In 716, Croyland Abbey in Lincolnshire was founded by Ethelbald. In 767, Archbishop Albert rebuilt St Peter's of York. His first employment was in the capa city of master of the celebrated school of York, where he taught grammar, rhetoric, astronomy, natural philoso phy, and divinity. He afterwards visited Rome, and many of the most eminent seats of learning on the Con tinent. On his return he was made Archbishop, and finding his church in a ruinous condition, he took it wholly down, and rebuilt it in a most sumptuous man ner; his architects were Eanbald and the famous Alcuin, two of his own church. During the 9th century, the in cursions of the Danes were destructive to the arts and many of the edifices already erected ; and it was not un til peace and good order were restored by Alfred, that any regular progress could be made in any of the arts of civil life. That inimitable prince extended his cares into every department which could promote the welfare of a well-regulated state ; but the defenceless situation in which he found the kingdom, led him to direct the building art to military purposes, such as building and repairing walled towns, erecting castles, and construct ing ships. About 960, Edgar is said to have founded forty monasteries, chiefly those which had been destroyed by the Danes, and he built the old abbey of 'Westmin ster.
In 974, the abbey of Ramsay in Huntingdonshire was completed ; it was in the form of a cross, with side aisles, and two towers, one of which was at the west front, and the other was supported by four pillars in the middle of the building, where it divided into four parts, being con nected together by arches extending to other adjoining arches, to keep them from giving way. This appears a new mode among the Saxons, as none of those which are more ancient are described as having any thing of the form of the cross, or having towers above the roof. Sec Bentham's Essays.
Early in the 1 1 th century some change took place ; for Edward the Confessor is said to have built Westmin ster Abbey, according to a new mode which was intro duced into the kingdom, (Mathew Prior, p. 226.); and about this time it appears that some excellent artificers flourished in France.
The Saxons were reckoned one of the most fierce and warlike of the German tribes, with a very imperfect knowledge even of agriculture. When they conquered England, devastation was carried into the most remote corners, the public as well is private edifices were re duced to ashes, and the natives were slaughtered or carried into slavery; these people were, therefore, with out any knowledge or habits of architecture. This know ledge was acquired after they were in full possession of England, had been converted to Christianity, became at tached to fixed residence, and had accumulated proper ty : (Hume's History of England.) The only regular architecture which could have come under their observa tion, was in the remains of Roman works, which had escaped or withstood their former fury. This must have attracted their attention, when they became disposed to construct buildings of any consequence ; but their work men were without knowledge or experience : (Somners' 4ntiquities of Canterbury, p. 146.) It was therefore ab solutely necessary to have recourse to France or Italy, which was constantly done by those ecclesiastics, who had come to the resolution of building Christian church es : (Ornaments of Churches considered.) The Saxon
architecture having been chiefly copied from the Roman works in Britain, the style which was practised during their age, in Italy, had a strong resemblance to it, and was constantly denominated the Roman manner. During the first age of the Christian era, when the Roman best style had been much departed from, the architecture of both the Christians and Moors was characterised by soli dity and bulk, and particularly for having great numbers of round short pillars. It has been observed, that there is a near relation between the architecture of the Moors and that described in Scripture ; and that in Barbary and the Levant it has continued the same : (Dr Shaw's Tra vels, p. 273.) One of the principal mosques of Cordova is distinguished by its capaciousness and a great number of low massive pillars : (Ray's Travels, p. 487.) The Saxon style is conformable to these relations. The gene ral form of the earliest Saxon churches was that of the Basilica, being a simple oblong, with a portico and am bulatory. The chief entrance was the west end; and at the east end was a circular recess, resembling the Ro man tribune, but now appointed to receive the Christian altar. Additions were afterwards made, which completed the form of the cross; and towards the termination of the Saxon government, towers were erected in the west front, and over the centre of the cross. The outer walls were of a great thickness, and had no buttresses. With in the great churches, there were sometimes three sto ries, which were occupied by the arcade, gallery, and windows. The pillars were short, massive, and round. The arches, in arcades, doors, and windows, were all semicircular. The principal door-eases were decorated with pillars and sculptured capitals. Round the arches were mouldings of great variety, with bas reliefs. The mouldings consisted of the indented zig-zag like Etrus can scroll, small squares alternately deeper flourished, with small beads, usually on the capitals of pillars ; and on some of their latest works, was a carving like a trellis in broad lozenges. The base mouldings and capitals, though of exact dimensions, similar in mass, were much varied in the minute parts : (Dallaway's Observations. Carter's Ancient Architecture in England.) Though it would be difficult to mention many entire edifices now re maining, which are composed wholly of Saxon architec ture, yet it may, in numerous instances, be pointed out in particular parts. Of different edifices, Elkstone and Quisington, in Gloucestershire, and the whole of Tick enocte church, near Stamford, are Saxon ; also, the nave of Oxford cathedral, and sundry parts of St Alban's and Durham ; enrichments of door-cases and windows will be found in Barfreston, near Canterbury ; Durham ca thedral and palace, Tutbery in Staffordshire, Romsey Hants, and Rochester. The door-way, east end of Kenel worth church,, has the caput bovis, fret mouldings, and paters in the spandrils,—ornaments peculiarly Roman. Archcsologia, vol. x.; and Lyson's Gloucestershire An tiq.