Again came a change, a growth of ideas. Men grew tired of the simple form of _Lancet_ window, which we to-day consider so beautiful because of its simplicity. First they experimented by piercing an ornamental hole through the stonework above a group of lancets. This gave what we call _Plate Tracery_, examples of which are not numerous in our Riding. Then a further experiment was made. Instead of building the head of a group of lancets in solid stone, some architect-builder hit upon the idea of making a pattern of shaped bars of stone, and of filling in the pattern with glass cut to fit the spaces. This at once proved popular, and an entirely new fashion in window designs set in. At first the patterns made in stone were simple _Geometrical_ ones, such as those in the chancel windows at Rudston. But gradually, as one set of builders vied with another in building the most beautiful church, the patterns became more complicated and _Curvilinear_ in form. These last two styles together made up what is usually known as the DECORATED style of building, and were in fashion from 1280 to 1380. [Illustration: ‘NORMAN’ AND ‘EARLY ENGLISH’ SOUTH DOORS. STILLINGFLEET. HESSLE. ] Lastly came another great change, due to the discovery of methods for producing stained glass. The windows of Norman churches had been very small, and the interiors of the churches had been very dark. How dark they were may be judged from the present interior of the church of Garton-on-the-Wolds when the doors are both shut. Very early the worshippers experienced a desire for more light, and at Garton they solved the problem by knocking down some of the wall and inserting a much larger _Decorated_ window. [Illustration: _Photo by_] [_C. W. Mason_ Part of the South Wall of the Church at Garton-on-the-Wolds. ] But when stained glass became reasonably cheap, there were few church-people who could endure the thought that some neighbouring church had stained-glass windows when their church had none. So there began a competition among them as to who should be able to show the greatest area of stained glass in their church windows. Walls were therefore pulled down, and windows enlarged, or perhaps a nave or chancel was entirely rebuilt, for the reception of this glass; until where there had once been a stone wall with a few narrow slits in it, there was now a series of wide expanses of glass separated with narrow strips of wall. For convenience also, the bars of stone which formed the window tracery were made straight instead of curved. This is the style which we call the _Perpendicular_ style, and it grew in popular favour from 1380 until 1547, when the Reformation put an end to further growth. * * * * *