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.

114

64

185

250

188

1060s

1070s

1080s

1090s

1100s

1110s

1120s

1130s

1140s

1150s

1160s

1170s

1180s

1190s

1200s

1210s

1220s

1230s

1240s

1250s

Remnants of earlier choir in the eastern aisle capitals;

Crossing with transepts, aisle level;

Crossing clerestory; the outer parts of the transepts were in a later campaign;

Nave aisle walls and bases all together; they rest on much older foundations, presumably of an older nave;

Nave aisles with suggestions of two campaigns in the capital foliage; arcade arches, groin vaults and arcade bases together with a break just under triforium oculi;

Oculi and clerestory wall and windows in five campaigns; includes the adjoining tower room; flyers added with the high vaults;

Choir walls and drum piers to above the arcade arches;

Choir triforium and clerestory

Upper level of the tower constructed;