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Lancashire Churches
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| Learn about the technical terms used in architecture |
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| A - M |
N - Z |
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acroterion an ornament or a plinth at the apex or the lower angle of a classical pediment
apse a semi-circular extension, often of a chancel or transept
arcade 1. a series of arches 2. blind arcade - a series of arches fixed to a wall 3. a shopping street that is covered, usually with glass
architrave 1. the section of the classical entablature that rests on the capital 2. the moulding around a window or door
ashlar square-cut stone blocks, often used as a smooth facing over brick or rubble
aumbry a cupboard to hold the vessels used in the mass
baldacchino a sheltering canopy, often supported on columns
battlement a parapet on a wall, alternating high and low
bay a section of an elevation as divided by columns, windows, etc.
beakhead Norman moulding with a row of heads (often bird-like) with mouths or beaks biting a roll
bellcote a small structure to hold bells, roofed, but often with open sides
boss an ornament placed at the intersection of roof timbers or ribs in a vault
box pew a pew enclosed by tall sides, entered by a door
bracket a piece of supporting stone
broach a triangular face that enables a square tower to turn into an octagonal spire
buttress a stone, brick or wood structure projecting from a wall, designed to support it by counteracting lateral thrust
capital the moulded head of a column, pier or pilaster
chamfer the surface formed when a square angle is cut away obliquely
chancel the eastern space in a church where the high altar is usually found
chancel arch an arch at the west end of the chancel that leads from the nave or the crossing
chapel of ease a chapel for those living a distance from the main church
chevron a zig-zag ornament characteristic of Norman architecture
clerestory also clearstory: the upper part of the nave wall of a church pierced by windows
coping a course of stone, concrete, etc. at the top of a wall
crockets small, repeated, leafy, upward projections on the edge of a pinnacle, gable, etc.
crypt an underground, or semi-underground area, usually at the east end of a church
cusps the projecting point between foils
dagger a dagger shaped tracery motif with two pointed lobes, one long and blade-like
demi-columns columns with only half of the circumference projecting from the wall
dogtooth a C13 moulding of raised pyramids with indented edges
drip-course a moulded stone projection, designed to protect the wall below from water damage
entasis a slightly convex profile used originally by the Greeks (in columns) to counteract the impression of concavity produced by parallel lines
embattled having battlements
faience glazed tilework
fielded panel a wooden panel with a raised square or rectangular piece surrounded by moulding
finial a decorative feature at the very top of a part of a building
foliate decorated with foliage or leaves
metope in the Doric frieze, the space between the triglyphs
guttae in the Doric frieze, small projections below the triglyphs
gallery in a church, an upper balcony with seating that overlooks the nave
hammerbeam wooden roof brackets that project from the wall horizintally, in the shape of a hammer
hagioscope see squint
herringbone work bricks or tles laid diagonally with alternate courses in the opposing direction, making a zig-zag pattern
hogback a rectangular tomb cover with a curved or pitched top
hoodmould projecting stone moulding above a door, window etc. designed to protect it by throwing off water
interlace the abstract patterns characteristic of Celtic and Anglo-Saxon decoration
impost the moulding on which the end of an arch rests
jamb the vertical edge of an opening
keystone the central, locking stone in an arch made of voussoirs (q.v.)
lancet window a tall, pointed window with no tracery
lesene a pilaster strip without a base or capital
lights the major sub-divisions of the glazed area of a window
lintel the beam that bridges the top of an opening
long and short work quoins, usually of the Saxon period, with the stones placed with the long side alternately upright then horizontal
lucarne a small window in a spire or roof
mandorla a pointed vertical almond/oval shape framing the figure of Christ
mouchette a curved version of the dagger motif in tracery
mullion one of the vertical posts that divides a window into "lights" |
nailhead a C13 moulding of repeated pyramidal motifs
narthex an enclosed vestibule at the main entrance to the church
nave the western part of the body of a church, often flanked by aisles
niche a tall recess in a wall or buttress, often containing, or intended for, a statue
obelisk a tall, four-sided tapering column with a pyramid top
oculus a circular window
ogee a continuous double curve; an elongated "S" shape
palmette a classical ornament based on the palm shoot
patera a flat, round, relief ornament
pediment a gable shape in classical architecture, often triangular, though sometimes with a curved top or "broken" on one edge
pier a support whose section is often round, square or octagonal
pilaster a rectangular column or pillar strip projecting in relief from a wall
pinnacle a finial, usually tapering, often placed on the upper corners of towers, or on the tops of buttresses
piscina a bowl or basin with a drain usually set into the wall near the high altar, used for washing the communion or mass vessels
pommée cross a cross with circles on the end of each arm
porte-cochere a covered entrance to a building into which coaches can be driven
pulpit a raised, enclosed plateform used for preaching
quadripartite vaulting vaulting divided into four parts by diagonal ribs
quatrefoil a 4-lobed shape formed by cusping in tracery
quoins blocks, usually of stone, up the corner of a building, often in an alternating pattern, and frequently rusticated
reeding a series of convex mouldings
reredos a decorative (usually painted or sculpted) screen behind an altar
reticulated tracery a net-like pattern of tracery characteristic of the early C14 (Decorated period)
rood screen a screen, usually separating nave and chancel, on which is the crucifix (rood)
runes an alphabet used by the Anglo-Saxons and Norse people that modified Roman and Greek characters to facilitate carving in stone and wood
rusticated masonry cut to appear strong, often by having deeply cut joints or a deliberately roughened stone finish
saddleback roof the name given to a pitched roof when it tops a tower
sedilia seats built into the south side of the chancel, usually 3, often graded by height and decoration, for the priests
segmental (of an arch or pediment) a segment of a semi-circle whose centre is below the springing line
shingles thin tiles, usually of wood, used as a roof covering or for cladding walls
spandrel the broadly triangular space between the shoulders of an arch and its rectanglular moulding above and at the sides
splay an opening wider on one face of the wall than another, often inside to allow more light to enter
springing line the point at which an arch "springs" from its support
squint a hole cut through stonework to allow a view of the high altar from a location that could otherwise not see it: also called a hagioscope
stoup a vessel for holy water, often of stone, usually near the entrance to a church
string course a horizontal band of moulding projecting from a wall
tester a horizontal sounding board or canopy above the pulpit, designed to deflect the priest's voice out to the congregation
tracery the pattern made by stonework in the top part of a window: such pattern in wood, or on the surface of a wall, etc.
transept an extension of a church at right angles to the nave
transom a horizontal bar dividing a window
trefoil literally "3 leaves": a three lobed shape formed by cusps (q.v.)
triglyph in the Doric frieze, a block with vertical grooves
Tuscan order a version of the Doric order with unfluted column and plain frieze
vesica piscis a vertical pointed oval shape
voussoirs the wedge-shaped stones that form the curve of an arch
waterleaf a flowing, gently curving leaf-form characteristic of C12 capitals |
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Photographs and text © Tony Boughen |
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