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.

45

45

140

15

133

161

1060s

1070s

1080s

1090s

1100s

1110s

1120s

1130s

1140s

1150s

1160s

1170s

1180s

1190s

1200s

1210s

1220s

1230s

1240s

1250s

Crossing and tower, south chapel 1-3 that was reconstructed later.

West portals phase 1 to a setback at course 9.

There were at least four campaigns in setting out the nave piers, and with five different heights to the aisle capitals, while the north arcade has a varied history with bases and capitals at different heights, pilier cantonnee from different periods, and round arches; the north side of pier 6 has 1190 capitals, piers 2 and 5 are replacements, but because the arcade arches are round with the same profiles the changes to intermediate piers happened after the arcade was finished; there used to be aisles to the north, just inside the second row of replacement drums in line with the En1 shaft; there is also a change of levels in the floor, and a row of stones over where the wall may have been; at one time the capitals over aisle piers were 4 or 5 courses lower, and were later raised to their present height.

Pillier cantonnee N4 has square imposts.

South nave piers and against west wall. In WN7 capital height reduced to suit heights in the rest of the north arcade, while the work was taken to capitals with pointed arcade arches; the capitals of pilier cantonnee WN3 have chamfered imposts as on the south.

Nave south aisle triplet shafts added onto earlier piers to same import height, but different profiles. In S6-7 the wall capitals were placed lower, with an inclined stringcourse; arches added to inside of arcade arches to support triforium passage over the aisle vaults.

Triforium and clerestory capitals at the same level, with round arches to triforium completed over 4 or 5 campaigns to the same elevation; there used to be a passage on the north as on south and with it the upper section of west front.

High vaults