Short course
Ten English Medieval Cathedrals: Building and Development
Course status:
Applications being accepted
Dates and time:
10/07/2027 - 17/07/202709:00 - 12:30
Study format:
Summer schools
Fees:
£1,615.00 – £2,695.00
Medieval masons did not know they were building in the Norman, Early English, Decorated or Perpendicular styles – the English architect Thomas Rickman had not proposed these names until the early 1800s. They guide us however through the progression of these remarkable buildings.
We will examine how Durham and Norwich give an insight into the bulk and power of Norman architecture. Canterbury shows us the transition from Norman to the Gothic building inspired by France in the late 1100s. Lincoln and Salisbury show how the remarkable switch to Early English Gothic came about in the 1200s. Exeter, Wells and Ely demonstrate how this blossomed into the glorious English Decorated style of around 1300. Winchester and York exploited the sheer magnitude of the English Perpendicular, which was dominant over 300 years from the 1330s to the 1530s.
In many cases we will see multiple styles of architecture combined in these great structures. For example, Winchester cathedral comprises examples of Norman and all three of the phases of English Gothic architecture.
Roughly half of the English medieval cathedrals were monastic houses, the balance being 'secular' in organisation with a dean and chapter. We will consider how this influenced the function and design of the cathedrals themselves.
Lastly we will see how, through the medieval period in England, stained glass became progressively more dramatic, communicating through images to the cathedral’s laity and pilgrims.
Includes a visit to Winchester Cathedral.
This course is part of the Oxford University Summer School for Adults (OUSSA) programme.
Book this course
Book your place online using the button below.
Contact the team
Phone: +44 (0)1865 270467
Email: oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk
University-level study and support
During your time on the Oxford University Summer School for Adults you will:
- Study in small seminar groups with no more than 12 students, guided by expert tutors
- Receive two one-to-one tutorials
- Have the opportunity to attend guest lectures and participate in social events
- Have access to the on-site Bodleian Library and IT facilities
- Gain experience of studying at university level
- Develop new skills
- Experience a friendly and supportive learning environment
- Connect with a global community of lifelong learners
Seminars and field trip
Participants are taught in small seminar groups of up to 12 students, and receive two one-on-one tutorials with their tutor.
Sunday
Seminar 1: Durham
The cathedral interior is an exceptional work of late Norman architecture and its innovation in rib-vaulting in stone is significant on the pan-Europe stage. Superb Gothic work has enhanced the overall impact while leaving the Norman form intact – the Chapel of the Nine Altars is a fine example of this later building.
Seminar 2: Norwich
Norman cathedrals in general followed the Romanesque style with round apses at the east end – these being lost in later Gothic extension further east. Norwich is unique among the English medieval cathedrals in retaining the apse form – the great abbey at Peterborough also retained its apse form.
Monday
Seminar 3: Canterbury
As the seat of the Archbishop of All England, Canterbury has the distinction of leading the building of Norman cathedrals after the Conquest with the initiative of William the Conqueror’s appointee Lanfranc. Following the death of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170, Canterbury again led in the adoption of new Gothic architecture brought from France by the master mason William of Sens.
Seminar 4: Lincoln
Lincoln is a showcase of the Early English Gothic style – from its experimental beginnings which included a ‘crazy vault’, via the settled style of the nave to the apogee of Early English in the Angel Choir at the cathedral’s east end.
Tuesday
Seminar 5: Salisbury
The only English Gothic cathedral to be built afresh on a new site. Created from 1220 in the Early English period, this style is coherent throughout. The only added element (from around 1330) is its elegant stone spire – England’s tallest at 404 feet.
Seminar 6: Exeter
With the highly unusual Norman feature of towers set north and south of the crossing, and now forming transepts, the absence of a central crossing tower gave Exeter scope for the longest uninterrupted vault – possibly in Europe. This is in the tierceron rib vault style in which England excelled around 1300.
