St Mary, Fratton (Portsmouth) the largest of Blomfield’s
churches in my study area. I’m continuing the process of adding indicative
tracery where appropriate to better convey the “feel” of the design. It’s my
first attempt at Perpendicular style tracery. When I was learning about Gothic
architecture as a teenager at Barnsley Grammar School, there were three main
periods (I think) Early English, Decorated and Perpendicular. The names and analysis may have been updated
(I don’t really know, not being up to date with the academic world) but I find
those three labels a useful starting point for making sense of the world of
Gothic and Gothic Revival.
Blomfield mostly used Early English on his small to medium
sized churches, lots of lancet windows, narrow slots with a pointed top where
tracery is not even necessary. Some wider window stray into the Decorated zone
with more flowing shapes and floral references carved into the stone.
Perpendicular takes a more rectilinear…