ENGLISH ROMANESQUE.
William, who conquered England, took with him to that country his Norman architects, who upon a new soil which had long been Chris tian, and on which the old Teutonic culture was yet preserved alive, inaugurated a new epoch of architectural development, but still under the influence of the not wholly-smothered ancient Saxon culture, which introduced some strange elements into the Norman style.
Characteristics of English pillars, some simply round, others shafted, bear the nave walls; the arches of the arcades are divided into several planes; the walls above the arcades are enliv ened by a triforium, or arcaded gallery; and the nave has a wooden roof, except where vaulting was added in later times. A noticeable peculiarity of the English churches is the great length of the choir, which has side-aisles like the nave and is often of equal dimensions. The transepts are also of considerable length, and are provided with aisles—at least, on the east side; the apses frequently give way to the continuation of the choir. A massive tower rises at the intersection
and smaller ones at the ends of the nave, choir, and transepts.
Among the oldest edifices belonging to this period is the church in the Tower of London, which ends in a half-round apse surrounded by the aisle. There is a gallery above the side-aisles, and this, as well as the nave, has barrel-vaulting, while the aisles below have groined vaults. Among the most important English buildings of the close of the eleventh and during the twelfth century are the cathedrals of Norwich (founded in zo96) and Peterborough (1117-114o), the abbeys of St. Albans, Buildwas, and Waltham, and Castor Church, Northamptonshire. The cathedrals of Canterbury and Winchester, the Abbey-church of Malniesbury, the cathedrals of Durham and Gloucester, the Abbey church of Croyland, etc., may also be mentioned; yet it should be remembered in all cases that the original parts of the structure must be kept distinct from the later portions.