The dating found here is based on the work of John James, and is meant on this site to serve as a starting point. James' dating is derived from a system that uses his interpretation of the development of capitals over time as the basis for chronology, among other factors. His goal is to refine the dating to within years rather than decades. I have not fully embraced James' methodology, and will be developing this page from its current state to one which is admittedly more conservative. The relative expenditure values found in the Timeline are also based on James' work, and I believe these to be reasonably reliable. They are intended only to give a sense of the amount of work involved in each decade.

I have added the idea of the "project" as a way of separating work in buildings. In my mind, a "project" is a discrete section of work in a building that resulted from the one-time acquisition of funding. "Projects" are generally separated by at least a decade where no work was being done. It is my view that it would have been unwise to start a "project" that could not be finished and protected from the elements, and as such a "project" usually involved a wing or multiple wings of a building, from floor to roof. Rural churches, which could only secure small amounts of funding at irregular intervals, often were the result of many small projects, while the great churches, which benefitted from relatively consistent funding, may have involved only a few large projects.

321

40

160

110

12

25

35

35

115

1060s

1070s

1080s

1090s

1100s

1110s

1120s

1130s

1140s

1150s

1160s

1170s

1180s

1190s

1200s

1210s

1220s

1230s

1240s

1250s

Choir, now replaced, the lower courses of east and north walls of transepts built with choir, with south ahead of north

First nave bases together as first bays and west wall of transepts have keel shafts that start above the clerestory corbels, showing joint with earlier work in the choir; the detailing of corbels may be compared with Bury and Cambronne.

North nave aisle interior coursing shows that the first bay of the nave aisle was built with the bases of the north door in WN2-n aisles, though not with the capitals nor the other sculpture, and even if only the jambs had been in place, the doorway would have given access into the nave, if under a lean-to roof.

Nave first bay arcade and capitals

South transept walls and capitals though many courses higher than the adjacent nave aisle the similarity and unadorned carving suggest may have been carved and built by the monks themsleves; from here on outside professionals were used

North door to arches, which were just below aisle capitals and a 9-course joint to west of door down to lower courses of pier

North aisle capitals, start of vaults

North transept clerestory and into first bay of nave.

Nave aisle 3-5 with vaults 2-4 was followed by transept upper walls and vaults.

North rose after transept clerestory string, though there is uncertainty as there has been considerable adjustment around the NE3 clerestory capital, on the otheer hand the underside of the rose seems level with nave clerestory and there is nothing in the stonework around the rose that would indicate that it had been inserted and was built with the N2 vault that is supported over its encasing arch.

Nave gallery and clerestory 2-5 though north a little ahead of south.

Transept corbels for rib vaults, bosses

Base nave south aisle bay 6 to west and w.s door up to left capital.

South nave 6-7 capitals and right side w.s door, with these aisle vaults.

North nave 6-7

West nave gallery and clerestory

West central portal

Nave high vaults 1-4