GCSE Coursework: History Around Us - eRiding

History Around Us – The deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy4.3.5 Comparing Two WindowsThis picture would provide you with useful evidence about some of the changes that have taken place atthe church between 1000 and 1500. You can clearly see differences in the shape and design of thewindows and this will help you to describe and date the changes that have taken place.The photograph below clearly shows two different styles of window and the arches above them. The styleof the arches will help you to date when the changes were made. Careful examination of the stoneworkalso shows that changes have been made to shape, size and height of the windows. You can find moreinformation about Medieval Churches and Architecture at• http://www.britainexpress.com/History/Medieval_art_and_architecture.htmTraceryThis is a decoratedGothic window(1275 AD- 1375AD). These windowswere wider than theNorman windows,andwereornamentedThis is a Norman Gothic window (1066-1200 AD).The decoration of windows was simple and similarto the Romanesque style.The original window was higher and narrower and had amore rounded shape at the top. Narrow windows withrounded arches were a feature of the Romanesque period.The newer decorated window (right) is beneath/inside a more rounded Romanesque style of arch. Thissuggests that when the villages made changes to their church between the 13 th and the 15 th century theywere aware of changes of fashion in church architecture and wanted to modernise their church inresponse to architectural trends.At the time that the changes to the windows were made the church was undergoing a major perioddevelopment that led to the church’s being extended and the tower heightened. The strange thing is thatat the time that these major changes were taking place the population of the village was declining. Thisshows that the church was not only important to the people who lived at Wharram Percy but to people inthe surrounding villages for example Thixendale, which did not have a church and people continued touse St Martin’s Church long after the last four families were evicted from Wharram Percy in 1500.12© eRiding 2004