Roman Architecture When the Romans came to Britain they already had years of experience building large, impressive

structures. Architecture in Britain prior to Roman rule was merely functional. The Romans transformed mundane, practical buildings into works of art. Architecture created during Roman Britain completely changed how structures would be built for years to come. The Roman period brought about the construction of the first large scale buildings in Britain. !adly, very little of these great buildings survive above ground except for fortifications. These include sections of "adrian#s Wall and coastal forts such as those at $ortchester, $evensey and Burgh %astle, which have survived through incorporation into later castles. &ther Roman structures that are still standing, include a lighthouse at 'over %astle (now part of a church). *n most cases though, only foundations, floors and the bases of walls attest to the structure of these once great buildings. !ome of these buildings however, were on a grand scale, such as the palace at +ishbourne and the baths at Bath. The more substantial buildings of the Roman period adhered closely to the style of Roman structures elsewhere, although traditional *ron Age building methods remained in general use for humbler dwellings, especially in rural areas.

Anglo !axon ,ngland is not blessed with an abundance of surviving Anglo !axon buildings. There is good reason for this scarcity- the Anglo !axon period was one beset by fre.uent warfare and violent invasions, particularly by the /ikings in the period 011 231. These invaders, .uite naturally, burned and destroyed most of the settlements they came across, in their search for plunder and martial glory. +or this reason most surviving examples of Anglo !axon architecture date from either 411 563 or 211 7131 8nfortunately for posterity, most !axon buildings were constructed of wood with wattle and daub walls. The depredations of the 'anes left very few of these flammable buildings standing. The only buildings the Anglo !axons tended to build in more permanent stone were their (about 31) monasteries and churches.

9orman architecture Term applied to the buildings erected by the 9ormans in all lands that fell under their dominion. *t is used not only in ,ngland and 9 +rance, but also in ! *taly (Apulia) and in !icily. The 9orman buildings in ,ngland and +rance were largely Romanes.ue. The development of the style was confined chiefly to the period from 7144 to 773:, a period of tremendous building activity. Arising in 9ormandy, the style was .uickly introduced into ,ngland, superseding the !axon. The greatest activity, however, was in ,ngland, where after 7151 the 9ormans built hundreds of parish churches and commenced most of the great cathedrals. All underwent later restorations- the only intact early 9orman design is the small !t. ;ohn#s %hapel (c.7105), built by William the %on.ueror, in the Tower of <ondon . %ertain elements of Anglo 9orman construction pointed toward the development of. =othic architecture. The 9ormans were master castle builders. After 7144, ,ngland witnessed a massive castle building programme on the orders ofWilliam the %on.ueror. +irst, motte and bailey castles were built. &nce William had firmly established his rule in ,ngland, he built huge stone keep castles. By the time of ,dward *, concentric castles were being built. %astles were a very good way for the 9ormans to expand their grip on the ,nglish people. The ,nglish population greatly outnumbered the 9ormans and the 9ormans had to create an atmosphere in which they were feared by the ,nglish, therefore, minimising the possibility of an uprising by the ,nglish. %astles were a sign of 9orman power and might. They could be easily seen and as such acted as a deterrent. The castles warned the ,nglish that 9orman soldiers lived in these castles and that any attempts to rise up against them would be met with force. The castles also gave the 9orman soldiers a safe place to live. They were, after all, invaders. William had built a temporary castle at $evensey to house his troops when they landed in !eptember 7144. This would have been a motte and bailey castle. These types of castles were .uickly put up all over ,ngland after the Battle of "astings to enforce 9orman control.

=othic The term =othic was coined during the Renaissance for a style of architecture then considered so barbaric that it could be ascribed only to the =oths, the fifth century ravagers of %lassical Rome. =radually >=othic> has ceased to be pe?orative. The =othic style develops in ,urope between the twelfth and the sixteenth century. *t follows the 9orman or Romanes.ue style. =othic architecture was supposedly disordered, fantastical, superstitious, violent and symbolic of the dark ages. !tylistic features of the =othic style are present in the oriental side of %anterbury %athedral and in Westminster Abbey.

,nglish Baro.ue is a term sometimes used to refer to the developments in ,nglish architecture that were parallel to

the evolution of Baro.ue architecture in continental ,urope between the =reat +ire of <ondon (7444) and the Treaty of 8trecht (757@) .!ir %hristopher Wren presided over the genesis of the ,nglish Baro.ue manner, "is most ambitious work was !t $aul#s %athedral (7453A7577).s Baro.ue, is characteriBed by magnificence, grandeur and richness in invention, design and, usually, in scale.

=eorgian style the various styles in the architecture, interior design, and decorative arts of Britain during the reigns of the first four members of the house of "anover, between the accession of =eorge *in 757: and the death of =eorge */ in 70@1. The =eorgian era is notably remembered as marking the summit of house design in Britain. *ts legacy can be seen in the entire city s.uares of uniform, symmetrical townhouses in <ondon

httpCDDwww.romanobritain.org A. W. %lapham, ,nglish Romanes.ue Architecture after the %on.uest (/ol. **, 72@:)- '. +. Renn, 9orman %astles in Britain (7251) httpCDDwww.istitutosangiovannibosco.netD httpCDDwww.britannica.com