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I will write up a proper long thread about ecclesiastical architecture but for now, here's a very quick summary full of generalisations with lots of stuff left out:
In the UK there's generally two main types of Cathedral, "The Chonk", and "The Dainty" (there's also a couple of deeply misunderstood "moderns", many "patchworks" and a lot of "former parish churches" but I don't give a shit about the latter and we're trying to keep it simple)
Chonky cathedrals are generally older and their official name is "Romanesque" or "Norman". They're also rarely pure Chonk, with later additions.
We hadn't really worked out what kept huge buildings up at that point so thick walls, big pillars, and small windows were the style.
We hadn't really worked out what kept huge buildings up at that point so thick walls, big pillars, and small windows were the style.
Alongside the thick walls and big columns (often the same size around, as they are tall) you'll notice another similarity among the Chonks: the use of semi-circles. We hadn't worked out how to do pointed arches that stood up on their own yet either, so everything was semi circles
The Dainties are newer (relatively). We worked out how to do pointed arches, and began coming up with wild ideas like flying buttresses. More of the weight of the building was held up by smaller points, so much bigger windows were able to be inserted into the walls.
Mostly, however, Cathedrals in the UK are patchwork messes. Durham has a Norman nave, but the East end is all pointed arches and about 90% windows. St Albans has a nave that's literally half and half, one side semi-circles, one side pointed arches. We never stopped altering them.
There's bits from the 1800's stuck on bits from the 1000's, with some stuff from 1300 beside it.
The Victorians liked to re-do floors and spires. But before they came along we'd already changed wooden ceilings to stone, added chapels, changed transepts, and a dozen other things.
The Victorians liked to re-do floors and spires. But before they came along we'd already changed wooden ceilings to stone, added chapels, changed transepts, and a dozen other things.
That's why I love cathedrals. They're a record of the past. If you know what you're looking at, you can see the history of a place, mapped out in the stone.