Angl Saxon History - Architecture research

Anglo - Saxon architecture was simple and constructed mainly of timber churches were mainly built of stone or brick.

• Influences
• Coptic Architecture.
• Early Christian Basilica
• pilaster - strips, blank arcading, baluster shafts and triangular headed openings.
• Romanesque
• Basilican plan of Brixworth Church
• 
• Triple arch opening separating the nave and the apse in Kent.
• High Romanesque style in Britain
• Blocked Saxon round Arched Window.
• Long and short quoins - cornerstones of brick or stone walls. structural or decorative. give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of the building.
• Double triangular windows
• Narrow, round-arched windows
• herringbone stone work
• Cruciform plan
• The windows in Saxon churches were small, narrow, and deeply set. The tops of the windows were rounded and triangularly shaped.
• The churches had towers that represent the Dark Ages of England. The church towers were developed by the Saxons because they tried to fight off the attacks of the Danes. The towers were used as look out posts and often times a refuge for many in the village. This was a necessity for the Saxons but became later a tradition in the building churches.
• Crosses were used when Christianity was young in England and carved crosses were built at sites near the villages for the monks and priests to preach. These crosses were built in what were already known to be "sacred" in pagan worship. Churches were built later on in these sites where the crosses were to maintain the sacredness of these places of worship.
• 11^th Century is the period from 1001 to 1100 in accordance with the julian calender in the Christian/common era.
• Considered as the early part of the High Middle Ages
• A decline of Byzantine power and rise of Norman Domination over much of Europe along with the prominent role of popes.
• Norman Conquest of England 1066
• In Italy a growth of population in urban centres gave rise to early organized capitalism and more sophisticated commercialized culture by the 11^th century.
• Coal and Iron – Industrial Revolution

http://saxon.sussexchurches.co.uk/sompting.htmhttp://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/adversaries/archaeology/brixworth02.htmlhttp://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk/index/looking_after/living_in_communities/churches/saxon_and_norman_churches.htm