Anglo Saxon Windows

[bunn]

Photo borrowed from this article about Anglo Saxon Churches.

And a quote from lower down *the same page as this photo* - and phrased, I thought, somewhat emphatically given that it is talking about a period over a thousand years ago, where the vast majority of the buildings that were standing then, are standing no longer.

"there are NO pointed arches from the Anglo-Saxon and Norman periods: they simply did not exist."

The reason I found this article was that I was trying to work out why all the descriptions of early Anglo Saxon houses are emphatic that they had no windows. I still can't figure this out. OK, no window glass. But lack of glass surely does not mean lack of windows. So far as I can see, all the evidence of Anglo Saxon houses that exists is pretty much holes with post-holes in them, and clearly they did know about windows in churches...

I looked at a bunch of reconstructions. So far, all the ones I've found either have very dodgy-looking walls, so that lots of light comes through the chinks (brrr!) or they have left half a wall off so that people inside can see what they are doing. Neither of these strike me as likely solutions. A 'weaving-shed' where you can't actually see your loom seems impractical.

Comments

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

I suppose the arch quote technically is correct, because those aren't proper arches, as they don't have voussoirs and a keystone.

I do like those windows. They're very, very pretty.

[kargicq.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, that makes sense - they're not saying no pointy windows, they're saying no pointy *arches*. Got it. -N

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I do feel though, that if he meant 'there are no extant pointed arches with voissoirs and a keystone from the Anglo Saxon period' then he should have said so!

They are lovely, and don't you think that sort of pointed top would work really well in wood, which is not so heavy, so no need for a keystone, and where you could easily peg the two top bits together?

[endlessrarities.livejournal.com]

Heh, you know architects. It's like they speak a different language sometimes. I suspect that to be an arch, it MUST have voussoirs and a keystone.

Pardon my iggorance, but do Anglo Saxons do arches, full stop? I'm trying to cast my mind back to Jarrow and the like, but not succeeding. The reason why I'm curious is because arches are just SO Roman - and I would have thought the Anglo-Saxons would be quite aware of Roman architectural practices and how useful the arch can be.

Yes, that does look like a method of construction transposed from carpentry. Or from an area where the stone breaks naturally into planes, like slate, or shale or whatever.