A B C of Gothic Architecture

XOEMAN- ARCHES. 47
The Arches are generally round-headed: in earlywork
they are plain and square-edged,with or without
a recess at the angle; sometimes doubly recessed, and
still square-edged,as in the earlywork at Westminster,
p. 11, the "White Tower, London, and the transept
of Winchester, p. 27 ; sometimes molded, with plain
round moldings. In the later period they are more
richlymolded than in the earlypart of the style; the
chancel-arch especially is very much enriched; and
the western side, facing the spectator when looking
towards the altar, is generally much more ornamented
than the eastern side. The chancel-arch at
Iffley is one of the richest and best examples : where
there is a central tower, as in that instance, both the
tower-arches across the church are usually ornamented
in the same manner; the side-arches,where there
are transepts, are frequently much plainer,and often
pointed. In the later part of the Norman style,without
any other change, they are still quite plain and
square-edged. In this manner the pointed arch occurs
quite as early as 1150, or even earlier; at a later
periodthey become much more common, and are gradually
developed into the Early English style,which
some call the "first pointed style;" but the pointed
arch alone does not make a change of style.