-quarter hollow,

by which width it is

is

generally a

casement

is

gained at the sacrifice of depth. Accordingly,

mark

work when the

of early Perpendicular

deep and narrow, of late when wide and shallow,

and of debased when almost or quite a

it is,

flat

as

were, so stretched as to

it

surface,

sunken but

little

The

chamfer-plane, or external line of the group.

may be

become

below the

latter result

observed in the windows of St. Botolph's Church, and

in those of the older portions of St. John's College, Cambridge.

Of many forms which the casement assumes, the most frequent are those represented in

PL. VIII.

figs. 4, 10, 13.

PL. IX.

It is very

figs.

common

11, 16,

and

to find one or

both ends of the hollow returned in a kind of quasi-bowtell, as seen in PL. VIII.

figs.

in the chancel of

2 and 15, and PL.

Grantham Church.

XX.

fig. 3,

a

window

Frequently, however,

perhaps generally, the ends are sharp and angular, as PL. IX. fig.

14,

PL. XX.

fig.

14, the arch-mold of the nave of Lancaster

Church, or PL. VIII.

fig. 3.

The

three-quarter hollow also

occurs in this style, and sometimes, as in

same group with the great casement

The

PL. IX.

fig. 2,

in the

or central hollow.

some form or other in almost PL. VIII. and IX. and if the student

bowtell will be observed in

every example given in

;

compares the three plates of Decorated moldings, he

will per-

ceive the importance of assigning this feature as a peculiarity

PERPENDICULAR MOLDINGS. In PL. XX.

of the Perpendicular.

fig. 6.

in the choir of

Ripon Minster,

:

—

Fig. 10, the

Newtown Church, near Camhridge

and 12, both from Bolton Abbey

way

from Rivaulx Abbey

member.

a small double bowtell forms the central

western doorway at

63

fig.

;

13,

Grantham Church and ;

all

;

figs.

11

from a small doora "doorway in

fig. 5,

contain examples of the cylindrical bowtell.

It is often

formed from a plane by sinking a channel on each

side, as in

PL. VIII.

Occasionally

figs. 1, 3, 6.

an excrescence on the surface of a plane, as

fig.

5

it ;

stands like

but this

a

is

from the usual practice, as well as from the true

departure

principle of moldings.

The double ogee

is

much more common

in Perpendicular

some

difference, too, in

later style.

For whereas the

There

than in Decorated moldings. the form which

it

assumes in the

is

Decorated ogee, as before stated, always represents the profile of the half of a roll-and-fillet, the Perpendicular appears rather

composed of a semicircular hollow continued

to be

in a bowtell,

forming a section more like the letter

and

S— see

PL. XVI.

However, the

5.

form,

fig. 5, is

mon

in

figs.

4

earlier

extremely com-

Perpendicular mold-

ings, and especially

in

ib* -^^ vm J||lllllS>

j

OP

\-/

the

Perpendicular members, PL. IX.

double ogee.

Other

fig. u.

varieties,

peculiar to the style, are the double ogee with a bowtell in the centre,

c

fig.

;

PL. IX.

fig.

b; an ogee combined with a quarter-circle,*

an ogee with a small bead or

PL. VIII.

figs. 7,

9

;

of the great casement,

PL. IX.

combination exhibited in is

fillet

at the base,

as

an ogee with a bowtell forming one side

generally conclusive.

fig.

figs. 1, 8, 10, 16,

17

;

and the

15, where the depth of the hollows

All these

may

be considered as dis-

tinctive criteria of the style. * This is one of the commonest and most decisive combinations in Perpendicular moldings, as PL. XX. figs. 10 and 14 PL. IX. fig. 3. ;

;

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

64

in outline in the preceding woodcut is

The form represented found in

all

It occurs in Early

the styles.

the roll or bowtell plain and

not

the breadth of the

doorway

in a

filleted,

at

of the ogee curve and

The shape, however,

Fountains Abbey.

English work, with

be found to follow the rules laid

fillet will

down.

The double ogee

sometimes of large and clumsy

is

In Decorated,

Perpendicular arch-moldings.

it is

small, and is principally confined to the outer

A

ways and windows.

roll-and-fillet

In PL. VIII.

3.

fig.

members PL.

the south porch at Great Shelford, near Cambridge, Transition period, that

The form

is,

was not extensively used,*

it

diagram between

figs.

10 and 11, PL. IV.

peculiar to the style

ment moldings and

Jjjjl

it is

;

it is

capitals.

this

of the

style, in

that of the

is

The debased form

PL. VIII.

of the bowtell mold,

jBjlllI

doorway of

before 1400.

of the roll-and-fillet, prevalent in

which, however,

is

14

II. fig.

16, the inner

fig.

of door-

between two ogees

properly a late Decorated combination, as in

PL. VII.

size in

usually rather

21, is also

fig.

much

used in base-

Sometimes we

find

the roll-and-triple- fillet in a debased form as in

PL. IX.

'Ijjljl'

fig.

13, the belfry arch at Haslingfield,

Cambridgeshire.

IP

exhibited in

are

V'^.V

Two fig.

grams the upper English;

Ijjp

the

other corrupted varieties 16.

figure

In the annexed diarepresents

the

Other two, varieties of

Early

the Per-

pendicular roll-and-fillet.

A half roll-and-fillet Cathedral bowtell * is,

frequently occurs, as in

window-jamb from the south

a

is

;

fig. 9,

When'

a small bowtell.

PL. XX.

;

it is

fig. 7,

nave at Eipon

shown in

The pointed fig. 3,

and

it

of the roll-and-fillet, except in a very corrupted form,

in fact, one of the

late Gothic.

of the

a doorway from Bolton Abbey.

very rare in this style

The absence

aisle

most remarkable -features in the moldings of the does occur, it usually springs from the capital of

it

PERPENDICULAR MOLDINGS.

65

occurs in the aisle windows at the west end of St. John's

Church, Stamford.

Window-moldings are usually extremely meagre, though the tracery is generally set deeper in the wall than in the preceding style,

pose.

and, consequently, a larger space

But the great casement,

upon the group that

little

ogee on the outside" of

it,

available for the pur-

is

or hollow, encroaches so

room

is left for

more than

a double

and the monial-members on the inside

— by which term those moldings of the

jamb

:

coincide with the monials.

PL. VIII.

fig.

meant which

are

12, represents the

Sometimes,

almost universal plan of Perpendicular windows. however,, especially in earlier examples, externally, comprising the first order,

we

find the double ogee

and the monial-members

occupying the next, without any casement in the angle. figs.

much

PL. IX.

12 and 18, are taken from different churches, and

illus-

remarkable uniformity which prevailed in the use of

trate the

moldings.

Having pointed out these

facts (which deserved to be regis-

tered as essential and characteristic differences), to be said

on this part of the subject.

cular moldings are not very

little

Rich and good Perpendi-

common, most examples

but of three or four very ordinary members, which either novel or interesting to the view

ceding styles there

is

remains

;

consisting

offer

nothing

while in the two pre-

ever something singular, or beautiful, or

ingenious in the treatment of the moldings, to arrest our atten-

But Perpendicular

tion and add to our store of knowledge.

work

is

by no means to be despised,

for

many points may be

found,, such as the jamb-shafts in deeply recessed doorways,

which form groups of considerable delicacy.

PL. VIII.

fig. 1, is

from the west doorway

Stamford; early in the

style.

Fig. 2 is the same, from the

isolated tower at Dereham, Norfolk.

Saham Toney

;

fig.

at Uffington, near

Fig. 3 the same, from

4 from Fishtoft, Lincolnshire.

from the east window

at Leverton, in the

Fig. 5 is

same county

;

F

fig.

6

;

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

66

from Partney

fig.

;

7 from Louth, both doorways

Stewton, a window-jamb; coln fig.

fig.

;

9 from an

fig.

Fig. 8 from

;

in Lin-

window

oriel

12 from the south Choir Chapel, Lincoln Cathedral

10 the east window at Chesterton, near Cambridge

an arch in

Sepulchre's Church

St.

Great Gransden, near Stapleford, near

Neots

St.

Cambridge

Holy

a pier-arch from

from Long Melford, Suffolk

Stamford;

fig.

Colchester

Trinity,

fig.

;

13 at

15 the east window at

16 from Great Shelford

fig.

;

14 from a niche

fig.

;

fig.

;

fig.

;

;

fig.

fig.

;

17

18 the same

at St. Martin's,

19 a doorway

20 the pier-arches of the same church;

fig.

21

from Louth.

PL. IX. Stamford

from

St.

fig.

1,

2 the west doorway of the same

fig.

;

from the east window of

is

John's Church, Stamford

in that town

All Saints

;

;

fig.

fig.

5

is

Skirlaugh, Yorkshire,* ;

fig.

;

fig.

fig.

fig.

;

doorway rence

;

3 the same

8

fig.

7 a window, from

from the chancel door at

is

10 the south doorway, Skirlaugh; ;

fig.

12 a window of

13 the belfry-arch at Haslingfield

at Grantchester

fig.

fig.

9 the north doorway at Harlton,

from Basingstoke, Hampshire form

;

4 from the Bede House

from a pier-arch in the noble church of

6 the west doorway, and

Histon, near Cambridge

near Cambridge

fig.

;

Martin's,

St.

;

fig.

;

fig.

fig.

11

common

14 the south

15 a molding of constant occur-

16 from St. Albans;

fig.

a window, from Byhall, Rutland.

17 a doorway, and

The former has

fig.

18

large sculp-

tured paterae in the central casement. It will be observed that the distinction of the orders

completely lost in this style, while

Decorated moldings. that in

many

it is

It also appears,

;

and that

occasionally, as

two parallel planes are taken The two moldings,

often

from the examples given,

cases the chamfer-plane is either

an angle of 45°

is

seldom undefinable in

more or

PL. VIII.

for the basis of the

less fig.

tban 11,

arrangement.

8 and 10, are borrowed from the " Churches 11 and 16, from Messrs. Brandon's excellent work, the " Analysis of Gothic Architecture." *

of Yorkshire,"

and

figs.

figs.

PERPENDICULAR MOLDINGS. The casement

is

sometimes so extravagantly hollowed as to

give the appearance,

and probably the

actual effect, of weakening the jamb.

This

a

is

great

67

fault,

and

**^ll \:lass

always

produces a very unsatisfactory result to the eye

and substantial support.

of perfect

may

instance

window

One

which desiderates the idea

An

moldings, especially in late ones.

°

GranteTeste^ch^b Ki«, i'tafto itt

of Grantchester Church.

principle of composition

w

The

be noticed in the west

may sometimes be This

is

traced

'

in

the custom of ending

with a repetition of the same

members which commenced

U||

the group, the centre being

occupied by a different one.

This

may

PL. IX.

be illustrated by

figs. 3, 6,

8 or by

the annexed cut.

Students of the present subject will find a very valu-

able

series of illustrations

of base, capital, and archx

molds of the three

West doorway, Overstrand, Norfolk.

styles in

pp. 76, 77 of Professor Willis's " Architectural History of

Win-

chester Cathedral," published by the Archaeological Institute,

1845, and in

many

other accounts of cathedrals by the same

author.

The question

of composition involves that of the grouping of

molding, the variation of the same feature, as, for instance, in the

arch-jamb of a doorway or window, or of the arch and column in

an arcade. In early work the jamb shafts carrying their

is

frequently formed with detached

own capitals, and on

arch moldings are often arranged.

these capitals elaborate

In the annexed example from p 2

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

68

Heacham,

in Norfolk this is clearly shown,

and

it

will be noticed

that the fore-

angles

most

jamb

of the

are in position

immediately

1

«#

below the

re-

entering angle of the

arch-

mold. In this

example

the

square of the

moldings cut

of

out

stone

which

is

the are dis-

tinctly seen. Inner door, south porch, Heacham, Norfolk.

this case the

Scale, 1 in. to 1 ft.

chamfer forming the inner

Priests' door,

Heckington, Lincolnshire.

member

Scale, 2 in. to 1

Even

in

close to the

ft.

