During the whole of the period we have been considering, architecture was making rapid progress in England, and a number of )1'11111es and other edifices were erected.
The prelates in the early reigns were men of con summate skid in architecture; they applied themselves to the rebuilding of cathedral churches, and also the the greater' abbeys. No less than fifteen of the twenty-two Etedish cathedrals retain considerable portions which are undoubtedly Norman workmanship, and of which the several dates are ascertained. The Normans, either were archi tects themselves, or under whose auspices architecture flou rished, are Gmelulph, Bishop of Rochester, who flourished from A.D. 101 7 to 1 107 : :Mauritius, Bishop of London, who flourished from 10S0 to I los ; Roger. Bishop of Salisbury, from 1 107 to I 140; ErnnIC Bishop of Rochester, from 1 1 15 to 1 125 ; Alexathler, Bishop of Lincoln, from 1123 to 1147; of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, from 1 129 to 1109; and Roger. Archbishop of York.
works of Glindulph 'nay be seen at Rochester, Can terbury, and Pete! Jlaaritins of Lollt1011, built Old St. Paul's cathedral ; of Salisbury, the cathedral of Old Sarum ; nidf completed the work begun by Gundulph at Alexander, of Lincoln, rebuilt his own cathe dral: and henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, a most eminent architect. Imilt, the conventual churches St, Cross and Rumsey, in Hampshire ; but with respect to Roger, Archbishop of York, none of his works remain.
By these architects. the Norman style of architecture was progressively brought to perfecti))11 in England ; and it will be easily supposed, that the improvements 'Dade by an v of them were only adopted in succession.
of the churches belonging to the greater abbeys were construeted in this ;era ; but of these, few, inderd, have escaped the general demolition that took place at the 1:eformation.
With respeet to the military structa•es of the Normans they knew they cool) not live in security without building strong plaees of defence ; they therctlire erected a castle upon every lordship, or assimilated it it 11 t heir own. w hat they found already erected to their hands.
The leading distinction in a Norman fortress, is a lofty mound of earth thrown up in the centre fil' the other works, from the excavations necessary in forming the ditch, fosse, or moat. A square or circular tower, consisting of several sto ries, rose from the tipper ballium, or a low circular story of considerable diameter, which was usually approached by very steep stone staircase on the outside.
The gateway, or tower of entrance, and the barbi(•31, or watch-ti)wur, had hoth of them a with the keep. Remarkable instances in the square form are those
of the towers of London, Norwich, Rochester, castle, Iledingham (Essex.) Bamborough (Northuntherland,) Por chester, Culehester, Kenilworth, Carisbrooke, and Oxford. Of the circular are Artmdel. Pontefract, and Conisburgh (Yorkshire,) Lincoln, and Tunbridge in Kent. Besides the above-stated towers, an irregular fonn, of which the plan consists of several segments of circles, may be seen in Cliflii•d tower, in York, and Berkeley castle, Gloucester shire. These keeps. or citadels, in subsequent anus under •ent no alteration, whatever additions or improvements took place in architecture.
Bishop Gundolph seems to have considered the lofty arti ficial mound, originally of Danish usage. as unnecessary. his central tower.: are as eontain lbw' stories, as was also the ease with most other keep-towers. The base. meat was the dungeon, without light: the portal or grand entrance was raised many feet above the ground ; but his great merit consisted in various architectural contrivances, by which as inuch security during a siege was given to his keeps by stratagem, as by real strength. The walls were not unfrequently from 12 6) 20 feet thick at the base. In the souterrain of th,• vaulted stone, the military engines and stores Were deposited. In the thickness of the walls were placed winding staircases, the well Ir water, the vast oven, enclosed galleries and chimneys, with an aperture open to the sky, and communicating with the dungeon, in which prisoners were confined, and to whom it gave all the light ancl air they could receive. There was also a kind of floe for conveying sound to every part, not more than eight inches in diameter. The state apartment occupied the whole third story, and the staircases leading to it were much more commodious than the others, and even so large as to admit of military engines. Adjoining to the great chamber was the oriel, lighted by a window enthowed withinside. In Roches ter castle the chief room was 32 feet high, including the whole space within the walls. The walls of the ;;round story had no light, the second had only It ; but the third had large arched witnlows placed so high as not to be looked throat). and so defended by an internal arcade that no missile weapon (-fulfil enter or tall with (greet. Each floor had its communieation with the well. The chimneys were very eapaeions.projected considerably into the rOOIlls,and rested small and the sinks were so contrived, in an oblique direction, that no weapons eland be sent up them.