EARLY ENGLISH PERIOD, in architecture, the first of the three divisions into which the English Gothic style is usually divided. Although originally the term was applied to English Gothic up to the beginning of the 14th century (as by Rickman and R. P. Spiers), it is now more customarily limited to the first half of the 13th century. In the last quarter of the 12th century, partly through the influence of the Cistercian order and partly through that of the French design of the early Gothic parts of Canterbury cathedral (choir, c. 1175-78), pointed arches and other Gothic ideas became more and more common, so that by the end of the century the transitional period was over and the archi tecture of England completely Gothic. It is this earliest developed Gothic which is known as Early English. The chief characteristics of the style are : frequent use of high, slim openings, capped with steeply-pointed arches, known as lancets, often grouped in threes, fives (the "five sisters" in the transept of York cathedral) or even in sevens; simple four part church vaulting (see VAULT), often with a ridge rib in addition to groin, cross and wall ribs; arch mouldings, consisting of complex combinations of convex projec tions with deep, rounded hollows; nave and chapter house piers of a central core of stone surrounded by a number of black Pur beck marble shafts, tied together by occasional moulded bands; capitals, almost always consisting of a circular abacus with rich mouldings below, or sometimes with conventionalized foliage with many rounded lobes; frequent use of ball flower (q.v.) and dog tooth (q.v.) ornament. Toward the end of the period the use of tracery became general, lavishness of ornament increased, as in the diaper patterns in the arch spandrils of Westminster Abbey, and naturalism in the carving grew. Outstanding examples of the style are Salisbury cathedral, begun 1220; the nave and transept of Wells cathedral, end of the 12th century to 1242; parts of York cathedral transepts, 1230-60. (See GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE.) (T. F. H.)