TUDOR ARCHITECTURE, considered in a general sense, is that style of architecture which prevailed during the Tudor dynasty. It is necessAry, however, that the applica tion of the term should be somewhat limited ; for it cannot be expedient to adopt one title for so many and widely-dif ferent styles as those prevailing during that period; amongst which may be enumerated the late Perpendicular Gothic, the mixed or Elizabethan style, in which Italian details were introduced in buildings otherwise Gothic, and the Italian as practised by Inigo Jones and his cotemporarics.
As to the precise limitation of the term, there seems to be but little agreement amongst writers upon the subject ; some applying it to buildings of the late Perpendicular style, in which ornamental details were profusely introduced, and which is, by other writers, designated as Florid Gothic. Under this signification, Ecclesiastical as well as Domestic and Civil structures are included ; and of these, I lenry VII.'s chapel, at Westminster, limns a characteristic example. The application of the term is strictly correct with respect to chronology, but is rather inconvenient as regards systematic arrangement, based upon peculiarities of style and, besides this, there are so lew important examples of this particular class, as scarcely to warrant the formation of a distinct style ; they may be fairly considered as modifications of the Perpen dicular.
Other writers would divide the style thus denominated into two divisions, Early and Late Tudor, the former term including the buildings just alluded to, and the latter being applied to those into which Italian details are introduced, and which are otherwise distiuguished as Elizabethan. This plan we shall now adopt to a certain extent, excluding, how ever, the ecclesiastical buildings, which we include under the Perpendicular style, and conceding the term Tudor entirely to buildings of a domestic character. This arrangement, we must confess, is not without its objections; and we are inclined to think that the distinction between the first and second class of buildings is sufficiently great to entitle them to distinct designations, and, therefore, that the title of Eliza bethan may be appropriately applied to the latter, to mark out a peculiar and separate style. We shall have before us,
then, for consideration, the Early Tudor, and the Elizabethan or Late Tudor, styles.
The reign of Henry VII. introduced a new mode of liv ing, and with it a new style of domestic architecture. With his marriage, the feuds between the houses of York and Lancaster came to an end, and a long season of internal peace seemed about to follow the troublous times of the preceding monarchs. Previous to this period, domestic architecture can scarcely be said to have had any existence ; the man sions that bad been erected were rather military than domes tic, more like fortresses than dwellings. Now, however, with a prospect of peaceful times before them, men began to look for convenience rather than strength in their private mansions, and elegance began to be preferred to security. The halls of this and the following reign contained little of the fortified character of their predecessors beyond the battle ments with which the walls were surmounted, and these, indeed, appear to have been preserved more for .ornament than use : the thickness of the walls was reduced, the size of the windows enlarged, and the other arrangements influ enced by the requirements for comfort and convenience rather than of security.
We know little of Henry VII.'s buildings of this class ; of the palace erected by him at Shone or Richmond, not a ves tige now remains, but some particulars concerning it are given in the Survey of 11119, when it was offered for sale by the Commissioners of Parliament. It abounded with bay windows of capricious design, with rectangular and semi circular projections : and was adorned with many octagonal towers, surmounted with bulbous cupolas of the same plan, having their angles enriched with crochets.