The Tudor architectural style was the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period (1485–1603), and even beyond, for conservative college patrons. The designation "Tudor style" is an awkward one, with its implied suggestions of continuity through the period of the Tudor dynasty and the misleading impression that there was a style break at the accession of Stuart James I in 1603. It followed the Perpendicular style and, although superseded by Elizabethan architecture in the domestic building of any pretensions to fashion, the Tudor style still retained its hold on English taste. Portions of the additions to the various colleges of Oxford University and Cambridge University were still being carried out in the Tudor style, which overlaps with the first stirrings of the Gothic Revival.
The Tudor arch, a low and wide type of arch with a pointed apex, was a defining feature of the period. It is much wider than its height and gives the visual effect of having been flattened under pressure. This type of arch, when employed as a window opening, lends itself to very wide spaces, as seen in the chapel window of King's College at Cambridge University.
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King's College chapel, University of Cambridge
The chapel at King's College of the University of Cambridge is one of the finest examples of late Gothic (Perpendicular) English architecture, while its early Renaissance rood screen (separating the nave and chancel), erected in 1532–36 in a striking contrast of style, shows the influence of architecture from the Italian peninsula.
Some of the most remarkable oriel windows belong to this period. An example can be seen in the Priory Church of St. Bartholomew the Great in London. The oriel window was installed inside St. Bartholomew the Great in the early 16th century by Prior William Bolton, allegedly so that he could keep an eye on the monks. The symbol in the center panel is a crossbow "bolt" passing through a "tun" (or barrel), a pun on the name of the prior.
Oriel window, Priory Church of St. Bartholomew the Great
Early 16th century London.
During this period, the arrival of the chimney stack and enclosed hearths resulted in the decline of the great hall based around an open hearth, which was typical of earlier medieval architecture. Instead, fireplaces could now be placed upstairs, and it became possible to have a second story that ran the whole length of the house. Tudor chimney pieces were made large and elaborate to draw attention to the owner's adoption of this new technology. The jetty appeared as a way to show off the modernity of having a complete, full-length upper floor.
Little Moreton Hall
Little Moreton Hall, constructed in the mid 16th century, is an example of a Tudor style timber-frame house with a chimney stack and a jettied second floor visible from the exterior.
The style of large houses moved away from the defensive architecture of earlier moated manor houses, and instead began emphasizing aesthetics. For example, quadrangular ('H' or 'E' shaped plans) became more common. It was also fashionable for these larger buildings to incorporate "devices," or riddles, designed into the building, which served to demonstrate the owner's wit and to delight visitors. Occasionally these were Catholic symbols, for example, subtle or not-so-subtle references to the trinity, seen in three-sided, triangular, or 'Y' shaped plans, designs, or motifs.
The houses and buildings of ordinary people were typically timber-framed, the frame usually filled with wattle and daub but occasionally with brick. These houses were also slower to adopt the latest trends and the great hall continued to prevail. The Dissolution of the Monasteries provided surplus land, resulting in a small building boom, as well as a source of stone.
Anne Hathaway's Cottage is a 12-room farmhouse where the wife of William Shakespeare lived as a child in the village of Shottery, Warwickshire, England. As in many houses of the period, it has multiple chimneys to spread the heat evenly throughout the house during winter. The largest chimney was used for cooking. It also has visible timber framing, typical of vernacular Tudor architecture.
Anne Hathaway's Cottage
The design of the childhood home of Anne Hathaway is typical of a house inhabited by commoners in Tudor England.