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.

15

60

60

45

40

22

22

22

1060s

1070s

1080s

1090s

1100s

1110s

1120s

1130s

1140s

1150s

1160s

1170s

1180s

1190s

1200s

1210s

1220s

1230s

1240s

1250s

Earlier apse probably in the middle with a nave with openings for an aisle to the south that can be seen in the remains of an arch into nave bay 3 still part of extension of pier.

Lowest courses of the crossing without lateral chapels marked "1" in MCS13:7

Crossing and two chapels in 7 or 8 small campaigns by only a few teams starting with bases to chapel entries with chapel and transept walls in one campaign, bases to west crossing in another; the SE-s base has a plinth that would have supported a crossing pier closer to the south, as in the other entry piers, but it was cut out and the crossing shifted northwards; the raised plinths indicate an earlier arrangement that was unfulfilled [joint lies between chapel entry shafts and the rib shafts at the level of the plinth].

South chapel capitals to nave entry to west (a-) and arch to start of south window; this wall on the south continuous from SC shaft to opening into nave and therefore these caps by Group 3 are before Group 1; also there is a half-arch in this wall against the crossing suggesting a doorway, that can be viewed in full on the nave side and shows that the arch is before the crossing shafts that are bonded into the infill under the arch, and bonded over the little arch into the side of the arch into the nave.

Both chapel pier capitals flanking the chapel entries (a-) and NC entry arch carved together and showing that there were breaks here because arches need time to settle; includes start of nave arcade north side two courses lower than entry into north transept

West crossing piers and capitals around the crossing with crossing arch including NW1ne rib shaft and the tower buttresses are butted into the nave; the south side of the arch into the nave is a couple of courses lower than the north

Entry into future south aisle

North vault capitals in 3 corners, ribs built with wall but butted into crossing arch with the north window

Eastern rectangular bay, capitals and vaults with the east wall and window, and the whole assembly was butted against the crossing and chapel walls

Nave arcade arches on the north built with the inserted opening in the north arm for an aisle that was probably built as the roof-flashing groove shows the outline of the aisle roof; also above the first nave pier WS3 a splayed impost supporting a pointed arch that matches the arch on the north; he;ped to stabilise the tower base for the intended tower and spire

Nave arcade arches on the north built with the inserted opening in the north arm for an aisle that was probably built as the roof-flashing groove shows the outline of the aisle roof; also above the first nave pier WS3 a splayed impost supporting a pointed arch that matches the arch on the north; he;ped to stabilise the tower base for the intended tower and spire

Tower I over rib vault to crossing.

Tower II

Spire

Removal of north apsidiole, replaced with double square bays.

Removal of south apsidiole, replaced with double square bays.