PERPENDICULAR MOLDINGS. door

continuous, being the same in the

itself is

69

jamb and

in the

arch-mold.

As

the styles developed the detached were superseded by

engaged columns, but we in the

still

jamb and arch-mold.

frequently find considerable variety

This

is

shown in the annexed

example from Heckington Church, Lincolnshire

much larger proportion common to both. a

When we

;

but frequently

of the moldings are continuous

get into Perpendicular work

we

and

find the fiat case-

ment very com-

mon and

was

it

invariably

con-

tinuous.

The

shafts are smaller

and

a

larger

number

the

of

members

are as

continuous, in

the

annexed

example KiDg's Chapel, bridge.

from College

CamSome-

times,

indeed,

they

become

mere beads.

The same

Portion of Arch and Jamb, inner door, south porch, King's College Chapel, Cambridge. Scale, 1 in. to 1 ft.

as-

sertion of the continuous

molding

as the styles advanced.

is

found in other positions

The Early English columns in an

arcade with the detached shafts carried arch moldings which at first sight

seem

to have but little connection with the shaft

as an example.

In Decorated work the

plain octagon shaft carries the sub

and main arch-molds with

their hollow chamfer or other mold-

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

70

ings; but

when we

get

to

continuous, excepting for

later

work we

find the

molding

small shafts which carry a varied

arch-mold.

In tracery also the mullion will have or rather sub-orders, contained in

and break into the

name

the different orders,

and these

it,

forms

different

all

so well

of tracery

;

will

branch out

known under the

but beyond this the

moldings are wonderfully

plastic, in the

hands of the master designer, and where

member which seemed only

a

strong

in

tracery

as

in

it

a

mullion looked

little

make

The

real

in

accompanying diagram,

of what

so

real artistic effect

one

may term

much and so

cast-iron

master of his craft never hesitated to

his moldings exactly

position they were in.

heavy

was frequently thinned down,

was thought of

regularity.

sufficiently

what he thought best suited

for the

PLANS OF GOTHIC COLUMNS.

SECTION

71

VIII.

PLANS OF GOTHIC COLUMNS.*

This subject the forms

falls

of

properly under the head of Moldings, since

piers or

columns more or

But

details of the arch-moldings.

it is

the

less partake of

one of such extensive

scope that only a few general rules can here he given for dis-

tinguishing the styles.

And

of these the bases

and

capitals

will generally afford the surest indications.

A few

sections have been given for the purpose in

The general plan

PL.

III.

of the columns which support the nave

or other principal arches is either square, circular, octagonal,

diamond-shaped, or parallelogramic

;

and these forms are either

simple or complex. Simple,

when composed

involving a

number

of one plain

member, that

is,

not

of aggregate parts;

Complex, when consisting of a core surrounded by smaller shafts, detached or engaged.

The

earliest

form of column

is

those in the ancient chapel in the

the circular, as

is

proved by

White Tower, London

(pro-

Norman architecture in England), examples at Waltham Abbey (which, whether

bably the earliest piece of

and by similar

Harold's Church or not, Cathedral,

St.

other places.

is

Sepulchre's

Polygonal

undoubtedly Church,

Norman

early),

at

Norwich

Cambridge, and piers,

of vast

many

size

and

strength, support the eastern transept walls at Peterborough

Cathedral.

And

these simple forms continued in

common

use

throughout the Transitional, Early English, and Decorated *

The mediaeval terms

tively pillars, chapiters,

columns, was the patin. clature," pp. 39-41.

for columns, capitals,

and verges.

The

and

shafts,

were respec-

the See Professor Willis's "Architectural Nomenplinth, or footing of

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

72.

periods in ordinary parochial churches,

where they are some-

times disposed alternately, or in opposite rows.

common arrangement derived from

it

thus

;

recesses, like the arch

soon

filled

is

that of the square

But

a very

or

forms

plan,

with angular

it was sometimes and sub-arch, and these recesses were

cut

With

with small shafts.

columns the vault-

circular

ing shafts were commonly stopped above the

by a

capitals

were frequently brought down to the ground

corbel, but they

with the rectangular plan, where the

continuous with that of the wall ing the

sub-arch was often

Thus we

obtain,

;

flat

face of the pier

and the member

was

also carry-

into a semicircular form.

made

though in a heavy and simple form, a regular

was

clustered shaft, which, during the Early English period,

brought to a wonderful degree of lightness and elegance.

These complex Early English piers are often extremely beautiful

more

;

so,

are so varied in arrangement that

place to do

They

perhaps, than those of any other style.

more than

notice

it

would be impossible in this

their

general

characteristics^

which consist principally in the number of smaller isolated shafts clinging to a central

column,

to

which they are

intervals attached in reality as well as in appearance,

bands or or of

at

by molded

These shafts are generally of native marble,*

fillets.

some other kind

clustered capitals

of stone than

and bases

the central pillar.

are often

The

worked out in one large

piece.

A circular

column, surrounded by four,

detached shafts, are very

a beautiful

is

common

;

six, or eight,

and common

device.

the choir-aisles at Ely, the

Fountains Abbey (PL. XIX.

fig. 8),

smaller

Examples

Lady Chapel of

and many parts of West-

* It is a curious fact that the mediaeval English architects appear never to have used any foreign marbles, in construction at least. The Purbeck limestone, composed of comminuted freshwater shells (whence it is called lumachella marble), being part of the "Wealden formation, and taking a fine polish, though liable to disintegrate, was much used in

the thirteenth century, but much more sparingly afterwards, except for tombs and the beds of sepulchral brasses.

PLANS OF GOTHIC COLUMNS. minster Abbey, have this kind of compound

made up

cases the column is

73

In some

pillar.

of several shafts, generally four,

placed close together, without any central core, as in the round

nave of the Temple Church.

In

midway band

or bonding-stone,

the shafts.

The

this case there is always a

worked into annular

not always

shafts are

though usually so in the pure lancet

fillets

PL.

style.

to

applied,

separately

III. fig. 11, is

an instance of attached shafts so deeply undercut that they have the appearance of complete

The lower

Abbey. still

It forms

isolation.

part of a similar one, rather later in date,

stands in the vestibule of St. Mary's Abbey, York

there is a very good example at Exton, Rutland. is

from All Saints', Stamford

colnshire is

and fig. 12 from

;

from Skelton, near York

;

fig.

17

common form

of

and

;

this is a very

with some

piers,

PL. XIX.

a beautiful

5, is

former

style,

Rutland.

17.

^>Wg,

example of the

\M

from Grantham

w/

is

The annexed

Church.

is

is

/

wS^

^jIlP

^m^-^-^---^

reduced from the section given in Mr.

HP

illustrations of that church.

Half of a

roll-and-fillet

set

Ruskington.

on each

side of a square, the corners of

which

project,

times worked into smaller pointed beads, rence.

\

m^^

from Rus- \^'^

kington Church, Lincolnshire, and

Bowman^s

varieties, as fig. 16,

from Stretton Church,

Fig. 6

III. fig. 8,

St. Peter Gowt's, at Lincoln. Fig.

and in PL. V.

figs. 15,

PL.

,

and

;

13 from Ruskington, Lin-

Early English and Decorated

fig.

an ex-

Chapter House of Furness

in the

quisitely graceful feature

The square being

set

to

the

is

and are some-

of constant occur-

cardinal

points,

the

addition of the shafts changes the outline to the diamond form.

The

fillets

running up the face of each shaft usually pass over

or round the astragal, and die into the bell of the capital, as in

PL. X.

fig.

40.

Towards the Geometric

era, that is, after

1240, the shafts or

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

74

verges, as

they were anciently called, began to be generally

engaged, or attached to the central mass.* in the choir of the

The

Temple Church,

This will be seen

erected at the above period.

construction, therefore, is entirely different, the whole dia-

metric section being worked out of one block, for the sake of

Decorated piers always have their

greater strength.

engaged, so that a clustered column nelling the surfaces of the

and shadows.

lights

commonest forms in cathedrals

;

PL.

mass in

is

in reality formed

lines

III. figs.

shafts

by chan-

and hollows of graceful

14 and 16, are among the

but the richness and extent of the great piers

and abbeys

it

would require a volume

Fig. 14 is from Utterby, Lincolnshire, and

is

to set forth.

remarkable for

the hollow faces, which are seldom found but in small shafts in

Perpendicular work. Perpendicular piers are generally of oblong or parallelogramic plan, the longitudinal direction extending from north to south.

On

the east and west sides half- shafts are

attached,- which bear the innermost order,

or soffit-moldings, of the arch

;

the rest,

including the great casement or hollow,

being usually continuous, without the interruption of any impost.

examples exist at Great

Very good

St. Mary's,

Cam-

bridge, where vaulting shafts arealso added

on the northern and southern faces. PL. III. fig. 15, isfrom Attleborough, Norfolk,

.

(

iitl

of late

from

St. John's,

Decorated date.

almost universal method. PL. XIX. Essex.

The

PL.

III. fig. 18,

Stamford, a plain but good illustration of this fig. 4,

from Saffron Walden,

principle which led to this form was the desire to

obtain width in the direction of the thickness * Shafts ceased to stand

of the wall,

detached or banded into clusters, and became mass the bands, no longer of any use, real or apparent, being suppressed. " Brandon's Analysis," p. 2. instead firmly compacted into a

—

;

PLANS OF GOTHIC COLUMNS. combined with the

least possible bulk,

between the columns.

75

and the greatest span

In this they followed the

plan of window monials

;

in fact, in

some

j&

H

late

churches, as at Swavesey, near Cambridge, they

become nothing more nor

less

fo/K

than exaggerated

1

monials with shafts attached to carry the subarch.

Another form, however, occurs not 'infrequently in Perpendicular columns,

PL.

III.

figs.

19

which

and 20, the

is first

shown

in

from

St.

In these the

Martin's, the second from St. Mary's, Stamford,

ground-plan angle (as

In the

fig.

is

a square, and each face (as in

fig. 19),

or each

20), if set diamond- wise, carries an engaged shaft.

first case,

a hollow is

Swavesey.

the angles are chamfered away

sunk in the

face

;

between the shafts.

of later date than the parallelbgramic plan.

in the second,

This

Still,

is

usually

examples are

/

\

IP Ensham Church.

Long Ashton.

Wood Ditton Church.

not wanting of early Perpendicular character, as in

Long Ashton

Church, Somersetshire, built about, or rather before, 1400.

The example tical

is

taken from Bowman's " Specimens of Ecclesias-

Architecture,"

PL. IV.

The nave columns

in this church

consist of a square, with a three-quarter circular shaft engaged

on each

face, the angles

being cut away into the wave-molding,

which runs continuously round the arches.

PL. XIX.

fig. 7, re-

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

76

presents a column of good Decorated date in the crypt at Gran-

tham, in which the same principle of formation

The parallelogramic plan

is

is exhibited.

sometimes found in Decorated

columns, but not until the close of the

style.

The woodcuts

on the previous page represent such a column from "Wood Ditton

Ensham Church,

Church, near Newmarket, and that from c.

1400, given in "

The Oxford

Architectural Guide," p. 139.

SECTION

IX.

CAPITALS.