Wednesday
Visit to Winchester Cathedral.
The cathedral has surviving Norman transepts, a simple retro-choir from the Early English period, and the crowning achievement of the Perpendicular conversion of the cathedral’s exceptionally long nave. It has perhaps the best English collection of chantry chapels, miniature churches within a church
Thursday
Seminar 9: Wells
Medieval competition with the abbey at Bath to be the seat of the bishop of the diocese of Bath and Wells probably led to the vast west front and its display of statuary. Recent growing evidence that the carved work was originally painted in bright colour lends wonder to the impact that it would have had on arriving pilgrims.
Seminar 10: Ely
This exceptionally large Norman abbey of the 1100s, soon elevated to cathedrals status, was built on uncertain ground. The setback of the devastating collapse of its central crossing tower in 1322 was met with breath-taking innovation. The extraordinary octagonal central space created by the cooperation of masons and carpenters leads the eye up to its lantern structure bringing light from high above.
Friday
Seminar 11: Winchester
An opportunity for us to look more closely at what we have seen during our visit to Winchester cathedral on Wednesday.
Seminar 12: York
Among its glories York has great east and west windows of epic scale, but of entirely contrasting architectural style. The west window is one of the finest examples of flowing tracery – a mark of the English Decorated style of architecture. The east window by contrast is a work of the later Perpendicular style. Both retain their original medieval stained glass, and glazier John Thornton’s east window of 1405 tackled the task of expressing in pictorial form the Revelation of St John.
Programme timetable
The daily timetable will normally be as follows:
Saturday
14.00–16.30: Registration
16.30–17.00: Orientation meeting
17.00–17.30: Classroom orientation for tutor and students
17.30–18.00: Drinks reception
18.00–20.00: Welcome dinner
Sunday – Friday
09.00–10.30: Seminar
10.30–11.00: Tea/coffee break
11.00–12.30: Seminar
12.30–13.30: Lunch
13.30–18.00: Afternoons are free for tutorials, individual study, course-related field trips or exploring the many places of interest in and around Oxford.
18.00–19.00: Dinner (there is a formal gala dinner every Friday to close each week of the programme).
Social programme
A range of optional social events will be offered throughout the summer school. These are likely to include a quiz night, a visit to historic pubs in Oxford, a visit to Christ Church for Evensong, and after-dinner talks and discussions.
Beyond the summer school, Oxford is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city with a busy cultural and social scene offering a wide variety of plays and shows, concerts, films and exhibitions.
Residential options are outlined below.
Please see the ‘how to enrol’ section below for guidance on how to book or request the right accommodation for you.
Residential option
This includes accommodation and all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
Our central Oxford accommodation combines the character of an historic building with the convenience of a modern hotel. All rooms are located in Wellington Square, a short walk to Oxford city centre, and include tea and coffee making facilities and free Wi-Fi.
View full details of Rewley House accommodation.
Non-residential option
We also offer places on a non-residential basis whereby participants can take classes and have meals (lunch and dinner) at Rewley House, having arranged their own accommodation elsewhere.
Course aims
This course aims to enable course members to investigate the development, and remarkable variation, in the architecture of the English cathedrals of the medieval period, seeing how they responded to the needs of the church, its clergy, patrons and the laity.
Course objectives
The course aims to enable students to:
- explore and recognise the remarkable stylistic change from Norman to the variants of Gothic architecture; and
- consider the structural challenges of these evolving styles, including the introduction of rib vaulting in stone and the progression to larger and larger windows.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this course, students will have been given the opportunity to understand:
- How layout plans of the medieval cathedrals met the needs of clergy and laity – recognising the mix of monastic and secular organisation among these cathedrals.
- The progression of styles of architecture, especially those particular to England.
- The techniques of building including use of stone and timber and the relationship with the design of stained glass.
Teaching methods
The teaching methods on this course may include:
- Short lectures/presentations
- Physical handouts
- Seminars/group discussions
Participants will attend two one-on-one tutorials with their tutor during the week.
