Gothic architecture

Salisbury Cathedral

Whilst the Crown busied itself with the construction of defensive structures, the clergy, and indeed most of society, was dedicated to the glorification of God through the erection of Gothic cathedrals.

Vernacular architecture

Very little survives of the vernacular architecture of the early medieval period due to these buildings being constructed from wood, wattle and daub, clay or turf. As early as the 12th century, the cruck frame was introduced, increasing the size of timber framed vernacular buildings. Typically, houses of this period were based around a great hall open from floor to roof. One bay at each end was split into two storeys and used for service rooms and private rooms for the owner. Buildings surviving this period included moated manor houses of which Ightham Mote is a notable late medieval example, and Wealden hall houses such as Alfriston Clergy House.

Tudor architecture

Montacute House, near Yeovil, Somerset. Built 1598 One of the first unfortified houses to be built completely from new

Large houses continued to be fortified until the Tudor period, when the first of the large gracious unfortified mansions such as the Elizabethan Montacute House and Hatfield House were built. The Tudor arch was a defining feature.

Stuart architecture

The Civil War 1642—49 proved to be the last time in British history that houses had to survive a siege. Corfe Castle was destroyed following an attack by Oliver Cromwell's army, but Compton Wynyates survived a similar event. After this date houses were built purely for living, and design and appearance were for ever more important than defence.

Just prior to the Civil War, Inigo Jones, who is regarded as the first significant British architect, came to prominence. He was responsible for importing the Palladian manner of architecture from Italy; the Queen's House at Greenwich is perhaps his best surviving work.

The dome of St. Paul's cathedral designed by Sir Christopher Wren

Following the restoration of the monarchy in 1660 and the Great Fire of London in 1666 an opportunity was missed in London to create a new metropolitan city, featuring modern architectural styles. Although one of the best known British architects, Sir Christopher Wren, was employed to design and rebuild many of the ruined ancient churches of London, his master plan for rebuilding London as a whole was rejected. It was in this period that he designed the building that he is perhaps best known for, St Paul's Cathedral.

In the early 18th century baroque architecture, a style exemplified by heavy embellishment and mass, popular in Europe, was introduced, the first baroque house in England was Chatsworth House by William Talman in the 1690. However, it is usually Sir John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor who are considered the masters of English Baroque. Castle Howard of 1699 is arguably first truly baroque house in England, dominated by it cylindrical domed drum tower it would not be in out of place in Dresden or Würzburg. Vanbrugh and Hawksmoor then evolved the style to suit the more solid English taste at Blenheim Palace, Seaton Delaval Hall and Easton Neston.