The moldings

of capitals and bases form not the least in-

teresting, extensive,

And

and important part of the study.

they have the peculiar advantage of being more definitely

marked, in the various periods of architecture, than any other kind of moldings.

It- is

by no means impossible, even

for

an

experienced eye, to mistake the details of a Decorated for those of a Perpendicular archway

;

but no one moderately

acquainted with the subject could hesitate in pronouncing the style of a capital or base, provided it possessed

any character

at all.

To go very

rapidly through the history of a column,

we may

suppose that an upright post planted in the earth was found to sink, or decline

from the perpendicular, by a great superincum-

bent pressure.

This failure suggested the necessity of a plinth,

or broad footing of masonry, on which erect,

and immovable.

in the construction of

rude timber-work.

it

might stand

This arrangement we

wooden sheds or

may often

rustic

firm,

observe

homesteads of

Again, a great square stone would naturally

be placed upon the top of the

pillar or post, as the

bed or

CAPITALS.

77

cushion to receive the superstructure, whether arch or entablature.

It

was from such an origin that the highly elaborated

Gothic base and capital arose.

Examples

fully as

rude as this do actually exist in English

ecclesiastical architecture, so that

Barnack and

many

St.

we have

Mary Bishophill

others of probably

positive fact to guide

The ante-Norman

us instead of mere theory.

much

belfry arches at

Junior, York, with a great

later date,

have square

pillars

on

each side, resting upon and surmounted by rude and clumsy blocks of stone.

In the

Norman

when

period,

and lowest members

the shaft was round, the highest

only, respectively called the abacus

and the

plinth (anciently the patin) were square, the parts immediately

below the one and above the other being rounded shape of the shaft.

How

this

shown

PL. X.

in

was done in Norman

Transition'

Cushion Capital.

fig. 2,

and

off to suit the

it

is

Norman

capitals is

Capitals, Bolton Abbey.

seen in the ordinary form of

what has been called the cushion capital.

The

lingering re-

luctance to get rid of the square plinth, in the tongue-shaped leaves or other grotesques which are often seen to issue from the circular

moldings of Transition-Norman bases, and extend to

the otherwise vacant and superfluous angles of the plinth,

worthy of observation. necessary

;

It

was

felt

is

that these angles were not

but the mediaeval builders preferred to decorate what

as yet they did not wish to cut away.

Even

in the advanced

Early English columns in Westminster Abbey instances of floriated bases

may be

observed.

MANUAL OK GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

78

But the simple square was sure and

took place

this

first

undergo some changes,

to

In the more elaborate

in capitals.

Classic styles, the sides were cut out

curved inwards

or

—a

feature some-

times seen in Perpendicular octagonal capitals

;

but this method of relieving

and lightening the massive impost does not seem to have occurred to the

Komanesque

They

builders.

either

cut off or cut out the corners, as soon

Hy

,

^^

^^

as the pier-arch, by becoming recessed

or involving a sub-arch (PL. I.

gular nooks were cut in the

of the

a portion

left

fig. 4),

That

bearing surface unemployed and superfluous. angles of the

rectan-

is,

square abacus,

corresponding to the graduation of the sub-arch, as in the

accompanying

cut,

and examples may

" Illustrations of Buildwas Abbey," process

came the

octagonal, [form

also be seen

in Potter's

From

the former

pi. 6.

and either by removing

;

angles indefinitely, or, more probably, by adopting the shape of the shaft,

we obtain the

before plinths

;

and base of the

circular capital

and second Gothic periods.

But

first

became octagonal

capitals

and similarly octagonal plinths were retained

long after circular capitals had become universal.

Gothic capitals floriated.

and

is

may be

divided into two kinds, molded and

The upper member,

or abacus, is

the relic of the rude impost which

stone post, from which

it

common

first

to both,

surmounted the

was transferred, through the medium

of the Classic to the Christian styles.

be the primary and essential, and, as

it

This seems, in were, practical

the others being only decorative adjuncts. called the neck or astragal, is also

common

fact, to

member,

Tbe lowest member, to both kinds

in floriated capitals foliage covers the intermediate space, is

otherwise occupied by the overhanging and undercut

called the bell, with its

accompanying moldings.

;

but

which

member

In the Transi-

CAPITALS.

79

tion-Norman and Early English, the

foliage, as is well

arranged vertically; in the Decorated

known,

it

twines horizontally,

or rather transversely,, round the capital.

In Perpendicular,

is

floriated

capitals

are rare

;

more frequently small

leaves, or

patera, are set like studs at intervals round the shaft above the

But the vine

neck, as in Great St. Mary's Church, Cambridge.

and the strawberry

leaf

is

sometimes seen, very

worked, however, from the deep earlier styles,

The

differently

overhanging foliage of the

being only a shallow kind of surface ornament.

dog-tooth, the nail-head, the ball-flower, and other orna-

mental moldings, sometimes occur in

capitals,

and in

later

work

the Tudor flower, or crestings of minute battlements (occasion-

Even

frequently found.

ally floriated), are also

angels' heads

with spread wings are sometimes found, as in the belfry-arch of

Great Shelford, near Cambridge, and in the choir of Wingfield

Church, Suffolk.

some

Occasionally (in

subject is grotesquely sculptured below the abacus.

this there is a very curious

Or

Norman work commonly)

example

at

Of

West Keal, Lincolnshire.*

a subject is intermixed with the foliage, as in

some very

interesting Early English capitals in the south transept

and the

north porch of Wells Cathedral.

But

of floriated or sculptured work

province to speak.

It is

enough

it,

of

the Bomanesque we find

as used in capitals, very closely approaching the

Corinthian acanthus, or the Ionic volute Transitional

not at present our

is

to observe that the origin

foliage is probably Classical, since in

the style of

it

Norman

capitals at the east

;

for

example, the

end of Canterbury

Cathedral, and not unfrequently in parochial churches (as at

Barnack), seem clearly to be. Classical in general features, and

almost so in their *

On

details.

Others, however, will have

one of the capitals (which are Decorated) a fox is laying hold of it behind.

goose, while a chained ape

is

it

that

carrying off a

The Decorated

capitals in Oakham Church exhibit the same design, among others. This kind of capital may be called Pictorial, as the author has suggested in the " Manual of Gothic Architecture," p. 110.

;

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

80

the origin of the foliated capitals

There can be

little

rather from the East.

is

doubt that the influence of both prevailed

in the introduction of foliage into Gothic capitals, it

was subsequently transferred

to other parts of buildings.

of capitals, in pure Gothic architecture, to speak

The use

constructively,

is

are stopped by

it

tinued

down

to receive the at the

to the

summit

ground.

clusters of arch-molds

of the column,

For,

away

jamb

which

and not con-

when the arch-molds

wholly identical with those of the either die

from whence

are not

or column, they

must

which case they are called

at the spring (in

discontinuous) or be abruptly stopped

by a projecting impost.

In many cases the moldings are partly continuous and partly stopped by the capitals

;

certain groups being borne

by shafts,*

while the intervening hollows are continued to the ground,

forming at the same time deep lines of division between the groups of arch-molds above and the separate jamb-shafts below. .

This, is particularly the case in Perpendicular piers

Here the

as described in Section VII.

moldings are borne by a

shaft, the outer

while in Early English doorways the

soffit

and arches,

or innermost

being continuous

soffit

is

generally con-

tinuous, the others carried by shafts, as in

and 19.

Again,

stand isolated

arm,

may be

;

in

PL. II. figs. 18 Norman and Early English, the shafts

in the latter so far that the hand, or even the

passed round them.

In Decorated, they are

engaged, fewer in number, less prominent, less important in the apparent work of

become

support.

entirely subordinate,

And

in Perpendicular they

and merely decorative, as may be

observed in the porches and doorways of King's College Chapel.

Hence, by an ulterior debasement, mere bowtells, as we before remarked, are furnished with quasi-capitals and bases. In

some cases

a

member

of the

same

projection

and diameter as

* By what is called decorative, i.e. apparent construction. The moldings would in reality remain in their places as well without as with the bearing shafts.—"Willis's "Architecture," Chap. II.

CAPITALS. the bowtell

is

81

continued above this quasi-capital

be allowable), but slightly varied in form and

The moldings

only in very late work

impost

capital or

became

pier-arches

of

entirely

and the reason

;

is essential

(if

is,

the term

profile.

continuous

that the idea of a

column;

to that of an isolated

while in the jambs of doorways and entrance arches, the shafts

themselves, and therefore the impost, at will, as a

A

mere matter

may be

omitted or added

of decoration.

good Gothic capital

is

a feature of remarkable beauty.

Take, for example, those of the piers in the nave of Trumpington Church, Cambridge, and

Hingham, Norfolk, PL. XII.

11 and 15, or the woodcuts on pages 77, 78.

figs.

Small in

complex and graceful in their members, yet judi-

projection,

and

ciously subordinate to both arch into one the bundles of shafts

pier,

they seem to bind

which form the column, while,

by their reversed or horizontal outlines, they intercept and at the same time form a satisfactory termination to the vertical lines above

and below.

Gothic capitals consist of three parts

And

and the neck.

capitals, or those in

PL. X.

fig.

1

these parts are distinctly visible in block

Hera a

from

is

from Middle Rasen, and

same county.

in village churches.

shows the two uppermost members in their

Fig. 3

rudest state.

the abacus, the bell,

which the members have not been worked

Such may occasionally be met with

out.

will

;

is

fig.

Laceby, Lincolnshire

5 from

the abacus, b the

be observed that Gothic capitals

to this outline, as

fig.

Walesby, both

may

bell, c

;

fig.

in

the neck.

4

the '

It

generally be reduced

16, from Great Abington, Cambridge-

shire.

The most

certain evidence of date is furnished

by the mold-

ings of the abacus.

The

upper edge always

square, and the under edge rather plainly

left

chamfered or cut into a

forms of the abacus had the

earlier

flat

ovolo

;

at first the fillet

was large

in proportion, and gave a heavy appearance, but the lower edge-

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

82

mold gradually became more important, and was frequently cut into a hollow chamfer,

and sometimes quirked and finished also

By

with a bead, as at Heacham, Norfolk.

Coton.

St. Sep.,

Cambridge.

Cant. Oath. Blatherwick, Byland. IXorthants. Crypt.

abacus was obtained, which held style, as

maybe

But then they began tion

light

its

Heacham, Wadenhoe,

ground

Norfolk.

Korthanta.

far into the

Early

seen at the Eefectory, Eivaulx, &c.

away the upper

to cut

edge, the projec-

was made greater, and the under side was cut or hollowed

out, so that

it

seems

to

the shaft, and with the

overhang the bell just as the bell does

same

profile, consisting of

The Decorated abacus has the

roll-smd-fillet.

with a cylindrical figs.

means a

i I s \ I 4

t

English

this

roll of

the half of a

scroll-molding,

rather less size below

it.

PL. X.

38 and 39, represent these peculiarities, and an examination

of the sections of the capitals of both styles will this distinctive

abacus fig. 8,

is

mark is wanting.

show how

rarely

In Early English capitals the

sometimes quite plain, as

fig.

17, from Thurlby,

and

In the reign of Edward

from Frieston, Lincolnshire.

I.

a peculiar molding occurs, something between the two, which

may

be called an undercut

fig. 9,

it

from Stickney, and

may be

English

scroll-molding.

fig.

12,

This

is

seen in

from Lincoln Cathedral, and

considered a characteristic of Transition from Early

to Decorated.

The moldings shown

in

times

found;

fig. 5,

of the bell are generally kept within the limits

but in very minute work exceptions are some-

for instance,

at

Temple

Balsal, Warwickshire,

the capitals to the small shafts on the moni-als of some of the

windows have the

The woodcut of the

is

bell

projecting

taken from

Middle Ages."

quite beyond the abacus.

