Anglo-Saxon architecture

Anglo-Saxon architecture was a special style of building used in England from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest in 1066. Most buildings from this time were made from timber and had thatch roofs. They were often built in small towns away from old Roman cities, close to farms, rivers, or ports. In the center of each town stood a big hall where people gathered around a central fire.

Many churches from the Anglo-Saxon period still exist today. At least fifty churches have important Anglo-Saxon parts, though sometimes these parts are small or changed over time. These churches are usually made of stone or brick, and some even used old Roman pieces in their walls. Two special types of Anglo-Saxon churches are the round-tower church and the tower-nave church. Almost all of these churches are not made of timber, except for one timber church.

Anglo-Saxon church designs changed over time. Early churches were influenced by Celtic styles, while later ones used designs from Early Christian basilicas. In the later years, new styles appeared, including pilaster-strips, blank arcading, baluster shafts, and triangular headed openings. Toward the end of the Anglo-Saxon period, a style called Romanesque began to appear, brought from other places in Europe. This can be seen in older parts of Westminster Abbey, which were built before the Norman style fully took over.

Houses and other secular buildings

Anglo-Saxon secular buildings were usually made of timber with thatched roofs. These buildings had a simple design, often rectangular in shape, and were sometimes built with sunken floors for extra warmth. Most of these structures did not survive above ground today.

Even the homes of wealthy people were quite simple, often just one large room with a central fire and a hole in the roof to let out smoke. These buildings used wooden posts for support, with walls filled in using a mix of sticks and clay called wattle and daub. Some of these buildings were quite large, especially for important people, showing off their status and power.

Church architecture: historical context

The fall of Roman Britain in the fifth century brought new people, including the Angles and Saxons, to the land. Though they followed their own religion, Christianity began to spread. Missionaries from places like Ireland helped bring Christianity to areas such as Northumbria and Wales.

Important Christian sites were created, such as the monastery at Lindisfarne and the cathedral at Canterbury. Over time, churches grew larger and more complex. The Viking raids caused damage, but buildings were rebuilt with stronger defenses, like walls and towers, to protect towns such as Oxford.

7th century

Stone was used to build churches from the very beginning of the 7th century, even though most buildings at the time were made of wood. The earliest surviving examples of Anglo-Saxon architecture come from this period, starting with the work of Augustine of Canterbury in Kent around 597 AD. He likely brought builders from Frankish Gaul to help construct important churches.

Key early churches include the cathedral and abbey in Canterbury, along with others at Minster in Sheppey, Reculver, and the Chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall in Bradwell-on-Sea. These churches typically had a simple main hall called a nave and a separate area for clergy called an apse. Some surviving examples from this time are All Saints' Church, Brixworth in Northamptonshire, St Martin's Church, Canterbury, and Old Minster, Winchester.

8th to 10th centuries

Little is known about buildings from the 8th and 9th centuries because of frequent Viking raids. Design and decoration might have been inspired by ideas from the Carolingian Renaissance in Europe, which aimed to revive ancient Roman styles.

Some important churches from this time include St Wystan's Church, Repton in Derbyshire, St Mary's Priory Church, Deerhurst in Gloucestershire, All Saints' Church, Earls Barton in Northamptonshire, St Helen's Church in Skipwith, North Yorkshire, St Peter's Church, Barton-upon-Humber in North Lincolnshire, and St Laurence's Church, Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire. These buildings show unique features like special arched windows and tower designs.

11th century

The 11th century marked the beginning of the High Romanesque style in Britain. This was a time when wealthy people, like Lady Godiva, supported the building of many churches. Several important cathedrals, such as Westminster Abbey, were started, though they were later rebuilt after the year 1066. Some believe that St George's Tower in Oxford might have been built before the Norman Conquest and used as a gate for the old town, later becoming part of a Norman castle.

Several notable churches from this time still exist or have parts that survive, including Greensted Church in Essex, Stow Minster in Lincolnshire, and St Bene't's Church in Cambridge, among others. These buildings give us a glimpse into the architecture of the period before the Normans arrived.

Diagnostic features

Many churches in England have features from the Anglo-Saxon period, which lasted from the mid-5th century until 1066. Some of these features might also look similar to styles used after the Norman Conquest. Common Anglo-Saxon features include long-and-short quoins, double triangular windows, narrow round-arched windows, herringbone stone work, and a west porch called a narthex. Usually, a church will have only one of these special features.

Some early Anglo-Saxon churches were built like a basilica, with small side chambers called porticus on the north and south sides. Others had a rounded apse at the end of the church. These designs were also used in other times besides the Anglo-Saxon period. Examples of these features can be seen in churches such as Stow Minster in Lincolnshire, St Mary's in Deerhurst, and Corringham, Essex parish church.