Architects
The researches of John Harvey have uncovered the names of many English medieval architects, and by tracing stylistic characteristics, it has sometimes proved possible to track their careers from one building to another. Leading architects were highly paid - especially those employed in the King's works - and they can often be identified from regular payments in cathedral accounts.
No architectural drawings survive for any English cathedral earlier than 1525 (although an engineer's design for a proposed new water supply at Canterbury cathedral priory exists in a 12th century plan). Architectural details, such as window tracery designs, were not executed as scale drawings, but were incised full-size onto a large flat gypsum tracing-floor, examples of which survive at York and Wells.
Medieval construction was seasonal, work on site being undertaken only in the spring and summer, when the light was good and the weather more reliable. Each autumn, any exposed surfaces would be covered and lagged against frost damage; and the architects then would work over winter in the tracing house (that of York has both a fireplace and a privy) to prepare designs for the next season's campaign. Each design would be translated into set of planed oak cross-sectional templates, which were given to the stone-cutters. Construction of cathedrals and major churches almost invariably started at the eastern arm, and then proceeded westwards, with any towers being erected last.
Robert the Mason, c 1100, St Albans abbey,
William of Sens, d 1184, Canterbury choir,
William the Englishman d 1214, Canterbury choir,
Elias of Dereham d 1246, Salisbury,
Michael of Canterbury d 1321, Canterbury,
Henry Wy c 1324, St Albans nave,
William Ramsey (architect) d 1349, Norwich, Ely, Old St Paul's chapter house, Lichfield presbytry,
William Hurley d 1354, Ely lantern,
Richard of Farleigh d 1364, Salisbury tower and spire, Exeter
Alan of Walsingham d 1364, Ely octagon
John Clyve d 1374, Worcester nave, tower, west front,
Henry Yevele d 1400, Canterbury nave, Durham Neville screen
William Wynford d 1405, Winchester nave,
Thomas Mapilton d 1438, Canterbury SW tower,
William Smyth d 1490, Wells vaults,
William Orchard (architect) d 1504, Oxford vaults,
John Wastell d 1515, Canterbury tower, Peterborough retrochoir, Manchester,
Read more about this topic: Architecture Of The Medieval Cathedrals Of England
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