Pre-course assignment
Participants are required to undertake preparatory reading and complete a pre-course assignment of 1,500 words. Although this does not count towards credit, it is seen as an important way of developing your ideas and is mandatory. The pre-course assignment is typically due in the first week of June.
IT requirements
Students are encouraged to bring a laptop to Oxford to assist them with their studies.
For residential students, wireless internet access is available in all bedrooms; for all students, wireless access is available in communal spaces of the college.
All students will be eligible to use the computers and printer in the computer room at Rewley House.
Assessment methods
You will be assessed during the summer school by either a 1,000 word written assignment or a presentation supported by individual documentation. To successfully gain credit (10 CATS points) students should attend all classes and complete the on-course assignment.
Please see the ‘certification’ section for more details about CATS points.
Mr Keith Hasted – Tutor
Keith’s initial research focus was Italian Renaissance palace architecture, and he has since developed a special interest in the architecture of cathedrals, not only in England but also in mainland Europe. He has taught courses over a number of years in the Oxford Lifelong Learning weekly programme and Summer School and for the WEA.
Certificate of Attendance
All participants who complete the course will receive a physical Certificate of Attendance.
Academic credit
OUSSA is an accredited summer school taught at undergraduate level; each one-week course carries 10 CATS (Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme) points at FHEQ (Framework for Higher Education Qualification) Level 4.
CATS points will be awarded to students who attend all classes and complete the on-course assignment to the required standard. Please see the ‘assessment methods’ section below for more details.
Certificate of Higher Education
Credit (CATS points) earned from OUSSA can be transferred towards our flexible Certificate of Higher Education. This part-time, award-bearing course lets you decide what, how and where you study by gaining credit from short courses, including short online courses, in-person weekly classes and OUSSA.
For full details, including transfering credit gained from OUSSA to the programme, see our Certificate of Higher Education programme page.
English language requirements
As students are expected to participate fully in seminar discussions and are required to produce written work, it is important that applicants can demonstrate an appropriate level of proficiency in the four language skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking.
If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence of your proficiency in the form of an original certificate, or a certified copy, that is not more than two years old on the date the summer school starts. You must satisfy one of the following requirements:
- IELTS Academic: minimum overall score of 7.5, with not less than 7.0 in each of the four components
- TOEFL iBT: minimum overall score of 110, with not less than 22 for listening, 24 for reading, 25 for speaking and 24 for writing
- C1 Advanced, formerly known as Cambridge English: Advanced or CAE: minimum overall score of 191, with not less than 185 in each of the four components
For further information on English language qualifications:
The requirement to provide English language test scores may be waived in either of the following circumstances:
- If you have completed a full-time degree-level programme at a recognised institution where teaching and assessment throughout the course was undertaken entirely in English, and the programme was completed with a gap of no more than two academic years to the course to which you are applying. If you studied this course in a country that is not majority English speaking, you will need to provide evidence that the course was taught in English. This can either take the form of a link to the appropriate page of the institution’s website or a statement from the institution confirming this.
- If you have worked for a minimum of two years in a majority English-speaking country where the main language for the role was English, and your role involved daily professional use of each of the four language components: reading, writing, listening and speaking.
Visa requirements
The Department welcomes international students on all its courses. However, it is the responsibility of successful applicants to ensure that they comply with UK immigration law.
If you are not a UK or Irish national, you might need to apply for a visa before coming to the UK, depending on which passport you hold. You can check if you need a visa before coming to the UK on the UK Government’s website. We strongly recommend that you establish whether you will require a visa before submitting your application.
If you do not require a visa to come to the UK for a short period of study, you will need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
The Programme Administrator will provide non-UK/Irish nationals enrolled on the summer school with a standard-format PDF letter by email confirming enrolment and course details once their fees have been paid in full. These letters are issued on request only.
