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476
MEDIEVAL ENGLAND
formed of a great grille of stained a
glass striking example of
the desire to get away from the
logical and easily comprehended
forms of the earlier architecture.
In addition to these developments in planning and tracery
design, the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries^ saw
equally remarkable developments in vaulting. A great series of
vaults was perfected in the west country, notably at Bristol
cathedral, Gloucester cathedral, and as part ofthe remodelling
of the eastern parts of Tewkesbury. The Bristol vaults are the
earliest and almost the most remarkable. The church, an
Augustinian house, was built on the plan with the central
vessel projecting two bays to the east beyond the aisles. There is
no clerestory to the main vessel and the aisles are made of equal
height with it. The aisle vaults are ofan extreme ingenuity, the
aisle being crossed between each bay by an arch supporting a
horizontal stone beam/like member from the centre of which
the vault springs out in all directions. The main vault is one of
the earliest examples in which, by the use of small additional
lierne ribs, linking the main ribs which spring from the piers,
an elaborate pattern is formed on the vault surface. At Bristol,
and equally in all these fourteentlvcentury west-country vaults,
this pattern is so disposed as to shift the interest ofthe vault de-
sign from the divisions between the bays and so emphasize the
continuity of the vault in length as against
the orthodox continental
system ofa well-marked series ofvaulted bays. Some of
the vault ribs at Bristol are given cuspings so as to make foiled
figures standing bold from the surface ofthe vault and give an
effect of depth and light and shade which seems to be another
aspect ofthe fashion we have already noticed. In one ofthe sub
ordinate buildings at Bristol an even more fantastic vault is
found, in which the ribs are boldly detached from the vault
surface, almost like internal struts. Other examples are to be
found on a small scale at St. David's and in the later fourteenth
century on a comparatively large scale at St. Mary's, Warwick.
At Wells the choir vault, which dates from the early i33O*s,
that is, perhaps about ten years later than the Bristol example, is
an even more striking example ofthe use of ribs as a decorative