Find out more about Gothic Cathedrals in Ireland in Chapter 27. Compare these to the Cathedrals of Salisbury, Canterbury, Exeter and others in England. Why was the Gothic style called ‘Anglo-Norman’ in England and Ireland?
New building techniques included:
l the pointed arch (Fig 2.3) l the ribbed vault (Fig 2.4)
l the clustered column (multiple columns standing together as one to support the vaulting)
l buttresses on exterior walls (Fig 2.5)
l tall thin walls with large openings for pointed lancet windows
l flying buttresses – arches to support the walls on the higher areas. This allowed for greater height and more openings for large upper-level windows (Fig. 2.5 and 2.6)
l stained glass in the windows
l tracery – ornamental stonework of delicate, lacelike patterns supporting the glass in the windows (Fig. 2.7).
A11.1Pointed Arches Figure 2.3 Pointed arches.
Flying buttress Buttress
Figure 2.5 Buttresses and flying buttresses.
Figure 2.4 Ribbed vaulting. CHAPTER 2 GOTHIC ART AND ARCHITECTURE
Go to YouTube and watch the video ‘Explaining the Flying Buttresses’ (1:25). Have some fun trying it out in the classroom or with a group of friends