Bowman and

Where

Crowiher's " Churches

foliage is introduced

it

often

CAPITALS.

way even

projected a long

seems license

when the

have been

turned

might account

in

lathes,

for treating a

where the

Small

of

effect

and

to

this

molding

like

foliage

was

In Early English capitals the

desired.

has

bell

was small.

scale

sometimes

double

a

set

of

"

moldings, which gives a very handsome

This

effect.

is

fig.

PL. X.

seen in

28, from Tintern

and

and a molding

large capitals,

the same

and bases appear frequently

capitals

foliage

in

been allowed

to have

83

(111

19,

22, from Furness

fig.

;

figs.

—W—

capital

;

onMoniafK window.

24, from Bolton.

Capitals occur in their greatest perfection in shafts. larger

piers,

octagonal

of

or circular

elaborate or so decidedly marked.

form,

are

The

seldom so

In these the abacus

the

is

member which affords any sure indication of date. The distinguishing feature of Decorated capitals has been

only

stated

be the

to

and

the abacus,

of

scroll-molding

perhaps

in

ninety-nine out of every hundred

examples

the

Yet some

capitals presenting the

same

feature

rule

are

said

Early English date. that

the

Early

holds

to

good.

be of

It is believed

English

abacus

scarcely ever occurs in pure Deco-

Decorated Capital, Grantham.

rated work.

The

bell is

seldom so prominent or so deeply undercut in this

as in the preceding style.

As

a general

rule, the projection

(i.e.

the relative diameter to that of the shaft) became gradually

less,

both in capitals and bases, as the styles advanced.

above cut furnishes an exception to the rule. pendicular work, when the shafts became, as

it

The

Thus, in Perwere, mere parts

g 2

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

84

became

of the entire groups of moldings, both these features

Decorated capitals preserve the happy

minute and subordinate.

medium between

the clumsiness of constructive members, and

the

mere ornaments.

inutility of

In this their remarkable

beauty really consists, in that they occupy the truest and most

With

consistent position as architectural parts of the whole.

respect to their details, the moldings of the bell present the

principal varieties

but these are generally some modification or

;

Very often the under

corruption of the roll-and-fillet. part of the bell as in

is

PL. XII.

member shown

in the cut, and in

examples of Decorated

of forty-three

PL. XI. and XII. ten of them have the others present in

PL. XII.

some

fig.

entire roll-and-fillet,

and PL. XI.

12, 20.

figs.

more frequently formed by the compound

It is still

Out

composed of an

figs. 3, 8,

slight variety of

it.

XL

PL.

fig.

given

capitals

bell thus formed,

4.

in

and

It is seen in elevation

15, the beautiful capital of the nave-piers at

Hingham. Decorated capitals seldom have double moldings to the at least

much

less frequently

than in the Early English

Three examples are given, PL. XI.

fig.

2,

from Yaxley, Hunts,

very early in the style, as appears by the abacus,

and the annexed

cut,

bell,

style.

PL. XII.

fig. 9,

from Harringworth, Northants.

The neck, an

or astragal, forms

important

detail

in

deter-

mining the dates of

capitals.

the Early English

it

is

In

usually

a heavy and bold annular molding, of a stilted or oval shape, or

rather as n

more than half

PL. X.

fig.

or the semi-hexagon ;

the prevailing form. rated neck is almost always the scroll-molding

;

a circle,

Either this

11.

(fig.

15)

is

The Deco-

but both the

;

CAPITALS.

Early English forms, with

The

85

many others,

capitals of both styles are

often

will

be found to occur. nearly identical in

so

general character and principles of formation, that a practised

eye

may now and

And it

then be deceived in their date.

is

here important to remark, that though the vast majority of capitals in all English buildings will be found to fall in with the

rules laid

down

difficulties in

in this work, anomalies do occur which present

any attempt to

classify

them and the same

is

;

true

of bases.

Perpendicular capitals present very marked features, which

The moldings

are seldom liable to be mistaken.

angular, meagre, and few. defined

—

Neither abacus nor bell

are large,

is

so clearly

a fact similar to that already stated with regard to

the arch-moldings of this style, that the distinction of orders generally lost.

is

Frequently the abacus appears so far blended

into the other part of the capital as hardly to be a separate

member, and the

bell either

perfectly developed.

wholly vanishes or

The upper

is very-

part of the abacus

sloped off to a sharp edge, like the chamfer of an angle section of the

molding below resembles the

letter S,

im-

usually

is

;

the

being an

ogee formed by a bold concave returning into a

prominent convex the capital

is

(as at

Coton)

;

and, above

all,

nearly always octagonal, while that

of the preceding styles is

commonly round.

shaft, however, is circular in Perpendicular

The

% K> <j^

work

while octagonal capitals only occur in the other styles in the case of large ,.

i

the same shape,

/. it

columns of

single ,

we except

a

n

few cases

Early English arcading shafts with octagonal the

transepts at

n

Coton,

Cam b.

ot

capitals, as in

Histon, near Cambridge, the west front of

Peterborough Cathedral, and in the choir-aisle of Fountains

Abbey.

The same

principle

which induced the

latter architects to

prefer sharp edges and abrupt lines in their moldings to the

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

86 soft

and blending Decorated forms, made them revert

octagonal capital to the rejection

to the

The

of the circular.

base,

generally circular

in its

upper members, and octagonal

below,

however,

is

PL. XY.

as in

figs. 1

Perpendicular

and

PL. XII.

embattled, as

2.

are

capitals

often

16, 22,

figs.

26, 29, an arrangement which

is

rare

in the preceding style.

The Lancaster Church.

or neck, is either a

astragal,

^^

p j ain

^

j^

&

of

deba8fld

scroll-molding with the upper edge chamfered, as in the abacus.

Another form, resembling a coarse keel-mold, com-

mon

&

ill

fig.

'M

to both

is

that

shown

and the neck

The

with

bell

PL. XIII.

of fig. 15.

and

overhanging

its

by a meagre

undercut

the projection

moldings having vanished, capital is often produced

PL. VIII.

in

21, which occurs in the abacus of

fig. 8,

m

members,

3 and

slope, as figs.

Sometimes, however, but not very often, the

of

bell remains.

the 5.

Its

form seems capricious, and reducible to no certain rule, though the

profile is often

much

same as in Decorated work.

the

Perhaps greater license was taken in general in designing the moldings of this style than in any other.

The

section of the Perpendicular abacus is a

Thus

of the Decorated scroll-molding. 10,

in

and 12, we see nearly the same form as

and by omitting the under the ordinary profile of

fig.

molding

shown

is

separately

are taken. specified.

A

in

as in figs. 20, 21,

PL. IV.

occupy

numerous

fig.

figs.

7,

in the Decorated

;

we obtain

This debasement of the

15.

It will not be necessary to

places from which our

roll,

mere corruption

PL. XIII.

scroll-

22.

much space

in stating the

sections of capitals

and bases

few only of the most remarkable shall be thus

PL. X.

figs. 7, 8,

are from Frieston, Lincolnshire.

CAPITALS.

Here the this

bell is

of rather unusual form, perhaps

than in the next

PL. X. late in

fig.

the

style, as

and 13

style, as in

PL. XI.

figs. 9,

same

Of the same date and character

place.

Fig. 18

Abbey, very rich and

from the Chapter House of

is

;

19 from Tintern

fig.

Fig. 22

fine in its profile.*

the details of the styles

may form

It is

from Tintern, rather late, and remarkable in is

from Arreton,

of

much

larger size than usual.

elevation of the

XL

Fig. 37

1

and

unusual

is

from Legburn,

in depth) fig.

in the

Fig. 3

fig.

11 from Partney

fig.

;

is

—

all

13 from Waltham.

The

is

fig.

in Lincolnshire. of large

Figs. 15,

identical.

the

is

a fine

;

10 from Fig. 12

(15 inches

size

17; are

16,

This

from Aswardby, Lincolnshire, depth one

22

is

from Fletton, Hunts

the form of the pier capitals at Heckington.

fig.

4

fig.

9 from Sibsey;

same county,

from Lincolnshire, and almost

is

Fig. 40

and depth, in a chapel used as the

from Leverton;

7,

from Bolton Abbey, bell.

from Yaxley

2, are

size

vestry in the church at Boston.

Stickford;

Fig. 29

its profile.

most ordinary form in shafts and clustered piers.

figs.

capital of very

Fig. 28 is

Fig. 30 from Saffron Walden,

Wight.

Isle of

with the nail-head in the hollow above the

18

from Furness

Figs. 23, 24, 26 are from Bolton Abbey.

6,

in

a correct idea of the leading

characteristics of the capitals of this period.

is

shown

is

by studying which, those who are unacquainted with

elevation,

figs.

11, 15, 16, 17.

appears from the undercut scroll-abacus.

Furness Abbey, and has the double bell

PL.

so in

the former from Lincoln Cathedral, the latter

;

from Kuskington.

Abbey.

more

a noble capital from Stickney, Lincolnshire,

9,

Fig. 10 is from the are 12

87

all

is

Fig. foot

;

from Abington, Cambridgeshire.

sections of Decorated capitals in

PL. XII.

are mostly from churches in the neighbourhood of

Cambridge. * for

Fig. 14

The student

many

is

is

not

uncommon

in Transition

caSindge.'

again referred to Potter's illustrations of this abbey and bases, drawn on a large scale. *

beautiful capitals

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

88

to Perpendicular

Louth

at

ment

at

(see

it

;

occurs at Maxey, Northamptonshire,

XL

PL.

fig.

28).

Fig. 13

is

from a

Shelford, near Cambridge.

Little

The

fine

and

monu-

rest of the

sections in this plate are Perpendicular.

PL. XII.

This has a

16, is from Careby, Lincolnshire.

fig.

battlement above, and the double ogee below, the abacus. similar feature is the wave molding, in the

A

same position, in the

Decorated capitals of the nave columns at Dunchurch, Warwickshire.

PL. XII.

This and

19, is from Uffington, near Stamford.

fig.

the next illustrate the methods of obtaining the plane of the

moldings, which in this style should be attended to.

26 and 27 from

23, 24, are from St. Martin's, figs. fig.

28 from

St. George's,

and

fig.

Figs. 22, St. John's,

29 from the Bede House,

all

in Stamford.

PL. XIII. Louth

;

fig. 1, is

figs. 8, 9,

near Cambridge tishall, Norfolk,

neck

circular.

;

12,

from Long Melford, Suffolk

from Colchester

fig 13,

Here the abacus Fig. 18

is

;

fig.

from Fen Ditton is

;

;

14 from Harston, fig

17 from Mat-

octagonal, the bell and

from Els worth Hall,* Norfolk

from Dry Drayton, near Cambridge

4 from

fig.

;

fig.

19

from

;

fig.

16

Saham

Toney. *

An

interesting specimen, very

the Fifteenth Century.

little

known,

of

a moated mansion of

BASES.

89

SECTION

X.

BASES.

The

earliest

examples of bases must be looked

for in the

rude

monolith blocks which support the pillars or pilasters in the

Ante-Norman churches, such and others already mentioned.

as at "Wittering, near

Stamford,

These are often mere shapeless

lumps, laid down as they were raised from the quarry, and consisting only of the single

Norman

member thus

presented to view.

more regular method

architecture first adopted a

in

constructing the footing of a column, and from that arrange-

ment those

of the subsequent styles are readily deduced.

The

Classic pillar was evidently the prototype of all these.

