English Perpendicular Style: Medieval Invention to the Gothic Revival



Overview

Why did this distinctive and magnificent architectural style become abruptly dominant in English church building after 1350? 

We will investigate how and why the style emerged and track its development over the two hundred years of its medieval pre-eminence - in cathedrals such as Canterbury and York, in Royal Chapels at Windsor and Westminster, in the delicacy of chantries such as those at Winchester, in its presence in the great carved screens and altar pieces, and crucially in its numerous parish churches such as Long Melford in Suffolk.

We will then consider its re-emergence as a part of the nineteenth century Gothic Revival in England – not only in church and university college chapel design but also in extraordinary secular building such as the Palace of Westminster, the work of Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin. 

Programme details

Courses starts: 24 Jan 2024

Week 1: Origins of the Perpendicular Style

Week 2: Perpendicular in the English Medieval Cathedrals

Week 3: Chantry Chapels, Choir and  Altar Screens 

Week 4: English Medieval Churches of the Perpendicular Period - part one  

Week 5: English Medieval Churches of the Perpendicular Period - part two

Week 6: The Royal Chapels of Windsor, Kings College Cambridge and Henry VII at Westminster

Week 7: Gothic Revival in English Churches

Week 8: Architecture in the College Chapels 

Week 9: Perpendicular Influence in Secular Architecture 

Week 10: Charles Barry's Palace of Westminster

Digital Certification

To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £257.00
Take this course for CATS points £10.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Mr Keith Hasted

Keith's initial research focus was Italian Renaissance palace architecture, and he has since developed a special interest in the architecture of cathedrals, not only in England but also in mainland Europe. He has taught courses over a number of years in the OUDCE weekly programme and Summer School and for the WEA.

Course aims

To enable course members to investigate the breadth and significance of this architectural style in England.

Course objectives: 

  • To explore the possible origins, early experimental forms and development of the style over 200 years in the medieval period.
  • To examine the work of architects from the nineteenth century leading the Gothic Revival in England, and track the influence of the Perpendicular in their designs.  

Teaching methods

Weekly lectures with visual images

Weekly classroom discussions

Illustrated notes provided each week

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • be able to appreciate the development of the Perpendicular style over its medieval and Revival periods;
  • be able to recognise the key architectural features by which the style can be identified;
  • to appreciate the impact of this distinctively English style of Gothic architecture. 

Assessment methods

Course members are invited to prepare an assignment as a short essay of no more than 1500 words. Alternatively a small number of shorter pieces of equivalent length in total can be prepared.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).

Level and demands

Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support