EARLY ENGLISH. The term generally ap plied to the earliest form of Gothic architecture q.v.) in Great Britain. It succeeded the Nor man I q.v.) toward 1200. and was merged into the Decorated style (q.v.) at the close of the thirteenth century. The earliest works• which served as models. as the choir of Canterbury Cathedral (1175), were the work of Frenchmen, and purely in the French style. A mixed Anglo Norman and French style appears in the choir and east transept of Lincoln Cathedral in 1190, which may be regarded as the best early example of Early English. with more of the original French traits than in later buildings. From the beginning the decorative elements had more orig inality than the constructive. which were main ly imperfect variations of the French. For years after Lincoln choir, buildings were erected with pointed design but not really Gothic in princi ple. because they either avoided vaulting alto gether or adhered to the Norman style of heavy walls and imperfect equilibrium. The nave of Lincoln itself (1209-35) throws off many both French and Norman features. and is in line with pure Early English. The eharaeteristies are: Very pointed arches: la meet windows: decorative snpernumerary ribs in the vaulting: lack of con nection between the interior stories by shafts ring front pavement to erown of vaulting; high Norman triforitun galleries; round abaci (see AnA•usI instead of square: very slender band ed shafts. often detached from their ground: low-vaulted and long naves, a peculiarity which, connected with the breaking of the vertical eon tinnily. leads the eye along horizontal instead of the vertical lines of French Gothic. The inter nal structure is thus defective in organic quali• ties. Neither now nor in later styles does Eng lish Gothic follow the principles of any of the three main elements of the Gothic structure— the vault the structural •ronped pier with vault ing shafts. the buttress pier, and flying huntress.
Consequently, the side walls en n never be el iminat : the immense single windows used in Frame with tracery are impossible. There is no existing Conde skeleton. The building that best exempli fies the normal plane of Early English. as wank a. it had acquired full form, is Salisbury Gather deal 11220•58) while its contemporary, Wells cathedral ( P2on- 42), shows how 11111(.11 of the Norman was still usually retained under the Gothic surface. other examples are the (-lithe drals of Ely (choir). Worcester (choir and tran sept ) , York ( t ransept ) , Chester choir) . Dur ham (east end), Rochester (choir). and Foun tains Abbey (east end). Heavy and impressive square towers, high screen-shaped un connected in outline with the structure, small and insignifieant portals—these are some of the characteristics of Early English exteriors. An other feature. important for both external and internal effect. is the square-ending choir, which attained increasing popularity, so that only a few round-ending ones have survived. This made impossible a beautiful grouping of radiating choir chapels and choir aisles. Chninologicall•. Westminster Abbey belongs to this style: but while its infelicitous exterior is English. its interior, which is one of the most beautiful in the world, does not follow the Early English, hut is a pure reproduction of developed French Gothic (1250). During the third quarter of the thir teenth century one sees the :approach of those changes that herald the Decorated style (q.v.), especially in the presbytery of Lincoln (1256 S2). Tracery begins to appear. and lancet win dows are thrown together in more truly Gothic style. Consult: Riekman, An Attempt to Dis criminate the Styles of English Architecture (London, 18171 ; EmTe/o/ordia of _I revised by Papworth (ib., 1867) ; Moore. aothie .1 rch itert are (ib., 1899) : Prior, of Gothic Art in England (ib., 1900).