Bases consist, in early work, of at least two distinct members

—the

plinth, or lower step, of solid masonry, generally square

in early work, but octagonal in later

;

and the base-moldings,

a series of annular rolls, slopes, or hollows, taking the form of the column, and forming an ornamental junction between

the shaft and

its essential

constructive

member, the

In Decorated and Perpendicular columns, the plinth

is

plinth.

usually

divided into heights, stages, or tables, by gradually spreading courses, each

separated from the next by a plain or molded

chamfer.

Of Norman bases varieties of

it is

not necessary to treat at length.

form are not numerous

;

and as they do not involve

complex moldings, like the after styles, direct the attention of the

it

will

be sufficient to

student to the upper members, in

which the character of a base may be said principally to

consist.

In shafts, the base often resembles the capital inverted

some instances, the one might be substituted scarcely

The

for the other

any perceptible change of appearance.

;

in

with

Often a bold

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

90

annular

roll,

XIV.

PL. XXI.

fig. 9,

divides the shaft from the plinth.

figs. 3, 7), is

quirked on the under side (as seen iu PL.

Fig. 10 is a

from Fountains Abbey.

Chapter House

shown

PL. XIV.

in

fig.

8,

very

common form

is

from the nave of Peterborough

St. Sepulchre's,

This occurs in

Cathedral.

A

of the same place.

from the

little later,

Cambridge, where

only a the present bases were cut from a very small piece, few inches wide, which alone remained in the eight massive

columns of the circular

The moldings

part.

of the earliest

Norman

bases are frequently

" and gener"little better than scratches upon the surface,"* of two

consist

ally

reverse

curves, a concave above

Nothing

a convex below."

approaching isolated

and

developed

to

members and diswas known

tinct gradations St. Sepulchre,

HelmsloyCh.,

St. Mary's,

Cambridge.

Yorkshire.

Huntingdon.

,

,

the

IU

early

e

,

part

01

,1

tJie

twelfth century.

A

before the Transition period, a modification (often

little

with very

trifling

was introduced, derived.

The

It consists of

departure from the Classic) of the Attic base

from which the Early English

Attic base

is

given in

PL. XIV.

fillets.

If

we compare

the early Italian-Gothic bases,

this

figs. 3, 4, j-

Canterbury Cathedral j (date about 1180),

uppermost

figs. 1

and

2.

two rounds, with an intervening hollow separated

from them by

them rather

directly

is

form with some of

and with one from fig. 5,

we

shall find

identical with than similar to the Classic.

fillet

and curve, or

first

member

The

at the lower ex-

tremity of the shaft, was, however, omitted in most

if

not in

all

* Willis's " Canterbury," p. 76.

From Willis's " Architecture of the Middle Ages." % Canterbury Cathedral has a very French character in the work of William of Sens, and this is more like Classic work than English archif

tecture generally.

BASES. "

cases

and the form

;

was very much

in

from Peterborough Cathedral,

fig. 7,

This example leads us at once

vogue.*

in

91

ordinary Early English base

to the

12), the chief peculiarity of

(fig.

which consists in the intermediate hollow being cut downwards rather than sideioays, and extended from half to three-quarters of a circle, so that

on each

The

example

filleted rolls

above and below the hollow, are naturally formed

side,

by cutting

may

capable of containing water, which

it is

often be observed standing in exterior bases.

the feather edges seen in

off

the

of

base

Transition

is

A

3.

fig.

from

taken

6,

fig.

valuable

the great central piers of Byland Abbey, shortly after some

had revealed

extensive excavations

a great part of the ground-

plan and lower portions of the columns of that once splendid

Here we most

church.

distinctly recognise the peculiar feature

of the Attic base, the side-hollow of circle

must be

of the

place

in

perfectly

may commonly early as

1160

first

—

the lateral semi-

dawn

It

circle.

this water-holding base is

of the Transition style,

be met with in pointed

or 1170.

1

descending three-quarter

remembered that

contemporary with the

fig.

Norman

work,

and

i.e.

as

work of

It is found in the Transition

William of Sens

at Canterbury, f There are two kinds of Early English bases.

by far the most common, fig.

12

either

;

the

is

The

and

form given in PL. XIV.

the other seems to be derived

from

altogether,

omitting

as

in

figs.

thus bringing the or from supplying

similar roll, as

rolls its

fig.

hollow

the 10,

11,

into contact,

place by another

15, or even

member, as

fig. 9,

JSm, iBI

and

by an

interposed square edge, or plinthiform

f >

•*' .

JBm ttmJlm

V (""

IIIIIIf

IPPwK* u

12

the bases of the choir columns in Eivaulx

* The bases of the pointed Nornian columns in the nave Abbey are nearly identical with this. See Potter, PL. X.

—

f

first,

Willis's " Canterbury," p. 76.

of

Buildwas

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

92

Generally, tbis intermediate roll is rather smaller, and

Abbey. often a

little

depressed inwardly, as

16, from Ely.

fig.

base occurs almost invariably in Westminster Abbey.

seldom found except in tbe more advanced or

when geometric windows

the Early Englisb, lights

had begun

Tbis It is

period of

florid

of two or

more

Hence was

to supersede the single lancet.

at once derived the ordinary Decorated base, figs. 33, 34, 35.

In very rich Early English bases there are often double hollows between filleted rolls

row

—

after the analogy of the double

And below

of moldings to the bell in capitals.

some

annular

rolls,

double, or even triple.

PL.

distance, occur other series of very bold single,

these, at

XIV.

fig.

great

pier

18,

is

the base

Lincoln

in

of

a

Cathedral.

Fig. 26, from the beautiful Galilee at Ely,

where the bases are worked

out of hard Purbeck marble, and have

been elaborately polished.

all

27

is

PL. XXI. of

Peterborough Cathedral.

Fig.

from Skelton, near York.

the most

fig.

an example,

4, is

ordinary

form,

from

the revestry or chapter-room at Kipon Cathedral.

Fig. 7

Sometimes the fig.

25.

In

Attic base.

fig.

is

from York Cathedral.

fillet is

omitted in the upper

Fig. 18, from Lincoln Cathedral,

detail, of great richness

Furness Abbey,

roll,

as

PL. XIV.

20, the hollow again approaches that of the

is

remarkable

the upper member.

is

and considerable spread. for the

a fine piece of

Fig. 30, from

omission of the hollow in

The examples given

in elevation, figs.

28

and 29, the former from Tintern, the latter from Furness Abbey, will convey a correct idea of the general appearance.*

The spread

of the base generally equals that of the capital, or nearly so. *

These engravings are slightly incorrect, from the shaft not standing

true in the centre.

BASES.

There

93

something extremely elegant in the form of

is

the more usual kind of Early English base over, surprising to notice the uniformity vails

hoth in

form

(figs.

it

and the

and

;

may

The

plainer

possibly have gradually

superseded the more elaborate, either from the

complex work of the

this,

more-

is,

which everywhere pre-

capital of this period.

10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 21)

it

and

difficult

or because the hollow was exter-

latter,

nally apt to be filled up with standing water, moss, or earth,

and internally with dust and found to be. ing had

much

Probably the desire of forming a better weatherinfluence in the change.

In Early English bases large spreading roll,

it

also to be

is

the block,, with which

is

This

is

almost invariable

marked

the nave-piers at Trumpington cut away, so that

flat

overhangs

it

39, from the doorway in the

Mary's This

is

Abbey, York; generally a

fig.

mark

(fig.

under-edge, as

fig.

35, from 42, from

or the part of the base below

;

clear, as fig. 40, the

the beautiful central column in the Chapter fig.

;

difference in this part is observable.

usually find either the scroll-molding

Coton, near Cambridge) or a

it

same

mentioned particularly with reference to Decorated

bases, where a

Here we

worked out of

is placed, is

usually stands flush, or in the

it

plane, by a quirk or angular nook. it

remarked that the

which forms the lower of the two mem-

bers between which the deep hollow

and

almost invariably be

dirt, as it will

same place

45, from

;

House fig.

Fishtoft,

at

base of

Wells

;

37, from St.

Lincolnshire.

when

of late or florid Early English,

found in work of the thirteenth century, as PL. XXI.

fig. 5,

an elegant base from the library of York Cathedral.

One

of the

PL. XIV.

fig.

commonest Decorated bases 35

;

the

but often only two, as the uppermost a

is

number

fig.

34.

that

shown

in

of rolls being generally three,

In

fig.

39 there are four

of lead, by which the shaft is fastened.

few modifications of this form occur

very complex.

is

;

;

but

Not

but they are seldom

Fig. 43 is from the nave-pillars at Bottisham,

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

94

near Cambridge

38

fig.

;

from the arcade in the Lady

is

Here the lower

Chapel at Ely, worked in Purbeck marble.

member

is

the roll-and-fillet, which

partially developed

in

41,

fig.

not

is

the side hollow of the Attic base.

usual profile

;

it

Tintern

—

It is

from Over and Histon

example which retains a singular trace in

its

an

;

upper member

PL. XV.

fig. 3, is

of

of un-

from the chancel at Over, Transition to

is

PL. XIV.

Perpendiculav.

uncommon.

fig.

33,

is

from the nave-piers at

already noticed as a specimen of the inverted scroll-

molding.

Fig. 44

is

from Boston.

This form

is

not unusual

late in the style.

Decorated bases are often

stilted, or raised

above the

floor,

with the plinth formed by graduated stages or tables, as before described.

This principle was carried to an extravagant excess

the next style

in

some instances,

in

;

western tower at Ely, the uppermost

is

member

The lower

eight feet from the ground.

as

those under

the

stands six or even

part of Decorated bases

sometimes octagonal, or polygonal, as in the columns which

support the octagon at Ely

;

and sometimes these faces are

In the Decorated columns support-

fluted or hollow-chamfered.

ing the vault of the Lady Cbapel at Wells, the base-moldings are raised a considerable height

from the

floor.

In the choir at

the Temple Church (1240), the principle of stilting the bases

may

*

be seen, the plinth being very large and high, and the

moldings approximating

to the

Decorated

profile.

Instead of the three half-rounds which ordinarily constitute the Decorated base, one member, generally the second, but often

the

first, is

sometimes, as

what might be

were, scooped out in the middle, in

called the inverted wave-molding, so as to

an ogee curvature.

Lady Chapel,

it

This

seen in PL,

is

Ely), 40, and 42.

the next style (PL.

Compare PL. XXI.

XV. fig.

York Cathedral, with

figs. 1 6,

XIV.

figs.

form

36 (from the

Hence the bell-shaped base of and 2) was immediately derived.

a Decorated base from the nave of

fig. 8,

a Perpendicular base from

Ripon

BASES.

The sharp under-edge

Cathedral.

former example

is

95

member

of the second

in the

a peculiar feature, decisive of Decorated work.

So similar, however, are the two forms, that some pure Deco-

may

rated bases

occasionally be found which would have been

equally correct in a Perpendicular column.

seems

from the several

to be derived

rolls

This ogee curve

which we have seen

were used

in the bases, being a natural

repetition.

It does not appear to occur in early, or geometric

to avoid

variation

Decorated.

But few examples of Decorated bases have been any important

varieties

sufficiently frequent occurrence to render

trate

them.

.

They

standing but a

and thus

are very chaste

little

of modest

given, because

from the forms described are not of

above the

it

necessary to illus-

and elegant

in profile

;

often

floor-line, especially in shafts,

They

and unpretending contour.

the most part of decided character

;

and where any

are for

difficulty

occurs in determining their date, an inspection of the capital,

according to the rules already laid down, will readily remove

The bases

of Perpendicular

in degrees of richness

columns are various

a

is

it.

but rather

and the number of gradations than in

difference of form in the principal characteristic

;

large

members.