If you require a visa, you should ensure your summer school application is submitted as early as possible to allow yourself sufficient time to complete the visa application process. See current visa processing times.
For legal reasons, the Programme Administrator is not permitted to provide any visa advice to applicants; any queries should be addressed to student.immigration@admin.ox.ac.uk.
Information about visiting the UK to study is available on the UK Government’s website and Oxford University’s Student Immigration website.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have taken the necessary steps to enable you to be admitted to the UK. The University takes no responsibility for a visa being denied at any point before or during a course.
Please note that the standard cancellation policy applies in all cases. See ‘Cancellations’ in the section below.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Fee Option 1 (Single en suite – inc. Tuition and Meals) | £2510.00 |
| Fee Option 2 (Double en suite – inc. Tuition and Meals) 1 person | £2695.00 |
| Fee Option 3 (Twin en suite – inc. Tuition and Meals) per person | £2050.00 |
| Fee Option 4 (No Accommodation – inc. Tuition, Lunch & Dinner) | £1615.00 |
Payment
All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis.
Please be aware that all payments made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.
Course change administration fee: please note that course transfers may be permitted in exceptional circumstances; however, in accordance with our Terms and Conditions, an administration fee of £50 will be charged.
Payment terms
- If enrolling online: full payment by credit/debit card at the time of booking
- If submitting an application form: full payment online by credit/debit card or via bank transfer within 30 days of invoice date
Cancellations and refunds
Please see the terms and conditions for our open-access courses.
The Department cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. You are advised to check the terms and conditions carefully and to purchase travel insurance.
Funding
Concessionary rates are available on a non-residential basis for those that qualify.
The concessionary fee is for non-residential attendance only; participants will then be responsible for finding their own accommodation. For full details, including eligibility, see our OUSSA FAQ page.
Recommended reading
Simon Jenkins, 2016, England’s Cathedrals, Little Brown
Alec Clifton-Taylor, 1986, The Cathedrals of England, Thames and Hudson
Jon Cannon, 2007, Cathedral, Constable
Module code: O26I207SSR
Most courses fill quickly so early registration is strongly recommended. If your preferred course is fully booked, you may wish to add yourself to the waiting list and the Programme Administrator will contact you should a place become available.
Please note, the programme is only open to those over the age of 18.
Online enrolment (single person accommodation and non-residential)
Single accommodation, double room for 1 person and non-residential places should be booked online by clicking on the ‘Book now’ button on this page.
Online enrolments require payment in full at the time of registering.
Enrolment form (multi-occupancy or accessible accommodation)
Those requiring twin, double or accessible accommodation (including ground/lower floor accommodation) should complete an enrolment form as these rooms cannot be booked or requested online.
Please send the completed enrolment form to the email address below. Both the PDF and Word option of the form below are editable, so you can complete them online before saving and sending to us as an email attachment. You do not need to print and scan them. (Please use these forms only if you are making a twin or double booking for two people.)
Enrolment form:
Please send your completed enrolment form to oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk.
Accessibility and disability support
Disabled students who have registered for, or are planning to attend, the OUSSA summer programme should contact the Programme Administrator by email at oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk to discuss any support needs.
Students with a mobility impairment can consult the University Access Guide and should contact the Programme Administrator at oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk to request any accommodation they need in this regard.
There is a special access ramp and a self-contained bedroom suite on the ground floor at Rewley House, equipped for use by people with mobility problems, with an adjoining room for carers. Two public disabled parking bays provided by Oxford City Council are situated on Wellington Square close to the Department. If you need this accessible room, please indicate this on your enrolment form, or contact the Programme Administrator prior to your arrival. Please also let us know of any support needs you may require.
If you need a room on a ground or lower floor, please indicate this on your enrolment form or contact the Programme Administrator prior to your arrival.
If you would like more information about support available to students with disabilities, please see our support page.
Terms and conditions
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact us at oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk.
You may also find our frequently asked questions help page useful.