On pages 96 and 97 there are views of Norman doorways at Faringdon,
both round-headed and one with an embattled moulding over the door. The
church at Avington on the banks of the river Kennet a little below
Hungerford is a good example of the Norman style of architecture,
and there is a most interesting little church at Finchampstead
near Wokingham of which a view is given on page 98. It was built
in the twelfth century and the east end of the chancel is round,
as was usual at that time. The original windows were probably very
small, and those which we now see were cut in the wall since Norman
times. The north aisle, too, is newer than the body of the church,
and the brick tower only dates from the seventeenth century. In the
church there is a Norman font. There is more or less Norman work
remaining in many of our other churches. Thus the illustration on
page 92 gives a view of the church of St Nicholas at Abingdon, and a
round-headed Norman doorway will be seen under the tower, whilst the
remainder of the building belongs to a later style of architecture,
probably of the fifteenth century. The tower of West Shefford church
is curious, the lower part is round and of Norman date, whilst the
upper part is octagonal and was built subsequently.
Passing now to the Early English style of architecture there is on
page 99 a view of Faringdon Church, which it will be seen is built in
the form of a cross with a massive square tower in the middle. Some of
the arches inside the church are round-headed like Norman arches, but
the windows are of the long narrow shape usual in the Early English
style of building. We have churches built mainly in this style in
many places, such as Ardington, Buckland, and Uffington.
Of the Decorated style there is a most beautiful church at Shottesbrook
near White Waltham, which was built by Sir William Tressel in 1337. It
is cruciform with a tall spire. The walls are of small dressed flints,
with corners and window and door frames of stone. The roof is tiled
and the spire of stone, the east end window large with beautiful stone
tracery (p. 158), and the church is an unusually good example of the
Decorated style. The Greyfriars Church at Reading was also built in
the Decorated style. It was long a ruin or used for various purposes,
but is now restored. We also have churches mainly in this style of
architecture at Sparsholt, Warfield, and at other places.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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