The

prevailing-

bell-shaped

spread in the upper part, often rest-

ing on a cushion-like member,

forming with

it

PL. XV.

ogee in section. 2, are

correct

and

the contour of a double figs.

1

and

from Crosby Hall, and give a representation

ordinary kind.

of

the

most

It will be particularly

observed that the lower part

is

almost

invariably octagonal, the upper being

generally round, though sometimes, as

$he capital always

is,

octagonal.

Lancaster.

From

the great size and height of the best examples, they are not so

—

—

;

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

96

easily engraved iu a small space;

enough specimens Fig. 5

stances.

Stamford

fig.

;

Colchester

PL. XV., however,

contains

to guide the student under ordinary circumis

from Louth

20 from

fig.

;

17 from Haslingfield

fig.

;

'

.

;

13 from All

fig.

Edward's, Cambridge

St.

Saints',

18 from Holy Trinity, ;

21 from

fig.

Heme, Kent.

s

Almost every Perpendicular base has either one or more stages, sloping off

16,

by a hollow ledgement or -chamfer, as

17; or by a second bell-shaped slope, as

figs. 15,

5, 6, 14.

figs.

The ancient name' for the lower member was the ground-table* (especially

when

applied to mural basement moldings).

Perpendicular bases have an annular of capitals, *

The

for

the uppermost member.

following note

clature," § 39

is

All

resembling the neck

roll,

This

is

often

the

taken from Willis's "Architectural Nomen-

:

The word leggement simply implies lying

or horizontality

;

but as

all

tables are horizontal the epithet cannot be in this case applied in its

general sense, but may fairly be taken in the more limited one of a basement, the whole mass of which lies on the ground below the wall and this is confirmed by the two examples of Fotheringhay and Eton, in which, as I shall show, the basement moldings are described under this epithet.

At the end of the Fotheringhay contract it is covenanted that the mason, W. Horwode, shall be paid by instalments as the work rises, thus, to begin, " when he hath hewyn and set his ground-table stones and his Ugements, and the wall thereto wythyn and without as it ought 8 to be well and duly made, then he shall haf vj 11 xijj iiij d ." The directions for these members in the body of the contract are unfortunately interrupted by an illegible portion, which I shall .

venture to supply as follows

.

:

—

XXXIII. "The ground of the same body and isles to be maad within the erthe under *he ground-table-stones with rough stone and fro the ground-table-stone (to the legements and alio the remanent of the said body and isles unto the bight of the said Quire, with clene hewen Asshler altogedir in the outer side unto the full hight of the said Quire and all the inner side of rough stone except the bcncli-table-sloncs," etc. ;

full

;

This passage shows that the legement-table was immediately above the ground-table, and we may therefore assign b, in adjoining example, to the-

—

ground-table, and d, to the legement-table.

.

;

BASES.

97

debased roll-aud-fillet shown in PL. "VIII. fig.

fig.

15, or the debased scroll-molding, as in

This feature

is

almost invariable, and

is

21, as in

PL. XV.

PL. XV.

fig.

18.

not found in the same

isolated form in any other style. It is singular that edge lines occur less in

Perpendicular

than in any other bases, almost every point being carefully

rounded

There

off.

unbroken

a peculiar naknedess in the straight

is

line of the lower or ground-table, rising, as it does,

abruptly from the floor to the height of two feet and more, as in the interior of King's College Chapel; but the bell of remarkably graceful form,

contour of PL. XIV.

and

figs.

and perhaps few

29 or 32,

to that of

is

will prefer the

PL. XV.

figs.

1

2.

Fig. 4

Carbrook

from the Lady Chapel, Peterborough

is ;

fig.

7 from

from Norwich Cathedral

Swanton Morley

—

all in

Saham ;

fig.

14 from

fig.

22 from Saffron Walden.

St. John's,

fig.

;

Stamford

figs. 12, 1 5, ;

;

fig.

;

6 from

fig.

8 from Dereham

10 from Mattishall

Norfolk

fig.

;

fig.

;

fig.

9

11 from

from Colchester

16 from

St.

Albans

;

MANUAL- OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

98

SECTION

XI.

HOOD-MOLDINGS AND STRING-COURSES.

This

by no means an unimportant branch of the study of

is

Gothic moldings, the varieties and peculiar characteristics of the styles being as well hitherto described.

defined in

such

Of the immense

details

diversity of forms only

some of the most ordinary can be enumerated ; irregularities constantly occur, which, as they,

to no certain rule, hardly claim

principles of a system.

the character

is

as in any

for capricious

seem reducible

a place in laying do.wn the

Yet, though the form

may

be arbitrary,

generally maintained.

PL. XVI. contains a

series of

moldings of this sort

(for

hood-

moldings and string-courses must be classed together, being in fact very, often identical, or the

one continued .from the other),

divided into three parts, illustrating the three styles. It has

been

before

observed

regarded as the successors of

that

string-courses

may be

the horizontal lines by which

Classical is principally distinguished from Gothic architecture

and the importance of them that

all

masonry

is

made up

will be felt

when

it is

;

remembered

of successive layers, so that they

form a most genuine piece of decorative construction, and are almost essential to the feeling of repose.

They

consist of pro-

jecting ledges of stone, carried below windows, both within

without

;

and

round buttresses and other angular projections ; and

in cornices, parapets, tower-stages,

used as dividing lines to

set off

and other parts of

edifices,

one particular portion as distinct

from another. Though subordinate, and seemingly insignificant, details,

they are of the greatest possible importance in imparting

a character to a building.

Sometimes, breaking playfully from

the horizontal, they rise in graduated and rectangular heights.

•

HOOD-MOLDINGS AND STRING-COURSES. Sometimes carried over a doorway or round an arch into the wall

;

now, as

now

;

by

reappearing on the other

it,

starting aloof into a window-label,

fantastic tricks before again descending relieves

now dying

were, passing into some interrupting

it

projection, and, nothing baffled side

;

99

naked masonry, and binds

and playing the most

a string-course at once

;

into a whole the geemjngly

detached portions of a rambling and irregular construction.

In most cases, especially in windows, weathering, and of course adapts

it

forms a real drip or

upper surface especially

its

Hood-moldings, when used internally, cannot he

to this end.

said to have any real use

but they form a decorative

;

finish of

too important a kind to be neglected with impunity.

Norman profile

—

the

as

billet,

the

some sculptured decoration of the

is

or three only are given in figs. 6, 7, 8,

or

serrated

The. plain half-hexagon, or square

molding, and the like.

Two

the hatched

chevron,

bead with chamfered angles,

kind, viz.,

In most

of edges or hard chamfered surfaces.

cases they are adorned with style,

and massive

string-courses are generally of heavy

full

and

9.

one of the commonest forms.

PL. XVL. The

as specimens of the

latter is

from the chancel-

arch,* at St. Giles's, Cambridge, erected before the year 1100.

The semi-hexagon, grooved

or

worked on the middle of the outer

face similar to that in fig. 8, is frequently found.

Not

less.than

eleven of this form, with varieties scarcely perceptible and merely accidental, are given in

Abbey.

PL. XIX.

The upper edge

weathei*ed off;

of Potter's

is often left

work on Buildwas

square, instead of being

and the wide but shallow form presents an

appearance suiting well with the massive character of the work

and the low

relief decoration,

though not relieved by the dark

shadows caused by undercutting the lower surface.

The commonest Early English, PL. XVI.

figs.

strings are those given in

13, 15, 18, 22, 25.

very often be found.

They

Figs. 10 and 12

follow the

* Rebuilt in the South Aisle

of

may

same changes

new Church.

h

2

also

as the

;;

MANUAL OP GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

100

on

abaci of capitals of which several successive forms are given

the most

fig.

to

71),

fig.

19 from Eivaulx

The

latter is curious

fig.

;

fig.

;

from

11

Fig.

17 from Tintern 21 from Byland.

form

its late

(see

though the date is about 1200. The same remark applies

20, from Furness, in which even the characteristic Perpen-

dicular ogee of

fig.

4 occurs. Fig. 23 is from Lincoln Minster.

is peculiarly elegant,

and of frequent occurrence. Fig. 24

All Saints', Stamford. Fig. 25 has the scroll-molding;

Both

roll-and-fillet complete.

work.

is

striking characteristic of this, as of

from Furness Abbey

fig.

Early English.

but the undercutting

style,

other moldings of the style.

all is

of the upper edge

The rounding

page 77.

began in this

Fig. 28 generally

are equally

common

perhaps also very

frequent

35 or 48.

figs.

common.

fig.

and

II. is

I.

Figs. 44, 49, 53, are

The scroll-moldiDg with

a half-round next below

the

it,

characteristic, as fig. 36.

same as

Fig. 43 is from the vestibule of the Chapter Fig. 50 is from fig.

House

at Wells,

Cambridge

45 from Bottisham.

weathering, styles ;

mon

of the upper side, or

is characteristic

of the

first

two

the angular or chamfered of the last

—although ciple of the

Fig. 41 is gene-

Over, near

The rounded form

Tradition strings.

in

very

is

found in Transition to Perpendicular.

rally

early in the style.

26 the

Decorated form

the abacus of capitals of this period, Decorated.

It

from

in Decorated

marks the time of Edwards

The most

is

this peculiarity is also very

com-

In this

in late Decorated buildings.

respect a i so string-courses follow the prin-

abacus of capitals.*

PL. XVI. figs. 52 and

* Early English strings are often continued from the abaci which perhaps accounts for this fact.

55,

may

of capitals,

HOOD-MOLDINGS AND STRING-COURSES. therefore be pronounced late in the style.

101

Undercuttings,

it

has already been remarked, occur principally in the time of

Edwards

and

I.

II., as figs. 32, 44, 51.

and

Perpendicular strings

marked by the sloping plane figs.

The

60, 61.

hood-moldings

almost

it

impossible

merous as they

Usually there

is

tolerable

uniformity.

a small bowtell in the lowest

and

part, as in figs. 57, 59, 62, 64, 68, 71,

others,

more or less

clearly developed. .

.

fig.

16, from

p

i

mark

rather a characteristic

PL. XX.

fillet,

Perpendicular Strings.

i

t

Grantham Church,

Fig. 18 is a string-course from the

fig.

This

of the style.

same

most ordinary forms are PL. XVI. double ogee, as

be

are, they will generally

found to recur with

under

are so

anything

give

to

complete account of them; yet, nu-

like a

is

generally

PL. XVI.

underneath

the parts

details of

varied as to render

are

of the upper surface, as

is

another example.

Perhaps the

place.

The

61, 68, 71.

figs.

60, and the combination of the ogee with the

already described, as in

figs.

58, 77, often occur.

Fig. 78 exhibits the peculiar Perpendicular form already pointed out.

A

semicircle

sunk

in the

jecting diagonally,, as in

under side of half a square pro-

66, is

fig.

also a

common

Embattled string-courses occur now and then in

variety.

this style, as in

the cornice of the aisles at Cromer Church, Norfolk.

In copying string-courses,

it

is

better to

draw the parts of

the wall above and below perpendicularly on the paper, not only for a guide to

show the

which, without this,

direction of inclination or projection,

is left

quite indefinite, but also because the

wall often recedes above the string, or even overhangs,

The angles

as" fig.

56.

of the chamfers can best be attained by bending a

piece of lead across them.

Sometimes a

against the wall and the under part, as

foot-rule fig.

67,

may be bent

and thus the

exact angle can readily be transferred to paper.

Much more might, and

indeed ought, to be said on the subject

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

102

of moldings, were

the intention of the writer to attempt any-

it

For example, there yet remain

thing like a complete essay.

wholly unnoticed several important cases of the application of

moldings in Gothic architecture.

Basements, weatherings of

cappings of parapets

and battlements, plans of

buttresses,

groin-ribs, timbers of roofs,

monials,

many and

besides

the

floriated

moldings, are

But a great book declared

;

and

it

interesting varieties of ornamental all

or

well deserving of the closest attention.

a great

is

and other wood-work,

evil,

as a philosopher of old has

has been the wish of the author rather to win

the attention of the reader, by pointing out the way to copy and observe, than to deter

and heavy book.

him by

the uninviting form of a grave

Quite enough has been said,

it is

conceived,

to illustrate the really essential principles of the science.

no one need

feel

any

details of the styles, laid

down

difficulty or perplexity in

who

And

recognizing the

will take the trouble to apply the rules

in this little work.

CONCLUSION.

SECTION

103

XII.

CONCLUSION.

In studying the history and development of moldings in the ancient buildings in this country there is

much

that

is

larged

when the student

feels that

has been done heretofore, but, for designs

may

he

if

I

he

is

may

is

term

his alphabet,

it,

himself make in the future.

him

kind, that the study of the subject will assist

be,

siven'ess

and

whether he

and

is

Whatever the

wishing to make

by

its solid character, or

adjusted

carefully

render this by the

flat

proportion,

of designing

some ornament of

so sure to find himself requiring

his design to a successful issue.'

may

en-

learning not only what

so

Whatever building he may have the opportunity he

of great

much

interest to the antiquary, but that interest is very

this

in bringing

class of building

it effective

by

its delicacy of

whether

he

mas-

its

treatment

chooses

to

broad moldings of the Norman period,

or the deeply cut and sharply defined molding of the Early

English period, or the softer and rounder outlines of the Decorated, or

he chooses

if

later work, his

has been done, and his experience of the

more surely than anything work as

will. produce

else,

enable

him

the effect he is aiming

Whether, again, he limits his aims whether he uses his study

to enable

him

knowledge of what

effect

to

produced,

to set out such

at.

mere

selection,

or

to design, as far' as

he

he indulges in mere inventing,

has powers to do

so, or

his knowledge of

what has been done must be of value

One

of the

molding

is

first

the use

even

if

things to be considered in it is

intended

for.

He

it

illustrates the ordinary square angle,

is

to

him.

designing a

Mr. Euskih

brings an example of what I mean, though case.

will,

forcibly

a very simple

and shows that

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

104

in

order to prevent the probable chipping and breaking of

a fine edge, the angle was simply rounded

was not Art

it

:

;

he says, this

but, as

was only when the angle was

treated further,

m. 'At

M1 A m

W

Wm^

either as a simple bead or a

mind

of the artist stepped in

really

was

illk

more enriched molding, that the and yet the use of

;

to obtain a surface that

would have a

molding

this

fair

chance of

retaining its form without damage.

A

prominent

very

course

is

to

of the

use

throw the water

running down and staining the wall that

it

will

do this

—a care

ordinary exterior

off the building ;

string-

and prevent

its

and care should be taken

not always thought of in modern

buildings.

Take, again, the case of the ordinary Arcade found in almost

The

.every church.

wall carrying the

main roof

is to

so as to extend the area of the floor into the aisles

:

be pierced

if this

were

done simply by leaving square piers and rectangular arches, the value of

much

space would

be

lost,

and therefore the

columns were reduced in section and the strength maintained

by making them

work

solid stone instead of

of the Artist

comes when

this

and where the

capital is

again where the arch it

is

to

And

formed to receive the arch, and

divided into its various parts to

work harmoniously with the

accomplishing these ends

the

be enlarged

same support from the founda-

at the base so that there is the tion,

mere walling.

column has

may

capital,

&c.

make

The manner

of

Some

of

be varied immensely.

the methods used in ancient work are described above, and the object of the Artist is so to bring all these parts together, that

"

CONCLUSION.

105

while gaining the utmost utility the design forms one harmo-

nious whole.

In order

this there are one or two points

to obtain

should be carefully studied.

In the

first

which

place, moldings should

be designed with a careful attention to the position from which

To say

they will be most commonly seen. surface of the base

and the lower

that the upper

side of the capital should be

those molded seems too obvious to need pointing out

same principle should be carried out where obvious, and where to

make

it

As an

it effective.

old work, I

requires a

may mention

little

it

is

an

but the

not quite so

thought

instance of this in

a purlin which was

taken down in Pembroke College, Cambridge.

The

;

^^HUli

)>

natural tendency of the draughtsmen in office

would be to

moldings

set out the

symmetrically, the roll being placed so that the hollow molds

on each side were alike

;

but the Artist who built Pembroke

noted the fact that the upper side would be

than the lower when viewed

from the

much

floor,

less

seen

and therefore

widened the upper side thus. Other instances

will continually occur,

molding

and

the thought

of where

chiefly seen

from should be continually pre-

the

will

be

^..^^^

-'ij|||jjf\

^^^H/^ ''--•''

sent.

The

question of

scale, is also

a most impor-

Few have any

idea, until they

have been

startled with the appearance of their finished work,

how small

tant consideration.

a molding looks eye, that

And

when executed and placed

had seemed very

large

when on

a few feet from the

the drawing-board.

nothing but actual measurement of executed work, new or

old, will ever fix this

When

this

on the mind.

preliminary difficulty

is

overcome, there

still

remains that of 'whether the work will be coarse from an over attempt to be bold, or weak from a too intense desire to bo

MANUAL OF GOTHIC MOLDINGS.

106

To

refined. free

between these

—

to

scope and emphasize a feature by a

and when is

steer clearly

to

know when

little

draw attention by an exceeding

to allow

over boldness,

delicate treatment,

the knowledge of the Artist which study and experience alone

can give.

The

principles of design are beyond the scope of

this little book, but

points that

may be

it

has been thought well to note a few

useful to the student and those

their career, in the

hope

that,

years on their early work, they

may

the experience of failure in obtaining at.

in future

find that they have learnt

by study and observation what others have had aiming

commencing

when they look back

to discover

by

the results they were

Plate

J.if.ZelX&tji.i! sc.

London..

Gurney &

Ja-dkaaa.,

Paternoster Bow.

1

PLATE

I.

1.

Plain Saxon "Window (Diagram).

2.

4.

Example Example Diagram

5.

Do.

3.

8.

Chamfered Window.

of Sub-arch.

.Chamfered.

do.

—Arch Mold. Cherry Hinton— Cambridgeshire — Chancel Arch. Little Casterton — Transition Norman Arch.

6. Little 7.

of Chamfer. of Thirteenth-Century

Casterton

—

Horningsea, Cambridgeshire c. 1190. Waterbeach, do. Broach Stop. 11. Friesland, Lincolnshire Norman Pier Arch. Early English Pier Arch. do. 12. Skirbeck, 13. Great Grimsby. 9.

10.

—

14. Clee, Lincolnshire.

15. Adel, near Leeds. 16. St. Mary's, Ely. 17. Clee, Lincolnshire

—Respond.

22.

—Groin Eib. Benet's, Lincoln. Lincoln Cathedral — Doorway in Precincts. Fig. 6 enlarged. Bobertsbridge Abbey — Groin Bib.

23.

Diagram

18. Tintern

Abbey

19. St.

20. 21.

of Pointed

and Side

24. Fig. 19 enlarged. 25. Little Casterton, Rutland.

Filleted Bowtell.

Plate 11 4

m# f-

j

§

London. &uni«y *

Ulsii

ul

Jaiiceoii.

Paternoster Row

3Hifii_

i

—

PLATE

1.

2. 3. 5.

6. 7. 8. 9.

10.

II.

—

Middle Basen Early English Pier Arch. Ludborough, Lincolnshire Doorway. Langtoft, Chancel Arch. ,do. Great Grimsby, do. South Porch, Jamb. Cherry Hinton, Cambridgeshire North Door. Do. Chancel Door, do. Do. Pier Arch. do. Over, Doorway. do. Diagram of Planes a Chamfer Plane. b Soffit Plane, c Wall Plane.

—

—

11. Over, Cambridgeshire. 13. 14.

Do. Madingley,

do. do.

17. 18. 19.

do.

—Pier Arch. Trumpington, Cambridgeshire —Doorway. Tintern Abbey— Groin Bib. Cambridge, Clement's — South Doorway. Cherry Hinton— Inner Door, South Porch.

15. Stamford, All Saints' 16.

Window Jamb.

St.

Interior.

Plate

S3

m

Fiji

ml im

l

_

mK mm 1 * '

•

A

HI 1

k

Hi V

'.

J

^HW J.If.Ze A'

London.:

Gurney &

Jackson.,

Paternoster Row.

i,:r

jr

PLATE

1.

2.

3. 4. 5.

6. 7.

—

III.

Louth Early English Doorway. Plymouth Belfry Arch. Ely Cathedral Pier Arches, Choir. Robertsbridge Abbey Groin Rib. Tintern Abbey Fragment. St. Mary's Abbey, York Fragment. Eobertsbridge Abbey Groin Bib.

—

— —

— —

8.

All Saints', Stamford.

9.

Histon, Cambridgeshire

—

—

—Arch over Piscina and Capital.

Northants Chancel Arch. 11. Furness Abbey Chapter House. 12. St. Peter Gowts, Lincoln. 13. Euskington, Lincolnshire. 10. Wittering,

—

14. Utterby,

do.

15. Attleborough, Norfolk. 16.

Common

form

of

Decorated Pier.

17. Skelton, near York.

18. St. John's, Stamford. 19. St. Martin's,

do.

20. St. Mary's,

do.

BARXT EWGLISH.

jOP^'lS

Lon&tm: Girrney* Jaclnjoiv, Paternoster Row.

PLATE

1.

2. 3.

4. 5.

6. 7. 8.

.

Diagram of Boll Molding. Beymerston, Norfolk. Diagram of first sketch of Mold. Barholme semi-Norman Arch.

— —

Barnack Early English Arch. Trumpington Belfry Arch. Glastonbury— c. 1200— Groin Bib. Peterborough Cathedral— Groin Bib.

—

10.

Diagram Diagram

11.

Ludborough, Lincolnshire

9.

IV.

of possible first formation of Fillet.

of

common

form, Boll and Triple Fillet.

— Chancel Doorway.

12.)

Lincoln Cathedral. 13.} 14.

Yaxley, Hunts

15.

—Doorway. — —

16.

Furness Abbey Groin Bib. Lincoln Cathedral Arcade.

17.

Diagram

18.

Do. Do. Do. Do. Do.

19.

20. 21. 22.

of Boll

and

Fillet.

do.

Broad

Fillet.

Scroll Molding.

Fleur-de-lis Molding.

variety of Scroll Molding.

DECORATED.

Lantfon:

Oaww * Jackson, Paternoster

Row.

PLATE

—

2.

Boston Monument. Great Ellingham Doorway.

3.

Attleborough, Norfolk

4.

Boston

1.

5.

6. 7.

V.

—

—West Doorway. —Inner Doorway, South Porch. Ewerby— Monument. Northborough, Northants—Window Jamb. Benington, Lincolnshire — Interior of Window Jamb.

Heckington, do. Interior of Window Jamb. Do. do. Inner Jamb, East Window. 10. Benington, do. Exterior Jamb of Window. 11. Hingharn, Norfolk Chancel Doorway. 12. Attleborough Doorway. 8.

9.

—

13.

West

14.

Hingharn

—

Keal, Lincolnshire

—Window.

—Belfry Arch.

Decorated Pier. Stretham, Cambridgeshire. 17. Variety of Decorated Pier. 15. Variety of 16.

DECORATED

J.ff.ZcfiTctucso-

London. Qurncy .

tc

Jackson., Paternoster Row.

PLATE

VI.

— Doorway. —West Door.

1.

Little Ellingham, Norfolk

2.

Hingham, Norfolk

3.

4.

Do.

do.

Pier Arch.

Boston—Pier Arch.

—-Window Jamb.

5.

Sleaford

6.

Deopham Doorway. Boston Monument in Church Hingham North Doorway.

7.

8. 9.

—

— —

Double Ogee and Hollow. Do. Ellingham, Norfolk Doorway. Deopham Inner Doorway, South Porch. Benington, Lincolnshire South Porch. Hardingham, Norfolk Archway. Boston East Window, Double Ogee and Hollow.

—

10. Little 11.

12. 13. 14.

(a, Soffit).

—

—

—

—

15. Stoke Golding, Leicestershire.

DECORATED.

London- Qurney

tc

Jackson. Paternoster Row.

PLATE

VII.

—

5.

West Doorway. Diagram, Double Chamfer. Trumpington West Doorway. _ Do. Pier Arch. Eivaulx Fragment.

6.

Fen

7.

Northborough, Northants Doorway. Peterborough Outer Archway, west entrance Yaxley, Hunts Window. Clipsham, Butland. Horbling, Lincolnshire. Over, Cambridgeshire Window in Chancel. Northborough Outer Porch Doorway. Eivaulx, Yorkshire Fragment. Do. do. Groin Eib. West Keal Doorway. Wave Molds and Hollow. Swanton Morley, Norfolk.

1.

2. 3. 4.

8.

9.

10. 11.

12. 13. 14-.

15. 16.

17. 18.

19.

20. 21.

22.

Llandaff Cathedral

—

—

Stanton,

Hunts

—Window. —

—

to precincts.

—

—

—

—

—

Hingham, Trumpington

do.

Window.

—East Window. Keddington (or Ketton), Suffolk — Chancel Window. Thurlby, Lincolnshire — Piscina. —

South Doorway. Mold. b Sunken Chamfer. c Deopham Belfry Arch.

23. Langtoft, Lincolnshire

a Shallow

Wave

—

JILZcSkuo, so.

London..

Qnrney &

Jaokaorv, Fa.temoet.er Row.

PLATE

1.

Uffington, near Stamford

2.

Dereham, Norfolk

3.

VIII,

—West Doorway.

—West Doorway in isolated Tower. Saham Toney, do. —West Doorway.

4.

Fishtoft, Lincolnshire.

5.

East Window. Doorway. Louth, Doorway. do. Stewton, Window Jamb. do. Lincoln— Oriel Window. Chesterton, Cambridgeshire East Window. Lincoln Cathedral South Choir Chapel. St. Sepulchre's, Cambridge Arch. Great Gransden, near St. Neots,' Hunts Niche. Staplefprd, Cambridgeshire East Window. Great Shelford, do. Inner Doorway, South Porch. Holy Trinity, Colchester Pier Arch.

6. 7. 8.

9.

10. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

Leverton,

do.

Partney,

do.

— — — — Long Melford, Suffolk-Pier Arch. Martin's, Stamford — Doorway. —

19. St.

20. 21.

Do. Louth.

do.

Pier Arch.

—

7 KfiPENDICULAB.

.

J- H. £$ JO-t. jt so.

Landaxt:

Oanuy * JacTcson.

,

Paternoster How.

EATU.Y ENGLISH CAPITALS.

^

in? a =fT'

J.ff.Ed HTsuas, sc-

Londbn.:

Qumey & Jackson, Paternoster

Sow.

PLATE

X.

1.

Diagram

3.

5.

Laceby, Lincolnshire. Middle Basen, do. Walesby, do.

7.

Frieston,

4.

8. 9.

of

rudimentary Capital.

do.

Do.

do.

Stiekney,

do.

Do. do. 12. Lincoln Cathedral. 13. Kuskington. 16. Great Abington, Cambridgeshire. 17. Thurlby, Lincolnshire. 18.. Furness Abbey, Chapter House. 19. Tintern Abbey. 22. Furness Abbey. 23.. Bolton Abbey, Yorkshire. 24. ' < Do. do. 26. Do. do. 28. Tintern Abbey. 29. Arreton, Isle of Wight. 30. Saffron Walden, Essex. 37. Bolton Abbey. 38. Early English Abacus. 39. Decorated Abacus. 40; Early English Capital. 10.

.

BE C ORATED CAPI TAL S

£ITJ.eZe.'J«.«K.

toiidon: \XBCBxy k Jackaon PateragaJSP. Rov .

PLATE

1.

2.

•

Yaxley, Hunts.

Do.

do.

3.

Fletton, Hunts.

4.

Boston, Lincolnshire do. Leverton,

6.

XI.

7.

Do.

do.

9.

Sibsey,

do.

10. Stickford,

do.

11. Partney,

do.

12.

Legburn,

do.

13.

Waltham,

do.

18.

Aswardby,

do.

— Chapel used as Vestr*

22. Abingtbn, Cambridgeshire. 28. Louth.

London. Onrney

A;

Jackson Pat ernoster Row. ,

PLATE

XII.

— Capital of

11.

Trumpington, Cambridgeshire

13.

Little Shelford,

14.

15.

Maxey, Northamptonshire. Hinghan, Norfolk Nave Piers.

16.

Careby, Lincolnshire.

—

Uffington,

19.

22.

do.

do.

-I

23. 1st. Martin's, Stamford. 24.

J

26."\

27

J-St.

John's,

do.

28.

St. George's,

do.'

29.

Bede House,

do.

Nave Monument.

Pier.

PERPENDICULAR CAPITALS.

London: Qurxicy

6c

Jackeon..

Paternoster

Row

PLATE

XIII.

1.

Long Melted,

4.

Louth, Lincolnshire.

Suffolk.

9. }-Colchester.

12. J

Fen Ditton, Cambridgeshire. Harston, do. 16. Dry Drayton, do.

13.

14.

17.

Mattishall, Norfolk.

18.

Elsworth Hall, do. Saham Toney, do.

19.

k 2

Bate XIV

J.fT.Ze 7&uj£, se.

London.: G-urney

& Jackson

,

Paieraooter

"Raw.

PLATE

a /Attic i}'

XIV.

Base.

3.\Italian Gothic Bases, from Willis's " Architecture of the Middle

Ages." Canterbury Cathedral. Central Piers. 6. By land Abbey v 7. Peterborough Cathedral. Do. do. 8. Choir Columns. 9. Bivaulx Abbey

4./ 5.

—

-

—

16.

Ely Cathedral.

17.

Base of Great do. Do. Furness Abbey. Ely Cathedral— Galilee.

18. 20.

26.

Lincoln Cathedral

—

27.

Skelton, near York.

28.

Tintern Abbey. Furness Abbey. Do. do. Tintern Abbey Nave Piers. Coton, Cambridgeshire. Ely Cathedral— Lady Chapel. St. Mary's Abbey, York.

29. 30. 33. 35. 36. '37.

Piers.

—

43.

Ely Cathedral— Lady Chapel. Wells Cathedral Doorway. do. Central Column, Chapter House. Do. Over and Histon, Cambridgeshire. Trumpington Nave Pier. Bottisham, Cambridgeshire Nave Piers.

44.

Boston,' Lincolnshire.

45.

Fishtoft,

38. 39.

40. 41. 42.

—

—

do.

—

2E.ZeJfouc.tf6>

London..

Ourney

&* Jackson.,

Paternoster Row.

PLATE XV.

5.

Crosby Hall. Do. do. Over, Cambridgeshire Chancel. Peterborough Cathedral Lady Chapel. Louth.

6.

Carbrook, Norfolk.

1.

2. 3.

4.

—

—

7.

Sahara,

8.

Dereham, do. Norwich Cathedral.

9.

do.

10. Mattishall, Norfolk.

11.

Swanton Morley,

do.

12. Colchester. 13. All Saints', Stamford. 14. St. John's,

do.

15. Colchester.

16. St. Alban's

Abbey.

17. Haslingfield, Cambridgeshire. 18.

Holy

Trinity, Colchester.

20. St. Edward's, Cambridge. 21.

Heme, Kent.

22. Saffron

Walden, Essex.

STRINGS -AND LABELS.

J.3.ZeJJ!ewx:. jr.

London.: Qurnajr

tk

Jaeltoon.,

Paternoster Row.

PLATE

Examples

'd

of Strings,

XVI.

Hood Molds, &c, from

^

various sources.

/

Plate XV11

LanSaa.:

Quinsy it Jackson., Paternoster Row.

PLATE

1.

2. 3.

4. 5.

6. 8.

9.

10.

Bottisham, Cambridgeshire

XVII.

—

South Porch. Do. do. North Porch. Do. do. South Porch, Inner Doorway. Grantham, Lincolnshire South Aisle Window. Langham, Eutland Doorway. Grantham, Lincolnshire South Aisle Window. Over, Cambridgeshire South Porch. Grantham South Aisle Window. Grantham -Window Jamb.

—

—

— —

—

—

Plate

XVM1

London.: G-u.rn.ey

A

Jackson. Paternoster Row. ,

PLATE

1.

2.

Bivaulx Abbey. Peterborough Cathedral

XVIII.

—Doorway Nave Doorway :

3.

4. 5. 6. 7.

8.

Do. do. Bivaulx Abbey— Window Jamb.

Do.

do.

opposite in Cloister

Buined Doorway.

—

East Window. Beaulieu Abbey South Transept Befectory. Bipon Cathedral Choir. Castle Bising, Norfolk

—

—

10. Castle Bising, Norfolk.

South

Aisle

of

half-inch scale. :

half-inch scale.

Plate

XIX

SAafts aZternatety

St

&

St metier dzam f

ScaZft vneKte

lfi>et.

TXvrniidls

LonioR. 0-uriu37 A Jactoon Paternoster ,

Row

PLATE XIX.

t,"

^Diagrams showing the formation

3.

Bottisham, Cambridgeshire

4.

Saffron Walden, Essex.

5.

Stretton, Eutland.

Grantham, Lincolnshire. Do. do. Crypt. Fountains Abbey Lady Chapel.

8.

—

Wave

— East Window,

6. 7.

of the

Molding.

South Aisle.

T.Tvrnbuil

London.: Currier

& Jackson. Patornoatoi-

Row.

sc.

PLATE XX.

1.

2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7.

9.

10! 11.

12. 13.

14. 15. 16. 17.

18.

—

Landbeach, Cambridgeshire Doorway. Window. do Guy, Grantham Chancel Window. Peterborough Cathedral Archway in Cloister. Ripon Cathedral. Eivaulx Abbey. Bipon Cathedral Window Jamb, South Aisle. Bolton Abbey Doorway. Newton, near Cambridge West Doorway. Bolton Abbey. Do. do. Grantham Choir Doorway. Lancaster Arch Mold of Nave. Bolton Abbey Monument. Grantham. WOlingham, Cambridgeshire Chancel Door. Grantham. .

—

—

—

— —

—

—

—

—

Plate XXI

T.TurnbuZL jo.

Louden..

Qupn«y & Jackson., Paternoster Row.

PLATE XXI.

1.

2.

4. 5.

6. 7. 8.

9.

10.

Moroot, Rutland. Seaton,

do.

—

Ripon Cathedral Revestry or Chapter Room. York Cathedral—Library. Nave. Do. do. Do.

do.

Ripon Cathedral. Fountains Abbey. Do.

do.

Chapter House.

PAINTED BY

WOOD FALL AND K1NDEB, LONG ACRE, LONDON,